Ode To My Father review [LKFF 2015]: “An astonishing mix of cinematic genres.”

Ode To My Father review: One moment you’ll be gripping on tightly due to tension, and the next you’ll find yourself laughing hysterically.

Five years ago JK Youn stormed into the Korean big leagues with the fantastic Haeundae (or Tidal Wave for its very simply titled international release). The film remains one of Korea’s biggest grossing films (we’re talking Top 10), and despite the fact it’s a rollicking character driven disaster movie that harkens back to 1970s Hollywood classics, the film failed to gain momentum outside of its home nation. JK Youn returns with Ode To My Father, a film that has all the key elements of success which made Haeundae such a crowd pleaser, while also offering a more dramatic film with excellent pacing.

Like many Korean films, Ode To My Father is focused on family life, its importance, and how it should be treasured above all things. Whether or not you agree with such a sentiment does not damage enjoyment of the film, as we carefully follow this family through 60 years of history. Starting in modern day, in which Yoon shows his sweeping camera skills as we follow a pure white butterfly, we soon find ourselves heading back in time as we begin to understand protagonist Yoon Duk Soo’s (Hwang Jung Min) attachment to his shop. Why won’t he sell and live the quiet life? Well it’s a tale that weaves historical events with more personal matters in an epic journey of growing up and taking responsibility.

The first sequence of major importance, of which there are many, sees refugees from North Korea trying to board American military ships. It’s a ferocious sequence in which the desperation can be clearly felt, bringing back memories of Saving Private Ryan’s D-Day landings. Other trips through time include Duk Soo’s time as a miner in Germany, which is home to its own moment of nerve shredding terror during an explosion/cave-in, as well as a trip to vietnam during the war. There’s enough moments to keep such an emotionally charged film continue on a steady path of progression without becoming episodic like FORREST GUMP. In relation to that film, we also see Duk Soo and his best friend Dal Gu (Oh Dal Su) encounter Korean celebrities in their younger years, although many of these references may fly over the heads of Western viewers.

Ode To My Father manages to mix just about every genre seamlessly, without feeling like a jack-of-all-trades. The powerful emotional segments bring in high moments of melodrama, but these are quickly complemented by rather broad comedic moments. The music and slapstick can appeal to all and makes for a nice variation in feelings for the audience. One moment you’ll be gripping on tightly due to tension, and the next you’ll find yourself laughing hysterically at Duk Soo and Dal Gu’s antics. This is certainly a film that has been manufactured for the widest possible audience, and although this can cause many films to fail as they try and please everyone, the plot and time jumping allows for each moment to fill just enough of the running time. Just when the romance may begin to slow things down for some of the audience, there’s an action sequence ready to get the adrenaline pumping again.

The three leads are incredibly impressive, with the actors, all in their 40s, managing to portray their characters from their early 20s into their late 70s. The make-up may not always be entirely convincing, but those performances sure are. Hwang and Oh have very noticeable chemistry that aids every scene from the enjoyable banter, to moments where tears begin to flow. They feel like true friends, but also individual people. The romance is also allowed to blossom naturally and never descends into trite speeches and eye-rolling dialogue.

Ode To My Father is an astonishing mix of cinematic genres that all come together to make a powerful and enjoyable film. The wonderful climax left me in tears, which is something a film hasn’t done in years (maybe even a decade). If viewed with an eye for cynicism, then it will be obvious to see that the film is trying to twist your emotions with very well coordinated musical cues, slow motion shots, and facial expression loving close-ups. But leave the cynicism outside, because this could be a film for the whole family, and I’m talking from young kids to great grandparents.

Ode To My Father review by Luke Ryan Baldock, January, 2015.

Ode To My Father is the Opening Gala film of the London Korean Film Festival and screens on 2nd November.