Return to Seoul (2022) User Reviews

A shot at an explanation of her behaviour

[lewianbra · 8/10 · 31 August 2023]

I saw this film yesterday and I thought that it's an original and unique film, but somewhat difficult to enjoy. An issue that many people have is that they can't connect to Freddy, the main character, and I get why. Her behaviour is often erratic, and then at times repelling and harsh to others. As she really takes centre stage in this film, it can be hard even for the spectator to put up with her behaviour, even though it is nowhere near outright evil. I thought a bit more about this, and will share my view of it. I won't reveal any detail of the film that you can't find in any generic introduction, so no spoilers, however if you want to watch this and build your own understanding unaffected by my interpretation, you may not want to read on.

I actually know well a person in a similar situation to Freddy, somebody from outside Europe who was adopted to Europe at the age of half a year. There are clear parallels also in behaviour. Being abandoned is a primal experience for adopted children. In these cases an additional thing is that the environment can clearly see that the parents are not the biological parents, and some may think the child "doesn't belong" in the country to where it was adopted. This will add to their experience of being somewhat odd and maybe not really accepted, even though the adoptive parents themselves may not convey anything of that kind. What I see in Freddy is a very strong tendency to keep up and defend her own independence fiercely, particularly if somebody else gets closer. The biological parents have given her away, so it is hard to handle and accept for her if she meets them again and they want some closer contact. I think there is much fear of being abandoned again involved. She may also have tried extra hard to become a proper French person when growing up, potentially facing some prejudice but also encouragement there, and she may identify South Korea as a place that abandoned her, even though there is also curiosity and a certain feeling of connection that she has difficulties allowing for herself. So she develops this rather ambivalent relationship to South Korea and the people there, sometimes behaving extra strange, sometimes getting closer, then again wanting to run away when indeed somebody gets a bit closer. There may also be an element of trying to prove life wrong, trying to show to herself that ultimately she isn't rejected by South Korea and her biological parents, but with a lot of suspicion and self protection at the same time. So thinking about this a bit longer, ultimately her behaviour makes a lot of sense to me, even in its superficial inconsistency.

So after a day I think this is actually very well done and convincing, and I'll give it 8 stars, even though I hadn't felt like that yesterday when the film ended. Note, explanations are not normally given in the film. She does what she does but she really isn't communicative about her motives, so we can only speculate. But it makes all sense to me, given also my personal knowledge of such a person.

Compelling and sad character study with an amazing lead performance from Park Ji-Min

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 8/10 · 15 December 2022]

Return to Seoul is an ambitious film, telling the story of a young woman named Freddie, who was born to Korean parents, but grew up in France. She - you guessed it - returns to Seoul, partly motivated to search for them, in her early to mid-20s. From there, the movie plays out sort of the way you'd expect for a while... until it makes some interesting narrative decisions, spanning far more time than I'd expected it would. As such, we get an insight into Freddie and the ways she changes throughout her 20s and into her early 30s.

Tonally, it's very different from The Worst Person in the World, but I got flashes of that film from this; maybe it scratched a similar itch. Each looks at a troubled & flawed, yet interesting, compelling, and sympathetic young protagonist, each spans quite a long period of time, each explores loneliness and the trials and tribulations of early adulthood in a very hard-hitting way, and each is quite visually striking. But like I said, they're tonally different, given Return to Seoul is more of a straightforward drama than a romantic-dramedy, and it gets darker and more in-depth with its exploration of loneliness (which hits extra hard, given what the world's been through since the start of the 2020s).

It's not always clear where the film is going, and some of the decisions it makes are quite jarring (though most work for the story and characters, once the shock wears off). The pacing is quite slow, but the compelling main character, the visually pleasing look of the film, and the amazing acting kept me engaged for almost all of its two-hour runtime. Park Ji-Min gives one of the best performances of 2022, and I was shocked to read this is her first ever movie. A performance like this that's so central makes or breaks this kind of character-focused film, and thankfully, she's up to the task and then some.

This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I liked it a lot. While it was deliberately-paced, it never lost me, and I found some of the scenes quite moving. It's a very good movie; hopefully it won't go under too many people's radars, as Awards Season ramps up.

Good enough despite some confusing narrative choices

[gricey_sandgrounder · 7/10 · 14 December 2022]

As an audience member, films that cover the topic of adoption, there are expected themes of identity involved. But instead we get more of a random style of set-pieces within the conventional moments that represented identity in a unique way.

For the most part, it worked for the character and the story. But there were some that I just couldn't get on board with and some were even so random they were unforgivable.

I really liked Park Ji-Min's performance. I enjoyed the attitude that she gave to the leading character and the spontaneous moments that she orchestrated were largely memorable and one of the strongest parts of the film.

I liked the overall look. It was able to give us some effective imagery in different environments and never feel like different films.

The pacing was gentle. There were some purposeful lingering shots which worked well for the most part. Also, the camerawork was respectful with its wide shots as it let the pictures do the talking instead of taking over and turning it into something that wasn't intended.

As mentioned, I wasn't invested with every decision made. Some of the choices in the narrative in the second half made no sense to me. There were others I appreciated, but just wasn't a fan of them.

Despite that, I thought this was still a good enough drama that was worth my time. It's got a solid leading performance that you're willing to invest in. It also poses some interesting representations on the themes of identity that I've not seen before.

I cannot forgive some of the random moments in the second half. But nevertheless, there was enough engrossing moments to keep me guessing how this would end.

A Fresh Yet Flawed Exploration of Identity and Belonging

[pchs0114 · 7/10 · 28 August 2023]

The film offers a fresh and nuanced perspective on the complexities of identity, home, and emotional upheaval. The central character's multi-year quest to return to her place of birth serves as an intense focal point for exploring the intricate emotions and challenges related to adoption and self-discovery. However, a minor drawback lies in the occasional reliance on clichés, which briefly detract from the otherwise innovative approach.

The narrative structure stands out for its inventiveness, seamlessly weaving multiple timelines in a way that enriches the emotional landscape. The fragmented narrative is both audacious and purposeful, reflecting the protagonist's evolving inner world.

Beyond visual appeal, the film's cinematography serves as a narrative tool, adding layers of meaning to characters and themes. The score acts as the emotional backbone, elevating key moments and offering another layer to the viewer's experience.

In summary, the film emerges as a deeply affecting and intellectually stimulating exploration of identity, adoption, and the pursuit of true belonging. With its compelling storytelling, captivating performances, and visually arresting cinematography, it provides not just entertainment but a profound cinematic experience.

Return to Seoul

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 15 May 2023]

I think I may have warmed to this film better had I not taken an instant dislike to "Freddie" (Park Ji-min). Now it's certainly a testament to this actor that she is able to successfully - and pretty immediately - engender a sense that her character is a rather selfish, manipulative and unpleasant individual; but I'm afraid I struggled to remain engaged as her troubled story of adoption and of her re-introduction to her birth family is played out over the next two hours. "Freddie" appears to have been happily brought up by a couple in France, so her increasingly thoughtless behaviour doesn't really have an anchor - and as we progress and she becomes more obnoxious - as exemplified by her final scene in the car with poor old "Maxime" (Yoann Zimmer) - I found the story has just about run out of merit. The acting is generally good. The efforts from her slightly dipso dad (Oh Kwang-rok) is convincing as he has to reconcile the discovery of his long-lost daughter with his dependency on the bottle and her own pretty obvious disdain for the man. It also offers us quite an interesting insight into just how adoptions worked as the decline of the French colonial system in post-war Korea led to many children being offered by parents who hoped that a childhood and education in France would offer greater opportunity, but again with "Freddie" that isn't really developed. What has turned her into this rather objectionable person is rather left aside. It has an element of "be careful what you wish for" to it, and is, at times, an interesting observation on the stresses of the post-adoption processes but I just didn't like or care about her and so my enthusiasm just waned.

Wants to tell a bigger story

[j-m-d-b · 7/10 · 21 April 2023]

I could not watch this film without any expectation or prejudice, as I know someone who has a sibling that is an adopted Korean child. However I still tried to keep an open mind, and I think the film is executed well.

Freddie is the only character that is really fleshed out and I think that's right. There are several other characters, notably Freddie's father, that are treated with respect by the film but they are not given a lot of depth. But since it's not their story that is being told they all have to take a back seat to the little girl that it's all about.

After watching this I did a little digging and I found that adoption, foreign or not, is culturally, politically and therefore historically laden in South Korea. You have to want to go looking for it as the film does not push the subject too heavily, but it certainly has several scenes referring to this subject from the institutional rather than the personal viewpoint.

I do think the film has some problems in finding the right tone and there are segments that do not help progress the story. The whole birthday party segment might be nicely shot but does not really add anything.

All in all it's a good film and it triggered me to learning a bit more about its subject matter.

Raw

[PedroPires90 · 9/10 · 4 August 2023]

What stands out the most about this film is its refusal to take the easy route. While viewers may think they can predict the direction after the first act, they are mistaken. The narrative defies predictability, mirroring the unpredictable nature of wounded souls and those who never feel truly at home.

The protagonist's actions may seem foolish, but what truly captivates is the striking humanity portrayed with raw realism, making it impossible to abandon the desire and hope for her to find solace within. I was left speechless when I found out that this is Ji-Min Park's debut role. A role that made me shed tears on more than one occasion and that is her merit in making us see so well that everything she is, is the result of her life's circumstances.

The experiende Oh Gwan-rok, in the role of the biological father, is also outstanding, but this is not just a film of performances. It boasts brilliant scenes, expertly paced storytelling, daring technical choices, and a secure, risk-taking direction, all complemented by a flawless soundtrack.

PS: The main theme of this and the one of "Decision to Leave" are two haunting melodies that linger in my mind, compelling me to delve deeper into the history of South Korean music.

A Character Study with Some Flaws

[iknafilms · 7/10 · 12 May 2023]

Return to Seoul is a captivating film that presents an intimate and complex portrayal of Freddie, although the larger context of her life is missing. However, the film's commitment to staying in the moment keeps the audience engaged. While the film does not have a strong emotional impact, it remains focused on Freddie's search for her identity and origins. Nevertheless, the movie lacks originality and does not distinguish itself from other films with similar themes. Despite this, Return to Seoul is still a well-made film that provides a compelling character portrait, albeit with some rambling sequences that do not add much to the story.

Identity has two faces

[Pairic · 8/10 · 14 May 2023]

Return to Seoul: A stranger in a strange land, adopted as a bay from South Korea and raised in France, 25 year old Freddie (Ji-Min Park) returns. It is a bit of a culture shock but she quickly makes friends. She is persuaded to contact her birth parents through the adoption agency and eventually her father responds. All does not go swimmingly especially as Freddie's free spirit clashes with Korean reticence and patriarchal norms. Freddie herself however is self-centred and even cruel to friends and family. The film captures snapshots her life for her first two weeks as an returnee in Korea, two years later, five years after that and finally a year later, eight years since her first return visit. She develops in some ways, degenerates in others. An interesting tale of loss, acceptance, search for identity and longing on the part of Freddie. Directed and written by Davy Chou. 8/10.

Emotive search for identity

[bohdanascheinostova · 7/10 · 30 August 2023]

Inspired by the life of Laure Badufle, the screen-writer, "Return To Seoul" takes us on a journey of regret, anger, sorrow and wondering what could have been. This film puts an exciting spin on the "adoptee wants to find their biological parents" genre with its depiction of all of the stages Freddie, the protagonist, goes through on her journey of reconciling with her biological parents and also finding her own identity. Davy Chou, the director, captures incredibly Freddie's stance on reuniting with her father, which shows that she is torn between wanting to meet him and being angry with him for giving her up in the first place - this ambivalence keeps the whole narrative thrilling in an otherwise slow pace/slow burn picture like this. What I must appreciate is the truly realistic approach to the legislative side of how adoptees can find their parents, that helps the film being believable. Also I completely admired the striking performance of Park Ji-min in the titular role and I couldn't believe that this was actually her first film ever.

Adoption is a root-ripping journey

[Kliffan · 9/10 · 20 August 2023]

To clearify things quick, if your favorite movie is either "The Hangover" or "Avengers" there is really no point to watch this.

Following a french adopted girl with origins from S-Korea, as she in a sudden jumps onto a plane to S-Korean, being just into her 20s a unpathed journey stats.

Without going hard into the detailed story, its a mental trip inside the feelings and experiences of people who has been moved into a total different place quickly after being born, setup with a new familiy, identity and country.

How much do you lose of your roots, identity, feelings etc.

Life can be rough, life can be wild, when you search your soul to the bottom, things can be visable.

The main character is wild, unpredictable, searching and yet very hard to decifer, yet its the strength of the movie, as well as putting a light towards all the koreans that was shipped worldwide in a hope of a better world.

The "Anybody" dance scene is one for the books.

Well filmed story of lost soul

[pc95 · 7/10 · 31 August 2023]

Co-written and directed by David Chou, I liked the Korean/French production of "Return to Seoul" for some very good cinematography although sometimes perplexing and juvenile behaivior of its lead 'Freddy' played well by Park Ji-Min was less than interesting. Still the years going by was an interesting add-on generating distance through time. There seems to be a common refrain I've read of in which adoptive children often have a building of desire to meet their biological parent(s). This is something for which a majority of people probably feel foreign - they are not adopted for starters. How do children who are adopted feel, and what factors in to their psychology and drive based on - perhaps as easy as knowing where you came from? For Chou, and other writers, their Freddy character states that she's happy or contect a couple times but her face betrays her words. Park Ji-Min successfully shows Freddy's torment well, and Freddy seems to lash out on occasion in her own personal relationships and friendships. I liked the melancholy state of affairs, though the pacing of the movie seemed to suffer from time-to-time 7/10.

Two hours long - seemed longer

[kikiclogwyni · 3/10 · 31 March 2023]

I really wanted to like this film, but I really really didn't. It showed great promise - a young French woman of Korean ancestry finds herself in Seoul and decides to try and find her birth parents - but never lived up to it or anywhere close. It could have been a great "finding one's identity" piece, but instead just had me gradually losing the will to live.

I have two main criticisms of this film. The first is that it was FAR too slow and WAAAAY too long. There is literally a sequence about five minutes long where all that is happening is the main character dancing, not spectacularly well and we only see her from the waist up. Absolutely no point, except to perhaps, yet again, show the difference between this lively and extroverted European-raised woman and her two more subdued Korean friends, who do not join her. When I finally escaped the cinema you could have told me the film was actually 5 hours long and I would have believed you.

My second complaint is that the main character, who is on screen for virtually every interminable minute, is thoroughly unlikable. No fault of the actress, who is very effective, but the material she is given to work with depicts a selfish, manipulative, cruel young woman who is mean to everyone who is unlucky enough to get close. There is no explanation for her meanness - by her own account her adoptive parents were good to her and we only see her adoptive mother briefly and yes she gets yelled at - so one can only presume that she is just plain vile. This makes her journey of self discovery even harder to sit through.

In truth the only thing I enjoyed about this film was the bag of Licorice Allsorts I snagged on my way in!

Moody journey to find one's self

[gortx · 21 July 2023]

Davy Chou's moody drama about a Korean-French adoptee, Freddie (Park Ji-Min) who returns as a young woman to seek out her biological parents. Chou's approach is a bit oblique. Freddie's path never follows a straight path and the filmmaker seems to purposely keep the viewer at arm's length.

This isn't to say the movie is without emotion. The story takes place over an eight year period, which allows Freddie's character to find herself. Park Ji-Min was a first time actress, and is given an incredibly difficult role, doubly so because her dialogue is often brief and to the point. The most telling line is given to another actress who observes Freddie and remarks: "You are a sad person." Freddie is something of a free spirit, but much of the performance is internal.

Thomas Favel's cinematography captures the atmosphere while maintaining Chou's slightly distanced POV. RETURN TO SEOUL has a palpable sense of a journey not quite completed, yet mildly fulfilling nonetheless. Fans of this year's PAST LIVES should be particularly interested (JOY RIDE to an extent as well).

Watch the first half, then leave the cinema

[jonathanrogers1 · 6/10 · 30 May 2023]

The first and longest chapter is an engaging drama of adoptee (Korean born, raised in France) searching for birth parents and the ensuing cultural difficulties encountered with her biological father and his family. As soon as the "two years later" inter title appears the film lurches from one disconnected episode to another with characters (one Korean boyfriend, one French, plus an older French man) appearing and disappearing without any explanation. This is a shame as the first part offered a lot of promise with the communication and translation difficulties superimposed on the difficulty of re-encountering birth parents. The rating should really be 8/10 for part 1 and 4/10 for the rest.

Land of my birth

[dannylee-78082 · 7/10 · 13 March 2023]

"Return to Seoul" depicts that of the title itself. It's a story of adoptee and I feel that it's unapologetically French in many ways, even though I haven't watched that many French films. It's centered around an adoptee named Freddie and explores her story throughout the years as she tries to grapple with her identity.

I'd like to start off by saying that I thought Park Jimin, the first time actress who played Freddie was wonderful. It's hard to believe that this is her very first acting credit. She gave subtle and nuanced performance that many people who are well into their careers could not pull off. Freddie was an interesting character for sure. She is headstrong and energetic. Even though she has Korean features (as one of the characters in the movie claimed), she definitely stands out as if she's from another era, especially with her hair and style. The audience also senses a constant weariness of visiting Korea yet an irresistible pull toward it as she keeps coming back to the country for various reasons.

I think it was difficult for me to like it as much as I feel like I would have because it was so clear to me that the director was non-Korean. Many times where Freddie interacted with members of her country, I braced myself for moments of cringe, or awkwardness I feel with the depiction of my own country and its people. I felt most of that with the dad (played by Oh Kwang Rok). For some reason, he felt so awkward though he's a veteran performer. I can't quite pinpoint why I felt off with him but the father-daughter relationship as a result felt strange to me at best. I couldn't quite distinguish if this was an issue with the direction or just my lack of empathy towards biological parents and adoptees. I couldn't quite understand why some people would ask her to stay and live in Korea as I could hardly imagine someone having the audacity to ask that. Freddie's reaction to visiting Korea was similar to mine but that also made watching the movie uncomfortable for me at the same time.

I understand the approach of making her so distinctively "non-Korean" (dancing in the middle of a bar randomly) and making her environment very "Korean" was to portray the clash in a dramatic way but I felt that was unnatural and inorganic. Would I have liked this movie more if it was about a Chinese adoptee, for example? I am not sure but it made me learn the importance of my own cultural context when viewing films.

Ads on the trend that broken people are cliche and unimaginative.

[ardenderi · 6/10 · 22 May 2023]

I give the good first. The look and feel of the visuals is pleasantly crunchy and polished. The flow is okay, but suffers from chaptering.

Then comes the bad and disappointing. This movie to me, makes broken people look cliche and unimaginative. The main character seems to take all the cliche things broken people do like risk taking, drugs, alcohol, dancing, casual sex, big decisions in a blink... You name it. It feels like every broken people without direction does these. Real people are not that boring and unimaginative. Identity can and most often is found in much smaller things than these cliche grandiose.

I didn't get anything really from this. I feel most of the "story" were supposed to be in their faces that the director seemed to love capture. They just didn't really convey anything more complex than basic emotions.

A beautifully tortuous struggle for belonging

[ollymb · 9/10 · 23 July 2023]

This film tells the story of Freddie, a French woman of Korean heritage who is drawn into the painful throngs of family fractures, cultural dissonance and self-discovery all at once as she somewhat accidentally finds herself seeking to meet her biological parents and spending time in the country of her birth, South Korea.

Her impulsive and selfish nature through the film reflects her difficulty finding any purpose in her life. Her friend describes her as a 'very sad person', which comes across in all of her interactions. She acts insensitively towards other characters and Korean cultural norms and rarely concerns herself with the feelings or needs of those around her. Despite all of Freddie's flaws, the performance of Ji-Min Park is delivered with such nuance that you relate to the character's often erratic behaviour and locate a universal search for belonging and purpose in her.

This film provides an emotive reflection on the need for answers in life, the desperation of the unknown, and the loneliness of being the only one in your own mind and body. I would recommend watching this film alone, and allowing yourself to be submerged in the chaotic melancholy of the main character's existence.

A textbooky image of adoption trauma

[b_velkova · 6/10 · 6 August 2023]

Is this some kind of a PR-campaign of the Korean adoption board? Because there's no way this administration is so humane and effective. All the Korean characters are also exemplary, like a blank canvas on which to exhibit a textbooky image of adoption trauma. Freddie's friends are loyal, her lovers love her, even her drunken father is an angel engulfed by guilt. What am I saying, even his new wife is happy to welcome another woman's daughter in her home and life. This is a big fallacy in our therapied society: that everyone except you is perfectly fine, has no struggles and flaws of their own and is just waiting for you to join them in some candied reality. Only the abandoning mother remains cold as to fuel the plot. Freddie herself does all the things you would expect from a broken person, like, literally all of them. Otherwise, of course, she's angry and revengeful, self-destructive. I like that part, it rings true and there are some really powerful moments like the one with the ballerinas or where she's secretly moved by a birthday wish from her half sisters.

An incredible film and a star making performance

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 1 June 2023]

Return to Seoul is one of the most satisfying character studies of the new century - satisfying in that way of a filmmaker who shows us a character who we should understand right away like as soon as she makes the scene she does in the restaurant with her friends as she brings together other people in the place together to her table. She seems like an extrovert, totally outgoing and able to connect with anyone. But we soon learn she also has no firm connections of her own, despite having - as an adopted orphan - French family and, presumably, a life in Paris.

The film that actually occured to me watching this did not have necessarily a lot in common as far as events, but Five Easy Pieces popped in my head more than once - in particular the Nicholson character, and in terms of screen charisma, Park Ji-Min could go for a round or two with Mr Eyebrows. She's not able to stay in one spot for too long necessarily, and certainly the escape of a substance or two (or casual sex with a stranger) will help, but it's also because it is hard for her to form intimacy. Or, even when she does have a significant other, it's easy for her to talk of cutting him off "so easily." The quick and intense and goodbye kind of relationships are her way. So when her dad starts messaging her....

Is it trust? Is it a fear of abandonment? There's no easy answer to anything about why Freddy does what she does, and that includes not staying with her birth father once they make contact as she's an adult (Oh Kwang-rok is excellent too and it's a crucial role that could have been overplayed, and luckily Chou always finds the truth to mine with his actors). But unlike a Bobby Dupea in Easy Pieces, Chou suggests throughout that all may not be lost for Freddy - if she can see what little moments of kindness or generosity of spirit are there (say, in a tune on piano, ironically given the comparison).

It's mind blowing to see Park Ji-Min and how much control she has over a character who seems to let it go. Or, that isnt entriely true, she shows as years go on she can contol her power at least as a sexual creature (look how she talks to the Frenchman she may or may not sleep with); but so much is in the eyes, a little look or how she keeps the focus on someone and shows what a person can be like who has created a shield over a well of sadness. Ji-Min was discovered for this role and took on this amazing gift of a role and script in her first theatrical performance - fearless is a word for it, and imbued Freddy with the energy of a restless, lost and empathetic soul. It's a film where the nature of the character brilliantly drives the story, jumping over several years (and she doesn't skip a beat), and she gives the kind of performance worthy of any actor who has had years or even decades of experience.

I may or may not write more as I sit with this, but suffice it to say I'm so glad I finally got my butt to a theater to see this (and this is the kind of film that benefits from being in the dark and seeing Ji-Min and the other actors in an immersive setting). Look out for everything Davy Chou has in store in the next decade or two, he's a sublimely talented and carefully observant filmmaker, always sure where to put the camera for simplicity and to create an intense emotional connection with the camera (ie when Freddy dances by herself to the song), and for a gut punch of dramatic effect (minor spoiler, especially in *that* moment neat the end when Freddy finally meets her mother).

A powerful debut, enigmatic perhaps too much so.

[dngoldman · 7/10 · 21 May 2023]

Return to Seoul Director Davy Chou

Return to Seoul Director Davy Chou

This film is both odd and straightforward. It is odd in the way the story is told in four different sections years apart with little explanation of what happens in between. The first section shows the protagonist, a teenage girl named Ji-min, living in Paris with her adoptive parents and brother. She seems happy and carefree, but also curious about her origins. The second section jumps to four years later, when Ji-min returns to Seoul to look for her biological parents. She meets a young man named Min-ho, who helps her with her search. They develop a close friendship, but Ji-min also struggles with her identity and her feelings of abandonment. The third section skips another four years, when Ji-min is back in Paris and working as a photographer. She receives a letter from Min-ho, who tells her that he has found her biological parents. Ji-min decides to go back to Seoul and confront them. The fourth and final section shows Ji-min's reunion with her parents and how she deals with the aftermath.

It is odd in its enigmatic lead character who is partly tender and wild, diffident but loyal. Ji-min is a complex and contradictory person, who can be playful and adventurous one moment, and withdrawn and distant the next. She is loyal to her adoptive family and to Min-ho, but she also rejects their attempts to help her or understand her. She is tender towards the people she loves, but she can also be wild and reckless, especially when she feels hurt or angry. She is diffident about her own identity and place in the world, but she also has a strong sense of curiosity and courage.

Yet, it is also a straightforward story of a young girl trying to find herself and where her biological family fits into her life. The film explores the themes of adoption, identity, belonging, and family through Ji-min's journey. It shows how she tries to reconcile her past and present, her French and Korean cultures, and her adoptive and biological families. It also shows how she grows as a person through her experiences and relationships.

There are some dynamic scenes. And Park Ji-min makes her acting debut as a force of nature (much like the character). She delivers a powerful and nuanced performance that captures the emotions and conflicts of Ji-min. She has a natural charisma and presence that draws the viewer into her story.

The pacing is laconic, perhaps too much so. The film moves slowly and deliberately, leaving a lot of gaps and silences for the viewer to fill in. It does not provide much exposition or dialogue, relying more on visual cues and expressions. While I liked the fact that it was never trite or tried to explain too much, I wish there was more depth to the content. I wanted to know more about Ji-min's life in Paris, how she felt about being adopted, what motivated her to search for her parents, how she coped with the results of her search, etc. I felt that some aspects of the story were underdeveloped or unresolved.

Return to Seoul

[M0n0_bogdan · 8/10 · 30 September 2023]

I can't say I connected but the direction and script really made me empathize with the main character.

Her journey of self-discovery about what she is in regard to her past and where she comes from was like a discovery of a part of herself that she never knew, a part that had been there since her birth. But in the end, she was still alone, belonging to no one, like the song in the middle (great kino moment, and not the only one) perfectly encapsulated the first and second part of the movie. Her biological father, once he understood that she forgave him very briskly and rather chilly shoved her in the taxi...and her biological mother gave her an e-mail address that was not even real. Was the encounter even real?

It is a deeply personal journey for this flawed character. I almost minded the length of the film but it was justified because of the meeting with the mother and the impact it had.

Succeeds with realism rather than likable characters

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 8 February 2023]

"Retour à Séoul" or "Return to Seoul" is a relatively new live action film and a co-production between a total of seven countries, so really a lot and France and especially South Korea are the defining one, even if the latter is not listed in the first spots there. France is credited first though. I am also a bit surprised that Germany is among those countries as I (as somebody who is actually from Germany) did not see German aspects in here whatsoever. There is a great deal of English included as well, so unless you are a huge language talent, you will surely need subtitles for English, French or Korean. The film makes it relatively close to the two-hour mark if we count credits as well. Without those, it is at approximately 110 minutes. In terms of writing and direction, it is a one-person effort by Davy Chou. He is approximately my age, slightly older, turns 40 this year, but looks younger I would say, so we will see what he has in store the next couple years. Given the really solid awards recognition, also in America, for this one here, it is surely possible that he will be in charge of a Hollywood film at some point in the near future. His defining area of profession in the past was the production of films, but for over a decade now he is shooting his own movies. With quite some success. I can't go a whole lot into detail about the cast here because I am not familiar with the actors. Just a few words on some of the key players: Park Ji-min I have never seen in anything else because this is her very first performance in a film apparently. Really big role as she is in almost every scene. If she only played herself here pretty much, what I suspect, we will find out when we see more from her. Given this film's accolades, we surely will. She had a hard time in winning me over though, perhaps because I did not find her character likable at all. But surely Chou was playing a bit there with how we see her in this film, especially when he eventually gives the character a job in arms trading.

One of the biggest supporting players here is Oh Kwang-rok and he was in the famous "Oldboy" too. His role there was not big, but here he showed us that he can come up with something interesting when given the chance to. Guka Han played a very likable character from the movie. A bit of a pity she was gone so quickly. I would watch a film about her character. Hur Ouk-Sook may be old already, but for her, just like for Han, it was also a debut. Many rookies in this movie in front of the camera, but they are proof that experience does not equal talent. I liked them. Kim Sun-young is among the most experienced cast members, especially if we look at her massive awards recognition over the years. I would say that nobody really stood out and we should not mistake quantity for quality here in terms of the lead actress. One thing that caught my attention in this movie were the jumps ahead in time, especially in the second half and at the end we are in the now as you can see from the pandemic masks. I mean one happens a lot in films, maybe a second one, but here three or four and each over the course of several years, that was an exception. I guess it was needed to get in all the story. The best example is the protagonist's longing to have contact with her biological mother. This was really the only moment when she started crying because she waited so long for this special encounter. You can see it maybe as a bit depressing how things turned out in that area. In a perfect world, they would be really close after the meeting, but here not so much. When the young woman writes an email to her mother after quite some time, the email does not reach its destination. One possibility is that she misspelled and another is that the mother changed her provider, but the most depressing explanation is that the mother gave her daughter a fictitious mailbox because she did not want to stay in touch with her and also did not want to tell her this pretty hurtful truth. We cannot say for sure, but the fact that the mother needed half a decade or so almost until she agreed to meet her daughter in person is quite an indicator.

On the father's side, things look rocky for other reasons. He is immediately eager to see his daughter, spend time with her, introduce her to his family, including her grandmother and her half-sisters and the two grown-ups beg for forgiveness there, but it gets too much because the father already talks about the young woman to stay and live with them and even talks about how he will find a suitable Korean man for her. Oh well, this was so absurd, it was one of the funniest moments of the film almost. About as absurd as the guy she had sex with once speaking about great romance when she felt no such thing. She was quite hurtful there. Actually, she keeps hurting everybody around her. I guess, you can in a way explain this because of the emotional challenges waiting for her in Korea, but it was just too much there and this is also why I do not like her. The young man I just mentioned she hurts, she wants to insult her father (she never would have done so with her mother), she also manages to lose contact to Guka Han's character because of the kiss moment. Could be an indicator that said character is lesbian and the protagonist played with her feelings. In any case, it was pretty absurd because Han's character really supported her since day one. Made the call to her dad, accompanied her to see him etc. And finally, the protagonist also managed to hurt her non-biological parents in France when she decided spontaneously to travel to Korea on her own after they had a deal that all three of them will go together one day. The woman may be headstrong, but she is also quite immature and not capable of understanding how she hurts others because she fails to put herself in their position.

Back to her father, he is not just too clingy, but also his alcoholism comes into play there and one has to do with the other because all the messages he sent to her happened when he was drunk. There seems improvement towards the end as we are told that he is having his addiction under control, but the scene at the restaurant makes it unclear. He is drinking alcohol there, which he would not have if he is indeed 100% sober, and even drinks quite a lot. The situation may be the biggest challenge for him as on the one hand he wants to see his daughter, on the other hand he can't approve of her life(style) choices. Look at how he speaks about the DJ guy that the main character is about to go home with earlier. So what can he do? He wants to be close to his daughter, but on the other hand, it eats him up. Almost impossible to find a satisfying solution there. Maybe this is indeed why the main character also stays away from him. No huge distance between them, but, despite this proximity, she has not seen or visited him in years. If we talk about some other aspects, it can be said that the music was fairly solid. The atmospheric take I liked as well. The film reminded me a bit of a rougher version of "The Farewell", an even bigger awards player. The lead actress here, in terms of all her mannerisms and approach to the role, reminded me of Awkwafina too. A few words on the ending: There we have the woman play the piano a little bit and we understand where this gene came from. From her father of course. The latter gave her a little piece he composed himself. I am not sure if this was what she played there, but maybe so. This closure scene then happens right after she finds out her mother's email address is not working, but she does not start sobbing and instead focuses on her father. Maybe she needed this to understand that there will never be an intimate relationship with her mother. Maybe she also does not need it anymore after.

During the restaurant scene with the father, you can see that there's this moment when people pour each other's drinks and it is a custom in Korea not to do so yourself. An act of courtesy. At the very start, she does not care at all and thinks it is stupid, but in the end she has changed in a way where she is no longer against these traditions. At least not strictly. It feels as if she has come to accept the two identities inside her. Of course, living in the country where she was born had a massive impact. As for her French side, it was funny early on to see how she is so extroverted and open-minded and she gets everybody in touch with everybody else and maybe romantic relationships result from her breaking the ice there, something the rather shy and distant Koreans never might have done on their own. So yeah, it is all a character study for the protagonist here. Already wild dancing scenes have a lasting impact. There are many other inclusions I could talk about, but I will leave it at that. And also many beautiful women I could talk about like the one from the center towards the end who established contact between the protagonist and her mother. One thing I can say though, unrelated to that, is that I am glad that the French and Koreans are not scared of unjustified racism accusations and that the scene when they say her face is typically Korean or joking about "Paris Baguette" did make it into the final cut of this film. Here in Germany, those scenes might have been left out. Sacrificing creativity in order to make sure not to offend anybody is common procedure here. In this film it is not and I was sure from the very start that I would give a thumbs-up here. I am glad I got to watch this. It's not outstanding or one of my favorites from 2022, but with the positive recommendation I give it, I think you should give the film a chance too, even if it is a bit depressing at times and on so many occasions could have resulted into a full-on happy ending like the father's alleged recovery, the moment she meets her mother etc., but this is not what Chou wanted. He wanted authenticity and he got it. Go see his work here.

Nice try, but huge fail

[CarolineFR69 · 4/10 · 5 February 2023]

This is a very weird movie, in that it takes South Korean actors, playing as they do in South Korea, but in a movie done the European way. Once you get through this, you get to know Freddie, a woman that was abandoned by her South Korean parents and adopted by French people. Her introduction to South Korea doesn't go smoothly, she is self centred, toxic and manipulative, but also very loud, in a culture where all this is more than frowned upon. She makes everyone around her very uncomfortable, and by extend she makes you uncomfortable. The movie takes you on her journey to find herself, over 7 years, from the first time she arrives in Seoul. She tries to meet her parents through the foundation that allowed her parents to adopt her. She finds out that the foundation protects parents a lot more than she protects the kids, allowing her to send only 3 messages to her birth parents, before all contacts are cut off. She meets her father very fast, but struggles for years to meet her mother. In the meantime, she gets more and more toxic, and manipulative, hurting everyone around her, but putting it all on Seoul rather than herself. The character is extremely unlovable, which takes you away from having any feeling for what is happening to her. This is too bad, because the exercise of a European movie filmed through the eyes of South Korea would have been very interesting.

Interesting but lead is unlikable

[elision10 · 6/10 · 10 January 2024]

The best thing about this movie is that it's nuanced and sometimes surprising. Unlike so many movies, the director isn't into making it easy on viewers to make easy judgments, or give you lots of feel-good moments. The lead is a bundle of emotions, smart and savvy, but also insecure and capable of such casual cruelty. The film does make you think carefully of the wisdom of allowing adoptees to meet their birth mothers, and what are both sides' rights and needs in that regard. And unlike some other IMDBers, I thought the movie moved at a good pace and I was consistently engaged. But ultimately, the viciousness of this lost woman made me lose interest in her fate.