Movie Digest
Hyo-Jeong is a lady. She dresses with quiet flair. She is soft-spoken and she takes care of her body. This is evident in her effortless, graceful strokes while she swims. She is also 69 years old.
All of these are noted by 29-year-old Joong-ho when Hyo-Jeong goes into medical care for her weak knee after surgery. Amidst physical therapy, he remarks on how well she has taken care of her body, and how she doesn’t look like a senior citizen. Although Hyo-Jeong is polite in the beginning, making small replies, the conversation becomes stilted and uncomfortable, and suddenly there’s silence. All we see is a cubicle covered with a curtain and all we hear is a machine’s urgent, anxious beeping.
We know Hyo-Jeong has been raped, but as it always is with trauma, it takes her days to just confide in Dong-in, her friend. He counsels her to seek justice and stand up for herself.
Unfortunately, the hands of justice are only willing to work for those they deem fit to get raped; young women. The enforcers take one look at Hyo-Jeong and see nothing but a frail, sexless, 69-year-old woman, who could also be potentially forgetful. Their misjudgment is further confirmed when Hyo-Jeong struggles to even lodge an FIR, thanks to her trauma. They’re quite unable to see this frail 69-year-old is a perfect candidate for a predator like Joong-ho to take advantage of.
The rapist is taken into custody, but when he admits to having consensual sex with Hyo-Jeong, the court takes one look at the handsome young caregiver and the case is snapped shut. After all, why would such a young, thriving man do such a heinous crime and that too, to an old woman? There is almost no hope for Hyo-Jeong to get any justice.
But 69 years is a long time to live and all of her life experience strengthens Hyo-Jeong, who refuses to give up. She refuses to back down from standing up for her dignity. After all,
“My story may make many uncomfortable. But still, I stand up to speak, because I am still here, alive.”
The Feel-Good Part
This film is deeply sad. It focuses only on Hyo-Jeong. There is no vengeance. Joong-ho is not brought to justice. It’s based solidly on reality and we know reality is disappointing. So the general atmosphere is sad and reflective, not happy.
In-Depth Analysis
Justice is often never meted out, especially where rape is concerned. And like in most rape cases, the victim has to deal with the aftermath of the shreds of what they once called life.
You will be touched by how tastefully and respectfully this has been directed. We don’t see the assault or any over-dramatization of Hyo-Jeong’s circumstances. Of course, no one believes her, she is shunned by society and she loses her job.
But there are quiet moments. Like when Hyo-Jeong reaches out to catch the sunlight in her slender fingers. Like when she leaves Dong-in for his good. Like when she pens down her story. These are the moments when the person watching the film just knows, that despite all her pain and humiliation, she’ll be okay.
Because this film focuses on Hyo-Jeong, it shows us the journey of every trauma victim in this unfair world. Whatever happens to them is tragic, but we get the assurance that they are also stronger for it. The trauma is just added armor.
The Disappointing Factor
In an almost perfect film, one feels some factors could have been well-developed. There is a subplot of Dong-in and his son that feels a bit far-fetched. We don’t see the part of Hyo-Jeong’s new job getting fully developed. And the film can get a bit tedious at times.
Star Power
Ye Su-Jeong is the flesh and blood of Hyo-Jeong, playing such a helpless, tragic character with grace and elegance. Ki Joo-bong is wonderful as her friend, Dong-in. And Kim Jung-Yeong has been outstanding in fleshing out Joong-ho. The side characters all add to making this film a well-rounded piece of modern cinema.
Overall Opinion
This film doesn’t seek to entertain the masses, nor does it try to educate anyone about anything. It is a gut-wrenching portrayal of what a lot of our senior citizens go through and how external appearances and personal biases can leave them unheard and uncared for.
