katrinaolson.ca - A Day 하루 (Calgary Film 2017)

Posted on Sunday, September 24, 2017 at 04:00 PM

A Day 하루 (Calgary Film 2017)

Review by Katrina Olson-Mottahed x CalgaryMovies.com

A KO Review by Emily Mody

A Day is a Korean feature length narrative film directed by Sun-ho Cho. The film follows a medical doctor and father, Jun-young (played by Myung-min Kim). Three years after facing a traumatic experience involving his daughter, Eun-jung, (played by Eun-hyung Jo) Jun-young becomes trapped in a time loop. In order to end the ever-repeating day he must come to grips with the choices he made that fateful day three years ago and the consequences of his actions.

I really enjoyed A Day, this film was very exciting to watch. It is always interesting to me to see how directors make films about an ever-repeating day relevant. I believe that sometimes the repetition can be a deterrent because people worry that they may lose interest. However, I am happy to say that there was never a moment during this film that I was bored. I would describe A Day as a thriller. It was not scary per say but it was definitely intense and very engaging. Even though this film is very high intensity, the emotion and sincerity of the characters was not sacrificed to maintain the action. The emotion and the action blended seamlessly together. For a slightly complex plot, I felt that the writing was very skillfully done. The actors did a really amazing job and the setting and cinematography were beautiful. I honestly do not know what else to say. If you enjoy action or thriller films that make you think, you will enjoy this.

I feel that there is a natural comparison between A Day and Run Lola Run directed by Tom Tykwer. Run Lola Run follows a young woman, Lola, who’s boyfriend, Manni, is responsible for 100,000 Deutschmarks and loses track of the delivery. When Manni realizes his mistake he makes a frantic phone call to Lola. She has twenty minutes to come up with the money and save Manni’s life. The twenty-minute sequence repeats with various outcomes. The time loop plot device is something both films use. Both films also utilize the device to build tension and keep the audience engaged. There are certainly elements of Run Lola Run that are more experimental however, whereas A Day is more commercial overall. I enjoyed both films greatly and if you liked one you will most definitely enjoy the other.

I would recommend A Day to anyone who enjoys thrillers that delve deeply into the dynamics of a family. A Day runs a total of 90 minutes. This film contains language, violence, and gory images. It may also be important for you to note that the characters in this film mainly speak Korean and subtitles are necessary for foreign viewers. A Day will be screening as a part of the 18th Calgary International Film Festival 2017. It will be playing on Saturday, September 23rd at 7:15pm and Wednesday, September 27th at 10:00pm both at the Cineplex Eau Claire.

Calgary Showtimes: A Day >