Movie Digest
Plant Café, Warmth is a South Korean movie that was released in 2021. Plant Café, Warmth tells the story of a former war correspondent, Hyun Jae, who quit being a war correspondent due to his experiences of the trauma of being at war. After leaving his career, he returns to his grandfather’s arboretum, which he had a special connection with as a child. He decides to overcome his trauma and live on with courage. Hyun Jae chooses to explore his connection with plants and opens a plant café within the city. He provides the remedy to his customers seeking him out with their plants that go beyond plants and touch the subject and matters of the heart.
The Feel-Good Part
The best part of Plant Café, Warmth, is how the lead character, Hyun Jae, listens to, assists, and provides remedies to his customer, no matter how trivial the topic may be, which is also connected with the condition of the plants. The message of continuing to live on and following one’s hobby with trauma is also praise-worthy.
The Disappointing Factor
The message of the movie becomes vague at some point in time. Though the film links the plants and human lives metaphorically, there are moments when the theme becomes foggy.
In-Depth Analysis
Hyun Jae, the central character of the film, is a passionate botanist who found a new lease of life through his connection with plants and hence decides to run a plant café. He had a career as a war correspondent. However the Pakistani War left a trauma in his life, which compelled him to leave behind his career. The movie addresses the complex feeling of a person with war traumas and how one can live on with courage by exploring one’s hobbies and passion. In case of Hyun Jae, he finds strength in his memories of being in his grandfather’s arboretum. As he opens a plant café, he attracts many customers who seek him regarding their dying plants, which metaphorically connects with their struggling aspects of life. In a way, Plant Café, Warmth is a healing movie with some valuable life advice.
Star Power
Kang Gil Woo plays the central character of Hyun Jae. The other cast member includes Kim Woo Kyum, Park Soo Yeon, Seo Suk Gyu and Lee Ga Kyung.
Overall Opinion
The storyline and the execution of the film are praise-worthy. The scenes which showed the backstory of Hyun Jae are particularly well depicted. The actors did an excellent job in portraying their characters, making the acting look very natural on-screen. Overall, the film is a decent watch and indeed deserves your time.
