Night and Day (밤과 낮) (2008)

My first criticism of this movie is that it is way too long at 2.5 hours. It is a series of vignettes, some just mere seconds long, but they really add up. They (mostly?) add to the character development, but there is so much development. The art community in Paris interestingly has a sizable amount of Korean artists, including a North Korean artist. For a movie that takes place in Paris, there are not all that many French people in the movie. France merely provides the backdrop of the art world, including the Musee d'Orsay.

I'd like to just reiterate that Hong Sang-soo is super awkward. He has that Robert Altman zoom and some awkward dialogue and long takes. But life is awkward, isn't it? I stand by my characterization of Hong as Korean Woody Allen. He does the dramedy genre, albeit the comedy is much more subtle and awkward and not really ha-ha funny. But they have the same bougie ambitions. They both have a fascination with adultery and misbehaving men. There are some really charming vignettes, but the ending confused me. I think it's a winding statement on male desire, the fluctuating line between desire and action, and maybe the fleeting nature of desire. What the statement exactly is though is lost on me.