The prologue opens with a dishevelled and somewhat stunned looking women (later known as Anna Chan), a lost soul wandering in a suburban area of a city (later known to be Seattle). Then, as if suddenly snapped back into her senses, she returns to what must be scene of crime and fumbles around a dead man lying on the floor. Police sirens, then an abrupt cut to the title on a black screen "Late Autumn".
Seven years later, we see Anna getting a three day pass from prison to attend her mother's funeral, with a cell phone by which her whereabouts is monitored. Failure to answer and report will constitute prison-breaking, immediately triggering a manhunt (or womanhunt, if you wish). On the bus home to Seattle, she encounters Hoon, a Korean young man who claims to have his wallet stolen and borrows 30 dollars from her to make up for his bus fare. Noticing the reluctance in her compliance, he leaves her his watch for custodianship until he pays her back. The rest of the movie is about the development of a subtle relationship between Anna and Hoon.
The persona of the two protagonists cannot be more polarized. Hoon is flippant, happy-go-lucky but not without charm. This soon all makes sense as it is revealed that his is a male escort (a less flattering term would be gigolo). While phone calls Anna gets are from the prison authorities, Hoon gets his share of phone calls from a friend warning him that one of his favourite client's husband is furious and coming after him. Anna, serving a sentence for killing (not specified if it is murder or lesser charge) is understandably taciturn and guarding. Hoon seems quite sincere in his attentive and gentle attempt to make friends, but to no avail.
Upon arrival in Seattle, Hoon goes off to meet his client, said wife of the angry husband, makes himself obviously very welcome, receives a handsome fee, and even an invitation to elope. Anna is less fortunate, finding herself almost like a stranger to her family after 7 years of imprisonment. After some agonizing, she decides to spend the time before the funeral in solitude. When Anna and Hoon chance to meet again, each with a day ahead with no clear purpose, it is where the mesmerizing movie really begins. On an impulse, she suggests sex ("Do you want me?") which does not work out as she has been so emotionally damaged in the last 7 years in prison. In good humour, he suggests taking this "first unsatisfied customer" on a relaxing tour of Seattle.
One situation in movies always fascinates me – how two complete strangers finally click. My top favourite has always been, and still is, "The bridges of Madison County" (1995)(except for Before Sunrise/Sunset, which is beyond being mere "top favourite"). What "Late Autumn" offers is ingenious and, as already mentioned, mesmerizing. The day has gone relaxing enough, despite her taciturn irresponsiveness to his considerate attention. Then at dawn, in a deserted amusement park, something magical happens. At a distance, they see a couple (purportedly Greek, he darkish and she blonde and fair) on an animated exchange. He is trying to end their relationship while she implores him to reconsider. In his customary flippant style, Hoon starts to dub the conversation in amusement, in both voices. The magical moment starts when Anna, quite unexpectedly, picks up the woman's part. The scene ends with a surreal dance sequence beautifully executed by the distant couple. From this point on, there may not appear to have been any apparent change in the relationship between Anna and Hoon, the audience sense that somewhere, there souls are beginning to find each other.
Two ensuing and equally ingenious scenes cement this development. Anna tells her story – an adolescent infatuation, an unhappy marriage, re-entering into her life of the irresponsible man she adored, jealous husband and physical abuse, and finally killing (legal technicalities omitted) and imprisonment. While Anna and Hoon have been conversing in English (with amply adequate fluency), this self-revelation sequence is in Chinese, with Hoon responding in the only two Chinese words he knows – "good" and "bad". Despite that fact that these two words are sometimes used incorrectly (almost farcically), one somehow gets the feeling that Hoon understands most of what Anna tells him. Or does it really matter? The other scene is a social gathering after the funeral, ending in a brawl between Hoon and this irresponsible ex-boy friend of Anna, now happily married. The whole scene is a charade and again at times almost farcical – the reason given by Hoon for his physical attack is that this man has used his fork, and didn't even apologize. The more farcical the scene, the more poignant is the entirely over-blown emotional reaction of both Hoon and Anna, standing up for each other.
I fear this piece is already approaching IMDb's word limits. There is a lot more to be discovered, enjoyed and appreciated in this movie which is filmed in Seattle, in the city's usual melancholy rain and mist, but not without a break of sunshine that is particularly significant. Music is put to the best use, as is complete silence. TANG Wei's superb, nuanced performance won her a dozen well deserved awards. HYUN Bin's role is not as easy as it appears. To play a flippant gigolo is not difficult but to play one that convincingly capture the audience empathy requires much work, which he delivers almost effortlessly.
Seven years later, we see Anna getting a three day pass from prison to attend her mother's funeral, with a cell phone by which her whereabouts is monitored. Failure to answer and report will constitute prison-breaking, immediately triggering a manhunt (or womanhunt, if you wish). On the bus home to Seattle, she encounters Hoon, a Korean young man who claims to have his wallet stolen and borrows 30 dollars from her to make up for his bus fare. Noticing the reluctance in her compliance, he leaves her his watch for custodianship until he pays her back. The rest of the movie is about the development of a subtle relationship between Anna and Hoon.
The persona of the two protagonists cannot be more polarized. Hoon is flippant, happy-go-lucky but not without charm. This soon all makes sense as it is revealed that his is a male escort (a less flattering term would be gigolo). While phone calls Anna gets are from the prison authorities, Hoon gets his share of phone calls from a friend warning him that one of his favourite client's husband is furious and coming after him. Anna, serving a sentence for killing (not specified if it is murder or lesser charge) is understandably taciturn and guarding. Hoon seems quite sincere in his attentive and gentle attempt to make friends, but to no avail.
Upon arrival in Seattle, Hoon goes off to meet his client, said wife of the angry husband, makes himself obviously very welcome, receives a handsome fee, and even an invitation to elope. Anna is less fortunate, finding herself almost like a stranger to her family after 7 years of imprisonment. After some agonizing, she decides to spend the time before the funeral in solitude. When Anna and Hoon chance to meet again, each with a day ahead with no clear purpose, it is where the mesmerizing movie really begins. On an impulse, she suggests sex ("Do you want me?") which does not work out as she has been so emotionally damaged in the last 7 years in prison. In good humour, he suggests taking this "first unsatisfied customer" on a relaxing tour of Seattle.
One situation in movies always fascinates me – how two complete strangers finally click. My top favourite has always been, and still is, "The bridges of Madison County" (1995)(except for Before Sunrise/Sunset, which is beyond being mere "top favourite"). What "Late Autumn" offers is ingenious and, as already mentioned, mesmerizing. The day has gone relaxing enough, despite her taciturn irresponsiveness to his considerate attention. Then at dawn, in a deserted amusement park, something magical happens. At a distance, they see a couple (purportedly Greek, he darkish and she blonde and fair) on an animated exchange. He is trying to end their relationship while she implores him to reconsider. In his customary flippant style, Hoon starts to dub the conversation in amusement, in both voices. The magical moment starts when Anna, quite unexpectedly, picks up the woman's part. The scene ends with a surreal dance sequence beautifully executed by the distant couple. From this point on, there may not appear to have been any apparent change in the relationship between Anna and Hoon, the audience sense that somewhere, there souls are beginning to find each other.
Two ensuing and equally ingenious scenes cement this development. Anna tells her story – an adolescent infatuation, an unhappy marriage, re-entering into her life of the irresponsible man she adored, jealous husband and physical abuse, and finally killing (legal technicalities omitted) and imprisonment. While Anna and Hoon have been conversing in English (with amply adequate fluency), this self-revelation sequence is in Chinese, with Hoon responding in the only two Chinese words he knows – "good" and "bad". Despite that fact that these two words are sometimes used incorrectly (almost farcically), one somehow gets the feeling that Hoon understands most of what Anna tells him. Or does it really matter? The other scene is a social gathering after the funeral, ending in a brawl between Hoon and this irresponsible ex-boy friend of Anna, now happily married. The whole scene is a charade and again at times almost farcical – the reason given by Hoon for his physical attack is that this man has used his fork, and didn't even apologize. The more farcical the scene, the more poignant is the entirely over-blown emotional reaction of both Hoon and Anna, standing up for each other.
I fear this piece is already approaching IMDb's word limits. There is a lot more to be discovered, enjoyed and appreciated in this movie which is filmed in Seattle, in the city's usual melancholy rain and mist, but not without a break of sunshine that is particularly significant. Music is put to the best use, as is complete silence. TANG Wei's superb, nuanced performance won her a dozen well deserved awards. HYUN Bin's role is not as easy as it appears. To play a flippant gigolo is not difficult but to play one that convincingly capture the audience empathy requires much work, which he delivers almost effortlessly.