GROWING PAINS // A FILM REVIEW OF "HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD"

BY MATEO MORENO

Bora Kim's delicate and stirring debut film HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD (BEOL-SAE) so perfectly captures the raw joy, confusion and pain of being a teenager that you might think it's autobiographical. And you'd be right. Taking it's time to full digest a young girls life in Seoul, Kim's feature echo's the shadows of growing up, never hitting a false beat. And she is guided expertly by a superb cast, especially young Ji-Hu Park who plays Eun-hee, a 14-year-old girl trying to find her footing in this world.

The story takes place in Seoul 1994, following young Eun-hee, a young girl born into a middle class family striving for more. Eun-hee's live is filled with loneliness; her Father is good at giving speeches but terrible at connecting in any meaningful way. Her Mother often feels like she's on the brink of sharing the wisdom earned through her hard life, but the words never get there. They fight consistently, often calling each other names, or worse their children, while never finding the time to apologize. Her sister rebels but is withdrawn and her brother is abusive, often hitting Eun-hee without any consequences (the Father witnesses this abuse in one scene, remarking "How dare you hit your sister in front of your Father," as if the "in front of your father" is the only offense made).

She doesn't fare better at school, falling asleep in her classes and daydreaming of becoming an artist. Her classmates tease her and her list of friends is very small. Her sweet boyfriend dotes on her but disappears when she needs him the most. Luckily, she finds a partner in crime in Yu-ri (Seol Hye-in), a fellow classmate whose friendship seems to be brimming at stronger feelings yet to be discovered. Young-Ji (Kim Sae-byeok) makes perhaps the strongest impression on Eun-hee. She's her new Chinese tutor and takes an instant shine to her. Though she is there to officially tutor in Chinese, it's her life lessons that stick most with Eun-hee, guiding her through the difficult path of Eighth Grade adolescence. 

Bora Kim paces her film leisurely and with a running time of a little over two hours, it takes patience to digest. But your patience is rewarded with each and every scene, as the sunlight of these characters will remind you of your own path through middle school, first crushes and feelings that you didn't quite have a name for yet. Ji-Hu Park gives a remarkably understated and stunning lead performance, with a strong ensemble of cast members adding to a pitch perfect background. HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD shimmers and shines and is a bittersweet must see for this summer.

GRADE: A-

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Bora Kim STARRING Ji-Hu Park, Seol Hye-in, Sae-byeok Kim, Seung-Yun Lee, In-gi Jeong. Now streaming on Virtual Cinemas. For more information:http://www.wellgousa.com/films/house-of-hummingbird