Review of Poetry (2010) by Joshua B — 09 Jan 2013

Poetry is a Korean film from writer/director Chang-dong Lee that tells the story of Yang Mija, an elderly woman who takes up writing poetry while facing the beginnings of Alzheimer's Disease and acting as primary caregiver to her troubled grandson.

Events happen that further complicate Yang's situation, but Lee piles them on with such tender care that the film never seems to wallow in sentimentality, like so many melodramas, or misery, like, say, the films of Alejandro González Iñárritu.

All of the swirling aching emotions and the fixation on natural beauty are anchored in a powerful central performance from Yun Jung-hee (her first role in sixteen years) whose subtle responses to Lee's visual and emotional cues result in cinematic poetry of the most powerful kind.

This beautifully sad film is one of the best films of the year.