The worst and best of humanity is on show in this hard hitting, emotional roller coaster of a film with a title that is truly fitting.
When 8 year old girl, Son-won [Hope] is brutally attacked and raped, she and her family endure a long struggle of rehabilitation, both physically and mentally, in their attempts to move on from the attack, but as they struggle through the dramatic effect the attack has left on their family and community, they must also deal with the trial of the attacker and the possibility that he may get off with a lessened sentence than expected.
Hope is quite possibly the film of the festival. If you don’t at least nearly cry within the first half hour there’s something very wrong with you as you’ll find yourself battling through the torment and heartache with the characters. If the film wasn’t soul-crushing enough, knowing it was based on real life events of a real case genuinely crushes you as you watch the opening hour playout.
It’s a true testament to the screenplay, the director and the actors as raw emotion pours out from the screen, and in turn demands a genuinely powerful reaction from the audience, one that the film will receive.
It’s hard to celebrate a film’s success when it’s profiting on such a traumatising real life story. For all of Hope‘s success and plaudits that it will undoubtedly receive, I can safely say it’s a cinematic experience I don’t wish to repeat, but I would absolutely recommend for a one time viewing. It’s not that it isn’t a film you couldn’t watch over and over again, but more a case of would you really want to. One time is enough as it leaves its mark and isn’t a film you could easily forget.
It packs a real punch and pulls hard on your heartstrings. Just as you think you’re able to handle it another punch comes flying in from the otherside and you’re crushed all over again before the healing really begins to take place. And as Hope begins to deal with her attack, the film finally allows you to take solace about the goodness and, there isn’t more of an appropriate word, hope in the world. It always seems the worst of humanity brings out the best of humanity, and Hope brings this point home as friends, family and acquaintances alike rally around the family to show them they’re not alone during the difficult times.
This is a powerfully moving film that comes with the highest recommendation and also a stern warning to run the other way. If you take the latter advice, you miss out on a beautiful but harrowing story. If you take the initial advice, you’ll get it, you’ll want to track me down and punch me in the face, but you’ll get just why this film cannot be ignored.
It’s hard to fault the film and with a story like this but it’s also hard to want to. If there was anything to judge it on it’s that we don’t really see much about the attacker, and in terms of acting it’s the worst performance in the film. But that’s to be expected when everyone else raises the bar so high. Young actress (7 at the time of filming), Lee Re gives a mesmerising and mature performance far beyond her years as the victim, Hope. Sol Kyung-Gu and Uhm Ji-Won give equally riveting performances as Hope’s Father and Mother, who both take on two very different paths in their stories of dealing with Hope’s attack, and the film is rounded off by strong run-outs from Kim Hae-Sook, Kim Sang-Ho and Rae Mi-Ran.
Hope, of course, isn’t a clear representation of similar events like these, which can end in more tragedy for the family, and the filmmakers have come under criticism for their depiction of this, as well as seeking to profit from such horrific events, whatever their intentions may have been. But it’s an important story to tell and they went down the correct path in the message it sends out. That dark, evil, disgusting actions like this can sometimes bring out the best in humanity, to rally around each other in support and give each other a shoulder to lean on. It’s an important message and one we need to remember at times, and one which personally I’m glad they decided to include.
Rating: Astonishing and powerful in it’s output, Hope evokes real emotion from the viewer as it demands your utmost attention (9/10).
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