A Normal Family

Story: After an argument between two drivers, in which one of the two is run over by the other, the doctor Jae-gyoo (Jang Dong-gun) has to fight for the life of the dead man's daughter as she was seriously injured during the incident. Jae-gyoo's brother Jae-wan (Sul Kyung-gu) is a successful lawyer and has to represent the murderer, who is the son of a rich businessman. The lawyer meets up with his brother for a meal in order to discuss the case but also to talk about placing their mother in a retirement home. She has dementia and lives with Jae-gyoo and his wife Yeon-kyeong (Kim Hee-ae) at the moment, who take care of her along with the help of a housemaid. Yeon-kyeong and the lawyer's much younger wife Ji-soo (Soo Hyun) have their differences. But at the same time, she wouldn't mind putting her mother-in-law in a retirement home because she also has to take care of her son Si-ho (Kim Jung-chul). The latter often meets up with Hye-yoon (Hong Ye-ji), the lawyer's daughter from his first marriage. One day, Si-ho comes home very late. His mother doesn't think much of it at first, but then a video goes around the news in which two teenagers kick a homeless man. He is now in intensive care and the parents of the two children recognize Si-ho and Hye-yoon in the video. Now the parents have to make a difficult decision ...

Review: Just a few minutes into the movie, it becomes clear that you are dealing with a crime drama that immediately manages to captivate you with its rhythm. After all, fast pacing cannot only be achieved by adrenaline-driven action. In "A Normal Family", the countless twists and turns as well as the remarkable exploration of the characters' moral compasses make sure that the almost two hours just fly by. The smoldering psychological conflicts, which have to be fought out both within the characters and with one another, create enormous suspense, especially since we are really interested in each and every one of the four main characters, also thanks to a great cast. The story is morally demanding, as it also raises the question of what you would do if your own child became a criminal. The characters' individual convictions, as clear as they may seem at first, change in a natural way in the course of events. The image of the money-obsessed lawyer and his younger trophy wife, as well as the doctor and his wife who are always committed to social projects, does not say nearly as much about the true nature of the characters as you would assume at first.

"A Normal Family" delights us with a complex story, but one which is not simply based on complicated events that are slowly explained, instead it sheds more and more light on the psyche of the characters. The tension between the two families or brothers creates an extraordinary dynamic. No wonder, as the story is based on the Dutch novel "The Dinner" by Herman Koch. However, it has to be mentioned that the story was already adapted into a movie of the same name in 2013 starring Richard Gere. Nevertheless, Herman Koch quickly disappeared after the premiere because he didn't like the movie at all - just like the critics or the audience. One of the biggest problems of the American adaptation was that it tried to shove its moralizing lecture into your face, without capturing the cynicism of the original. The Korean version is not only able to implement the black humor, but it also manages to successfully embed the story in the Korean culture and its still heavily patriarchal structure. But the basic premise remains the same: How far is parental love allowed to go? At what point will it do more harm than good?

The story mostly takes place indoors, which sometimes creates a slightly claustrophobic atmosphere. The movie was produced in a lavish way, and the director always knows in what direction he wants to go and what tone he wants to create. Anything else would have been hard to believe anyway, because it's Hur Jin-ho ("Christmas in August"), a master of his craft, who is behind the camera. The editing also does its part for the pacing to always be high. Above all, Hur Jin-ho never loses sight of the fact that the story is all about the individuals, their thoughts, and beliefs. To name just one example: The young wife Ji-soo seems to be a superficial person who is just concerned about her fitness and desperately tries to somehow build up a better relationship with her husband's brother, or more specifically his wife. But in the end, she also gives us an insight into her thoughts, and a complex picture unfolds about what her fears and hopes are, all the while also showing us that she not only understands how intricate the problem is, she even points out aspects that have not yet been considered. It is simply exciting to follow the individual thoughts and emotions that unfold and to witness the changes in each character.

In addition to the remarkable performances of the actresses, it is especially Sul Kyung-gu ("Kingmaker") and Jang Dong-gun ("V.I.P."), who always strike the right note with their subtle acting. Watching "A New Family", it becomes obvious how rarely you get to see movies with well-written characters these days. Because the crime drama wouldn't have worked at all if either the script or the cast hadn't been perfect. In the end, the movie has to believably get across that the individuals sometimes radically change their attitudes, but without making the characters contradict themselves. If there is anything to find fault with, it's the two children. Probably also due to the premise, they turn out a lot flatter and are therefore strikingly different from the rest of the characters. Still, some of the leaps ahead that we are presented with work quite well. At first, a few events may not seem to fit into the overall picture and make you wonder whether the movie actually follows a certain direction, but as mentioned before, it turns out that the story either wants to work out certain character traits or puts them to the test, so that in the end everything falls into place and we do get a coherent picture.

The movie is also able to score points in other areas. The soundtrack by Jo Seong-woo ("April Snow") often seems playful and therefore pleasantly underlines the cynicism that constantly shines through, but other times, it also creates some nice tension. The sets are excellently chosen and the three dinners, each of which show a change in the characters, turn out to be highlights when it comes to suspense. And then there is the ending, which hits you so hard and unexpectedly that you just have to sit and ponder for a while after the credits roll. Hur Jin-ho therefore succeeds in creating a drama that deals with a complex topic, but without providing us with morally charged answers that simply divide the world into black and white with nothing in between. For that alone he deserves a thumbs up nowadays. He not only leaves room for the viewers to think for themselves but also enriches his story with a hint of black humor, which makes it easier to stomach. In addition, we get a fantastic cast and wonderful direction. It is also rare that a drama actually manages to develop such a great dynamic in terms of pacing. So, all that's left to say is that "A Normal Family" clearly deserves a recommendation.

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