[HanCinema's Film Review] "In Our Prime"

Choi Min-sik seems to be everywhere lately, capitalizing on his acting prowess and his popularity, with a number of mainstream productions drawing from both, in the most obvious and rewarding fashion. "In Our Prime" is another of those titles.

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Ji-woo is studying on a scholarship in a prestigious private high school, trying to "survive" despite the fact that he is mocked for being a "welfare student" by his privileged classmates, and has a hard time with math, a fact his homeroom teacher, Kim Geun-ho, points out intently, even asking him to consider transferring to a lower level school. Furthermore, during one "excursion" to get alcohol, instigated by his roommates in the dorm, he is caught by the night guard of the school, Lee, in a series of events that result in him being kicked out of the dorm, and Kim insisting even more for him to transfer. Eventually, though, he strikes a peculiar relationship with the North Korean defector/night guard, who proves to be quite good in math, but also hiding a terrible secret and much trauma and regret. Their relationship is quite hard, but Ji-woo improves significantly, also getting some much needed support from a classmate who seems to like him, Park Bo-ram. Professor Kim, however, is not about to let him thrive, while Lee is facing troubles of his own, as his secrets are revealed one by one.

Park Dong-hoon directs a film in Hollywood style, which implements a story that borrows from movies like "A Beautiful Mind" and "Scent of a Woman", adapted though, in the harsh environment of Korea's elite schooling. In that fashion, and although the story is somewhat obvious and cliche, the social commentary is quite interesting and carries the whole title from beginning to end, along with the entertainment the movie offers aplenty. The concept of the welfare-students and the racism they face in schools is one of the most central ones, although the main remark seems to focus on the failure of the previous generation at parenting. This concept is mirrored in all protagonists, as Ji-woo receives pressure from his mother, even though she does not realize it at all, Bo-ram has her mother completely dominating her life in order to push her to enter a prestigious college, and Lee having failed from the opposite side. Add to that the way Geun-ho treats Ji-woo, which is anything but mentor-like, and you have a direct accusation towards grown-ups for the issues youths face these days. At the same time, though, Park gives a "second chance" to his protagonist, with the relationship between student and night guard working excellently in that regard.

Furthermore, the concept of the relations of the two Koreas is here once more, with the director being quite careful in its presentation, promoting the unification but also not allowing the North to appear better in any way, in a balance that poses some issues, but in general works well enough.

Apart from this aspect, he has also included a number of crowd-pleasing elements, most of which are quite well embedded in the narrative. The rise of the underdog, the deus ex machina that saves the day at the last moment, the villain that is punished, a bit of melodrama, a bit of teen romance and a bit of humor conclude the recipe, in a style that is bound to please all mainstream audiences. On the other hand, the inclusion of classical music, particularly in conjunction with math, seems quite out of place here, and does not work at all, especially on a number of occasions, even if the radio and sleeping scene is one of the most amusing in the whole movie.

Choi Min-sik as the defector is excellent as always, carrying the movie on his shoulders for the most part, showcasing the fact that he can be great even in generic roles. Particularly his transformation from a grumpy old guard to a majestic presence is a wonder to watch. Kim Dong-hwi-I as Ji-woo is quite good in presenting his teenage frustration and sense of puzzlement regarding his newfound mentor, and his own transformation is also well-presented. Park Byung-eun is also quite convincing in the role of the "noble"villain, particularly in the way he appears kind on first look, but is obviously hiding much racism and elitism under his "student's teacher" persona. Lastly, Jo Yun-seo gives a delightful performance as the sole main female role, also in the way she is the main medium of humor in the movie.

Both cinematography and editing follow intense mainstream paths, with the first being quite polished, without particularly exaltations, maybe with the exception of some minor SFX that revolve around math, and the second resulting in a relatively fast pace that suits the episodic narrative.

"In Our Prime" is a bit naive and cliche on occasion, but in the end, emerges as a very entertaining movie in crowd-pleasing fashion, particularly because it is quite easy to watch.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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"In Our Prime" is directed by Park Dong-hoon, and features Choi Min-sik, Kim Dong-hwi-I, Park Hae-joon, Park Byung-eun, Jo Yun-seo, Ro Jong-hyun. Release date in Korea: 2022/03/09.