Minari Movie Review: Youn Yuh-Jung's Performance Is A Thing Of Beauty And So Is The Family Drama
Lee Isaac Chung's drama Minari is a semi-autobiographical take on his upbringing as a family of South Korean immigrants trying to make it in the rural United States during the 1980s.
Star
Cast:
Steven
Yeun,
Han
Ye-ri,
Alan
Kim,
Noel
Kate
Cho,
Youn
Yuh-Jung,
Director:
Lee
Isaac
Chung
Available
On:
Amazon
Prime
Video
Language:
Korean-
English
Duration:
116
Minutes
Story:
A
Korean-American
family
moves
to
Arkansas,
Ozarks
farm
in
search
of
their
American
dream.
Amidst
the
challenges
of
starting
a
new
life
in
the
strange
and
rugged
town,
the
family
of
five
discover
the
undeniable
resilience
to
overcome
those
challenges
and
what
really
makes
a
home.
Review:
Lee
Isaac
Chung's
drama
is
a
semi-autobiographical
take
on
his
upbringing
in
a
family
of
South
Korean
immigrants
trying
to
make
it
in
rural
United
States
during
the
1980s.
The
film
follows
Jacob
Yi
(Steven
Yeun),
as
he
drives
towards
the
new
family
home
surrounded
by
50
acres
of
land.
He
compares
the
open
land
filled
with
trees
and
grass
to
the
Biblical
Garden
of
Eden.
Jacob
tells
his
son
that
he
plans
to
build
a
big
garden
just
like
Eden,
but
his
wife
Monica
Yi
(Han
Ye-ri)
is
quick
to
remind
him
that
"gardens
are
small".
She
walks
into
the
home
with
wheels
and
realises
this
is
not
the
future
they
had
promised
each
other
when
they
took
their
marriage
vows.
She
leaves
their
boxes
unpacked,
as
they
would
be
leaving
the
place
soon
enough
to
somewhere
closer
to
hospitals.
The
youngest
member
of
the
family,
five-year-old
son
David
Yi
(Alan
S
Kim)
has
a
weak
heart
that
requires
surgery.
The
boy
could
collapse
any
minute
and
the
closest
hospital
they
have
is
one
hour
away.
With
different
opinions,
they
both
fight,
even
after
calling
a
truce
to
bring
Monica's
mother
Soonja
(Youn
Yuh-jung)
from
South
Korea
to
America.
They
still
fight
every
time
something
goes
wrong
at
the
farm
or
at
the
church,
or
at
their
jobs
as
chicken
sexers.
At
least
their
daughter
Anne
Yi
(Noel
Cho)
and
David
are
looked
after
by
their
grandmother.
But
David
doesn't
like
his
grandmother
who
wears
men's
underwear,
swears
and
doesn't
know
how
to
bake
cookies.
He
quickly
refuses
to
adjust
with
her
at
home;
"She
smells
like
Korea" he
says,
but
Anne
reminds
him
that
he
has
never
visited
the
country.
Minari
focusses
on
the
unwillingness
to
accept
change,
whether
you
are
a
five-year-old
or
a
mother
of
two,
but
it
also
talks
about
home
and
what
family
members
do
for
each
other
despite
lack
of
appreciation.
Anne
often
picks
up
the
broken
pieces
and
takes
care
of
the
family.
While
she
has
a
life
outside
the
home
with
wheels,
she
never
gives
up
on
her
mother
and
her
brother.
Similarly,
Monica
takes
on
the
role
of
taking
care
of
her
mother,
as
she
has
no
siblings.
Steven
Yeun
and
Han
Ye-ri
fill
the
screen
with
their
presence!
With
every
fight
and
stolen
glances
they
make
it
obvious
that
the
two
once
hopelessly
loved
each
other.
They
are
torn
between
choosing
their
dreams
and
responsibilities.
Youn
Yuh-jung
as
grandma
Soonja
is
exceptional
whether
she
is
planting
Minari
by
the
riverbank
or
when
she
is
trying
to
make
up
for
(feels
like)
being
a
burden
on
her
daughter,
after
suffering
from
a
stroke.
Lee
Isaac
Chung's
family
drama
is
a
visual
spectacle
despite
shots
of
an
open
farm,
a
small
worn
down
house
and
a
riverbank
filled
with
snakes.
The
sombre
background
score
and
the
contrast
colour
tone
for
the
house
and
the
farm
have
much
to
offer
to
the
audience.
The
most
rewarding
part
of
it
all
is
that
even
in
the
worst
of
situations
when
you
feel
the
family
is
at
the
brink
of
collapsing,
David
who
has
always
refrained
from
running
in
fear
for
his
life,
runs
after
his
grandmother
to
bring
her
back
home.
Overall,
Minari
is
much
like
the
Korean
plant
that
can
go
anywhere
and
can
be
served
up
in
any
dish.
The
film
talks
about
thriving
and
being
there
for
each
other
in
good
times
and
hard
times.
Something
that
is
much
needed
amid
the
pandemic.