[HanCinema's Film Review] "Illusionary Paradise"

Ja-yeong (played by Park Myung-shin) is a depressed middle-aged woman who's been confined to a mental institution. Cho-hee (played by Ryu Hye-rin) is a depressed teenager who's been confined to a mental institution. They don't actually know each other that well, but become temporary allies when Ja-yeong's abrupt attempt to escape the mental institution coincides with Cho-hee having the resources and attitude necessary to make a break for it. Then it's on to the road trip.

Advertisement

As tempting as it is to call "Illusionary Paradise" a story of two damaged women bonding...well, honestly, the story really isn't anything like that. To be sure, there's several fun moments where Ja-yeong and Cho-hee take revenge on the jerks of the world. And then there's the more distressing moments, where they meet someone they knew from before they were instituted, and these moments mainly serve as a reminder to why Ja-yeong and Cho-hee were locked up in the first place.

Cho-hee in particular has a really hard edge about her, and her backstory quickly makes the reasons for that fairly obvious. Cho-hee's mother doesn't seem to be a bad person- but her poor adjustment to Cho-hee's tragic circumstances has clearly done a number on Cho-hee's ability to integrate with society. It's somewhat discouraging to realize that, while the hospital director no doubt needs to be fired for professional misconduct, it would be way, way too simplistic to describe the situation as Cho-hee being innocently taken advantage of.

While abuse in mental health facilities is a big problem that should not be taken light of, at the same time, "Illusionary Paradise" makes a point of reminding us that some people are committed for good reason. The investigation into the whereabouts of Cho-hee and Ja-yeong inevitably uncovers that Ja-yeong's situation, too, is more ambivalent than it may seem. There's not much fun in watching the illusions of these two characters be shattered.

The Korean title, for what it's worth, is just the name of Bugok Hawaii- the tourist destination. That place that Ja-yeong would like to go. But she can't go there- it's too far away, and it probably won't be what she's expecting. This is the context that "Illusionary Paradise" is inevitably driving toward. Life can be fun as long as we can sustain certain fantasies, but once those are gone, well...it was nice while it lasted. As if to emphasize this trend, there isn't even an epilogue detailing what happens to the characters after the ending. Because what's the point?

"Illusionary Paradise" is a reasonably good quality production. I'd comfortably say that in terms of acting, script, and cinematography it's above average in all ways. The only real flaw, I suppose, is that the movie's not truly outstanding or excellent in any way. The story's just a bittersweet reminder that friendship and compassion can't solve real mental issues or erase past trauma. Still, I suppose there's some comfort in knowing that, as damaged as Ja-yeong and Cho-hee are, at least they're capable of mostly blending into society the same as the rest of us.

Review by William Schwartz

"Illusionary Paradise" is directed by Ha Kang-hun and features Park Myung-shin, Ryu Hye-rin, Oh Sung-tae and Lee Young-sook.