Death in a family, seen through an outsider

Like Hong Sang-soo (Woman Is the Future of Man, A Tale of Cinema, Woman on the Beach), Lee Yoon-ki is skillful here at using extended dialogue among a group of young people to develop character and situation. In this story of a girl who's brought to stand in for a lost daughter for a dying old man, the dialogue spreads out to a whole extended family. Two young men start talking to the young woman (Han Hyo-ju) on a Seoul street where they've found her. Myeongeun, who was always strange, went away to school, and then a few years ago simply disappeared. Gi-yeong (Kim Yeong-min) is convinced this is Myeongeon. She denies it. But then he persists, asking her if she would be willing to come and make the dying man happy by posing as his long-lost daughter. It's not really clear to us whether this girl is or isn't Myeongeon. This uncertainty provides a kind of tension throughout the film.

The first third of the film is full of discussion and argument, first to persuade the girl to come to the house, then when she does, among other family members over whether this idea of her impersonation is proper.

The argument goes on and on among family members and others sprawled on the living room floor. Some of them split off; and later still guests come to visit the dying man and a meal is served outside on this warm summer night.

One of several striking coups de theatre comes during the big family debate, with everyone sitting on the living room floor. An older woman has taken the girl aside right away, and after giving her tea, despite all the argument, she solicitously leads the girl through the living room: and suddenly everybody realizes. It's done.

Ad Lib Night's middle section, which drifts from group to group, with attention drifting away from the girl, and some people chatting in bedrooms or kitchen, others dining on barbecue outside, could well use some tightening up. But the tension of a large gathering around a drying man, whose wealth various people are obviously interested in inheriting, is nonetheless well maintained. There's an ironic sense in which the girl seems almost the only one who innocently cares about the dying man, even though she appears to have no particular connection with him.

And then too through all this the girl (Han Hyo-ju) remains quiet and mysterious. She's taken up to the real girl's old room to rest, and puts on her socks. Is she the runaway girl? Or is she trying to take on her persona?

Ad Lib Night lives up to its title: it's an actors' feast, with tons of interpersonal and group dynamics going on from scene to scene. And though this may be a low budget film, a good camera (and good cameraman) and seamless editing mean smooth and attractive visuals and nice transitions. The final sequence of the girl being driven back to Seoul at dawn is particularly subtle and handsome, with blue reflections slithering across the windshield -- as the girl provides a final revelation, that explains her presence that night, if not her relationship to the family.

There are many factors that make this an adept and interesting film. It's like a good play that preserves unity of time and place. Its "long day's journey" takes us into a rich picture of family dynamics. It subtleties and mysteries are thought-provoking.

Shown as part of the San Francisco International Film Festival 2007. North American premiere.

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©Chris Knipp. Blog: http://chrisknipp.blogspot.com/.