Christmas in August

A likeable, understated movie about facing up to death, from a first time director. Jung-Won (Han, Korea's coolest young actor) is a pro photographer with his own shop in a suburb of Seoul; only he and his immediate relatives know that he has just a few months to live. Nothing 'dramatic' happens. He runs into his childhood sweetheart and regrets that her life hasn't worked out better. He goes to a friend's funeral. He makes a point of seeing other old friends. And he develops a slightly abrasive friendship with a young woman traffic warden, which leaves her wanting to know him better and not understanding why he isn't 'there' for her. Hur conjures up quotidian rhythms very plausibly, and draws fine performances from his whole cast. It was the last film shot by the great Yoo Young-Kil, to whose memory it's dedicated.