Night and Day

Korean director Hong Sang-soo's film has something of a Woody Allen vibe, with a plot revolving around a married man's dalliances during a sojourn away from his wife in Paris. Escaping likely arrest in Seoul for marijuana use, painter Seong-nam (Kim Yeong-ho) winds up in the French capital and takes a room in a small hotel that is run and largely populated by Korean expatriates. Rambling about the city and talking to his spouse by phone, Seong-nam happens to meet Min-sun (KimYou-jin), a married woman he had once been involved with in Korea, and the pair take up again. Through her he's also introduced and becomes strongly attracted to a young art student named Yu-jeong (Park Eun-hye). Between courtship scenes, Seong-nam interacts with other expatriates, not only jovial hotel owner Mr. Jang (Gi Ju-bong), but also a North Korean he meets—and briefly argues with—at a party. A meandering quality infuses Seong-nam's journey, but the wandering represents the character's perpetual indecision in matters of the heart. In the end he will be forced by circumstances to make a commitment, although his choice turns out to be a bittersweet one, mixed with regret and betrayal. Overlong, Night and Day nevertheless has charmingly off-center moments, making it a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)