Written and directed by Kim Chang-hoon, the debut feature Hopeless is marked by a morose atmospheric tone that forces the audience to be spectators in the dismal lives of others. Despite the story being ripe with promise, its progress is hampered by an overlong runtime, shoddy editing, and its inability to tap into any other feelings besides discontent. The film stars Hong Xa-bin, Song Joong-Ki, Kim Hyoung-seo.
In Myeongan City, South Korea, 17-year-old Yeon-gyu (Xa-bing) is starting trouble. He gets into a violent altercation at school and is quickly reprimanded. His Mother expresses disappointment but doesn’t do much to discipline him. In addition to his mom, he lives with his alcoholic stepfather and step-sister Hayan (Hyoung-seo), who he treats like trash. Yeon-gyu is working to save enough money to travel to Holland, but with everyone in the family making meager earnings, travel outside the city is a distant goal. Outside of that, the young boy doesn’t have much going for himself besides making money and being physically abused by the stepfather and school bullies.
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To get quick funds, he goes to the local gang for work, steals mopeds from folks who owe money, and takes them to the chop shop. Through association, Yeon-gyu is now embroiled in all the elements of being a low-level gang member. This dangerous group of gangsters he’s involved with have their hand in the police force and politics as the big boss (Kim Jeon-soo) and his son Chi-geon (Joong-ki) work to get a national assemblyman re-elected. Yeon-gyu learns the ropes from the Chi-geon, and the two develop a brotherly bond that is tested when things spiral, drawing the teenager into a world of bloodshed that he is not prepared for.
At 2:12 minutes, Hopeless feels like 3 hours. It goes around in circles, working to reach a point that never comes. Disjointed isn’t a fitting enough word to describe this plot with its many subplots that don’t see resolution. This can be attributed to the large number of characters to remember, with only one (Chi-geon) worth remembering or having anything resembling character development.
It isn’t until 40 minutes in that the plot reveals the film’s purpose as to why this kid is desperate for money. He is naive and not cut out for this because of his conscience and impulsivity. Full of confusion and anxiety, the boy moves like a bumbling clown at the circus and yet, is afforded all of these chances to screw up and live to tell the tale. Not once did I feel sorry for him. It is not because of his circumstances but because the script didn’t make room for that connection.
The cinematography by Le Jae Woo carries a grayish hue that makes the environment look dreary and rundown, and with solid directing from Chang-hoon, and could have used all these elements to great effect. However, all of that is undercut by Kim Sang Bum’s awkward editing style with the abrupt cuts in the middle of scenes and conversations and rough cuts in between time jumps that make a simple film challenging to keep up with narratively and visually.
With its needless violence and road-to-nowhere story, Hopeless is an apt title for this Korean slice-of-life drama. The story deals with disturbing subject matter, but the messaging isn’t all that impactful. While the premise had potential, the execution doesn’t work in tandem with the story, so it draws the audience into 120 minutes of Yeon-gyu’s misery without offering much else.
Title: Hopeless
Section: Un Certain Regard
Distributor: Plus M Entertainment
Director: Kim Chang-hoon
Screenwriters: Kim Chang-hoon
Cast: Hong Xa-bin, Song Joong-Ki, Kim Hyoung-seo.
Running time: 2 hr 12 min
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