AllMovie

This film by celebrated novelist-turned-director Lee Chang-dong owes much of its critical and commercial success to the sensitive acting performances he elicits from his two leads, particularly Moon So-ri as cerebral palsy victim Gong-ju. Moon doesn't simply mimic the physical contortions caused by the disease (though the painful physicality of her role is astounding to watch), she also brilliantly conveys the frustration of trying to communicate through a body that doesn't work. Sidestepping the pitfalls of sentimentality and overly showy acting that mar many films centered on characters with mental disabilities, Lee simply allows his two leads to carry the film with their carefully modulated and utterly believable performances. Using handicapped characters to point out the cruelty of the supposedly normal people around them is hardly a new conceit, and while the theme is present, Lee wisely chooses to focus on the relationship that develops between his two main characters.