I have never seen these two actors, Kyung-gu Sol and So-ri Moon, until this film. I think they were both outstanding! His character was convincingly "off" -- just didn't perceive and behave in the way others expect him to perceive and behave, and so was ridiculed and dismissed because of that. I loved how the film allowed us to get to know him gradually. At the beginning of the film I identified more with the folks on the street whom he embarrassed, but by the end of the film it was clear he was a hero.
So-ri Moon's character, I thought, was very convincingly played as a person with cerebral palsy. She portrayed the intelligence and full range of the character's emotions with striking authenticity. I found myself moving from a point of seeing her as a victim to seeing her as the full person that was her character. In fact, this was one of those rare films when not once did I think, "These are actors, acting." The direction was outstanding. I loved the scenes showing her fantasies as an able-bodied woman. It was a very effective way to help an able-bodied audience identify with her character, and come to understand and empathize with the isolation, belittlement, and objectification that differently-abled people are often subjected to. I especially liked the playful scene on the bus. But my favorite scene of all was the last one, showing her in her apartment, now well lit, clean, with green growing things, with his voice over. Even though the film did not have the expected and wished-for happy ending, the ending was a happy one.
So-ri Moon's character, I thought, was very convincingly played as a person with cerebral palsy. She portrayed the intelligence and full range of the character's emotions with striking authenticity. I found myself moving from a point of seeing her as a victim to seeing her as the full person that was her character. In fact, this was one of those rare films when not once did I think, "These are actors, acting." The direction was outstanding. I loved the scenes showing her fantasies as an able-bodied woman. It was a very effective way to help an able-bodied audience identify with her character, and come to understand and empathize with the isolation, belittlement, and objectification that differently-abled people are often subjected to. I especially liked the playful scene on the bus. But my favorite scene of all was the last one, showing her in her apartment, now well lit, clean, with green growing things, with his voice over. Even though the film did not have the expected and wished-for happy ending, the ending was a happy one.