Review of Poetry (2010) by Keenan S — 21 Jul 2014

Poetry is an emotionally devastating and heartbreaking drama. I can't remember the last time a film hit me as hard as Poetry did, but I'm glad it did, because Poetry is the kind of film that makes the viewer feel alive as it explores the complex realities of life so many dramas (Including some that I raved about) sugarcoat. It's a film that never offers easy answers to the situations the main character is put through, and how she struggles to come to terms with the terrible predicaments that turn her simple life upside down in the blink of an eye, and the film does it in a way that feels very real, which makes it such an intense experience.

The plot focuses on a 66-year-old woman named Mija who works part-time as a caregiver for an elderly man and raises her teenage grandson, who like many teenagers is lazy, doesn't really like authority, and spends a lot of his time hanging out with friends.

During this time, she is starting to suffer from memory loss, which is starting to cause concern for doctors as it is suspected she is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. She also wants to take a poetry class to help with her memory and also as a past time, which she manages to get into, much to her delight.

One day, Mija's world is turned upside down when a girl at her grandson's school commits suicide by jumping off a bridge. Upon investigating why the girl killed herself, her diary reveals that in the months before her suicide, she was being raped repeatedly by a group of boys, which just so happens to include Mija's grandson, who shows little remorse for his horrific deed.

On top of learning of her grandson's crime, doctors confirm that she does have Alzheimer's and must come to terms with the fact that her memory is going to get progressively worse as time goes by.

On top of that, the fathers of the other boys involved with the crime are trying to settle with the dead girl's mother, so that their sons' futures are not destroyed, and they want Mija to pay her part of the settlement, which she can't afford. However, it is not only the matter of not being able to afford it, but also she struggles as to how to handle her grandson, whether or not to let him pay for his crime, or let him have his future despite destroying the life of another person.

The only distraction she has away from the complex moral dilemmas is the poetry class as she tries to figure out how to write a poem, which is the only assignment for the class during the semester, but she must figure out what poetry truly is before she can write the poem.

With her life falling apart, her grandson's future up in the air, the tremendous guilt over the dead girl and her grandson's crime, and trying to find out what poetry truly is, Mija must go on a soul-searching journey through the complexities of life and moral dilemmas.

While some may find the story has too many elements, I disagree completely. Poetry's plot takes all these elements and expertly balances them all out. Not only that, but Poetry never feels sappy, melodramatic, or cheesy because every part of it feels real and makes the viewer truly ponder what they would do when faced with so many tough life decisions (Don't think you would solve such issues so quickly, as Poetry presents them in a way that makes you think twice). Every emotion is real, every situation is down to Earth, and nothing is easy to fix. With these elements contained within the plot, Poetry is certainly not something you can forget even if you were to only see it once in your life, but it will stay with you forever.

The acting is also incredible, especially from Yun Junghee as Mija. Her performance was never anything bombastic or overwrought, but it was powerful through how she quietly conveyed her emotions. Even during the quiet scenes of reflection, she makes you believe in her performance and she commands the screen with ease. The other cast members are also top notch, even in minor roles, but Yun Junghee is the shining star in a group of greats and her performance is not something that can ever be forgotten. It's easily among the greatest film performances I've ever seen, and I've seen many great performances.

Poetry has a superb story that expertly explores complex situations, characters who are not only fleshed out, but also feel very real, amazing acting, beautiful direction, stunning visuals, terrific music, and emotions that will hit at the very core of your soul because of their tremendous impact. It's something that will make you feel alive as you travel on an emotionally complex journey with the character and feel everything that she does. You will be absorbed and you will feel everything. It's truly one of the greatest dramas not only of a generation, but it should be among the all-time greats of film history itself. It's something that you can't just watch, but it will make you feel like you are a part of the experience that it offers. No true fan of drama should ever miss out on this film, or even lovers of film as a whole and my words will never properly describe the mesmeric experience of watching Poetry. Watch it, and watch it immediately.