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[HanCinema's Film Review] "Goodbye and Hello"

Do-wan (played by Seo Ha-jun) is a young swimming athlete. Though handsome, Do-wan is chronically grumpy and frequently fights with his father (played by Choi Jong-nam). The reason for this angst is that Do-wan's mother died when Do-wan was a child- water was involved. And that really just about does it for plot in "Goodbye and Hello" - there's no greater conflict or anything like that. It's just, will Do-wan ever stop being grumpy and get along with his dad?

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One aspect of "Goodbye and Hello" that I liked was its accuracy. Do-wan is an uncommunicative, anti-social loner, and he acts like it. Do-wan doesn't brood about his problems, because that would mean acknowledging that there are problems. And this isn't necessarily a bad life strategy. Do-wan isn't going to bring his mom back by talking about her to strangers. Swimming does help, though, which is why Do-hwan is able to take it so seriously.

Yeon-joo (played by Choi Ha-yoon) is technically speaking Do-hwan's love interest and her attitude is similarly uncomplicated. She likes him, in the way that girls often like boys. As a romantic subplot Yeon-joo's story doesn't have very much substance but it's not really supposed to. Words and plot are just illusions after all- genuine feelings can't be logically explained, and Yeon-joo gets Do-wan to open up by being genuinely nice and friendly in his presence, such that Do-wan feels like a jerk if he just dismisses Yeon-joo with no explanation.

"Goodbye and Hello" is a very soft drama- director Han Chang-geun presents us with a very simple story and creates ambience through the use of the cast's understated performances. The result is a product that's rather touching and cute. Do-hwan doesn't really have any strong relationships in his life, and that's OK. Do-hwan doesn't need to engage in radical solutions as long as he has swimming. What Do-hwan gradually comes to realize is that maybe his dad isn't so terrible either.

What makes these minor conflicts so compelling is precisely the fact that they're not presented as compelling. The flow between scenes is very naturalistic, as is the ambience. One late scene I rather liked takes place in snowfall. Not manufactured made-for-film snowfall, but actual real snow. We can tell because the variety of the camera angles, the strength of the wind, and the surrounding scenery are such that the scene could only have been filmed during light winter snowfall. This wasn't a condition spelled out in the script- that's just what the weather happened to be like that day.

"Goodbye and Hello" is the kind of movie I like to see every so often if only to remind myself that movies don't have to be pretentious, and they don't have to have obvious selling pitches. Swimming teams and swimming competitions aren't a metaphor for life, nor are they a cheap vehicle to show off attractive young men in their bare chests. It's all just a hobby that Do-hwan happens to like very much and you know what? Good for him.

Review by William Schwartz

"Goodbye and Hello" is directed by Han Chang-geun and features Seo Ha-jun, Choi Jong-nam, Choi Ha-yoon and Choi Ha-yoon.

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