'Minari' (2021)

Written by Justin Marcel Jimenez, April 7, 2021.

There's only one word to describe 'Minari'- very, very cute. You're right, those are three words there, but I needed the qualifiers to emphasize just to what extent this movie is cute at the last minute. 'Minari' is about a Korean family moving to the United States to find their American Dream. For the main character, Jacob (Steven Yeun), this means moving to a too-difficult-to-access-due-to-the-lack-of-functional-stairs trailer in the middle of a rural Arkansas lot. The desolate domicile proves to be far from the dream home his wife, Monica (Han Ye-ri) and kids David (Alan Kim) and Anne (Noel Cho) could have imagined. Jacob, full of hope and excitement to have finally made it to the States, is eager to grow his own agriculture business and live off the land. His family, on the other hand, does not share in his sentiment, looking down on him for the not-so-upscale lifestyle he has chosen for them. This ultimately causes tension, animosity, and disappointment among the kin, which catalyzes many of the motivations and scenarios presented in the film.

There are several reasons why 'Minari' is such as good movie. The film, which is an A24 production, does not let down audience in terms of the sociopolitical messages characteristic of the studio; albeit in this case, this movie is more nuanced and natural than some of their other works. While Asian representation, especially from a first-person perspective of protagonists' viewpoints, is still fairly new to Western cinema, this movie is a contrast from the superficiality of a film like 'Crazy Rich Asians,' instead showing the struggles of this Asian-American family as it battle with poverty. Seeing this Korean family and juxtaposing them with just-as-impoverished White country folks of this small town delivers a strong message of equality. It allows for the cross-cultural identification of both of these American groups though their shared hardships. Jacob's character seems to abolish many of the negative Hollywood Asian stereotypes. He does not fall into effeminate and submissive Asian archetype that is often written into our narratives. In fact, he is the opposite, portrayed as sort of a tough cookie. Jacob fights with and yells at his wife and dominates at his farm business with sternness and confidence. The film interestingly places Jacob's character as a strong Asian male leader, something that we never see in American cinema today. This is why his character and story are so unique. Coming from an Asian-American director like Lee Issac Chung, who grew up in Denver, Colorado, the movie provides us with a perspective that is new and fresh, a message that only an Asian-American filmmaker could deliver.

Besides the novelty in representation, the acting and story are just really good. The wife Monica is a beautiful and classy woman, harboring such a great deal of self-integrity. We don't know whether we should love her or hate her for her treatment of her husband, who is trying his best to make a living for them the best way he is able to through his agricultural and entrepreneurial pursuits. The real gems of the movie are the kids, though, especially David, who is so adorable you'd wish you could pinch his cheeks through the screen, and Anne, who is a strong a noble young lady looking out for her brother. The grandmother, Soonja, played by Youn Yuh-jung, also gives a great performance as the outsider in the family, just trying to fit in and gain approval of her grandchildren. In fact, the relationship between the grandmother and David turns out to be a painfully sweet characterization that puts this movie on another level in terms of literary and acting excellence.

'Minari' is a great family melodrama that reinforces, at the end, the importance of supporting and being there for your loved ones. While far from perfect, the film has so much good to it, that you'll look past some of the staler moments or holes in character development. The book, while good, is not the strongest element of this piece. It is the direction and the performances of the characters that make this movie a real winner.

9/10 vues.