Minari Expertly Holds the American Dream Up for Scrutiny Directed by Lee Isaac Chung
Starring Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Noel Cho, Alan Kim, Youn Yuh-jung
Published Feb 23, 2021
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It s rare to be fully invested in a film from its first minute, but Lee Issac Chung s
Minari makes you fall in love with the Yi family instantly. Based on Chung s childhood,
Minari is a tender and precise take on the immigrant experience.
Set in the 1980s, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica Yi (Han Ye-ri) have just moved their family from California to a rural farm area in Arkansas with their two children, Anne (Noel Kate Cho) and David (Alan Kim). They re in search of a fresh start but it doesn t come without a price. Monica is fixated on a stable future, but Jacob dreams of building his own garden on the farm. David also has a heart murmur which prevents him from doing simple things comfortably, like running. The Yis new lifestyle is thrown for a whirl with Monica s youthful mother, Soonja (Youn Yu
Malcolm & Marie Is Full of Empty Arguments and Dazzling Style Directed by Sam Levinson
Starring John David Washington, Zendaya
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The opening shot of Sam Levinson s
Malcolm & Marie is serene. It s a cool, breezy night it s dark, the trees are swaying and there s not a person in sight. This shot is the calm before the storm.
We re introduced to the titular budding filmmaker, Malcolm (John David Washington), and his girlfriend, Marie (Zendaya). The couple have just come back from Malcolm s premiere, a seemingly celebratory night, but it s turned upside down when the pair get into a series of arguments stemming from Malcolm leaving Marie out of his acceptance speech. It s a night filled with immense chaos as we watch their romance unravel.