Goodbye Concentration Camp ⛺️ Hello Glamping °8.4° °excellent°
CIL is a show that shows us what happens when a stormy cloud latches on to a gloomy front and electrifies it. It brings together the manic and the depressive in nature's way of bringing balance to the force. "Joo" hates her father, who had abandoned them (her, mom, sis/Haesong, & bro/Ji-Gu) for his mistress (THAT woman) yrs ago. Watching her is like watching the backstory of a supervillain. If she had a theme song it would be The Rolling Stones' Paint It Black. She attends dad's funeral (in a leopard dress & 👠) and lets it be known.
"Jin" is a slumped pile of suffering on long legs. He exudes depression more than Joni Mitchell or Radiohead. More than Eeyore, even. Jin's hands are often bleeding. He's always getting cut. His mother abandoned him when he was a kid and his GF dumped him a few yrs back. He's been slowly bleeding out for most of his life. His one 💖 is camping. His company brings together vendors for outdoor living fairs and exhibitions. (He does all the work and his partner does all the golfing). He is also the son of THAT woman. Crashing the funeral wasn't enough. Joo decides she's bringing Jin down.
Soon, Joo realizes she'll have to queue-up to bring Jin down. He's down already because of his ex. The only thing he has going is his company. The crows & raccoons have rifled through most of that already. As she's implementing her plan, she grows more uncomfortable with her goal. Jin is not the bad guy. All the critters around him are. Though morose, here's a handsome, perfectly good man. He's been dropped in the dirt, but all she needs to do is brush him off alittle. To begin, all she needs to do is take his hand...
Joo let heartbreak make her hard & mean. She decided to be hateful. Sis, Haesong, put her efforts into becoming lovable. She looks to boyfriends as substitutes for her father's 💘. Brother, Sim Ji-Gu, is played by Jang Sung-Bum, who has a voice like an angel. He's the baby and is somewhat insulated by the women in his family from the pain. He dreams of a singing career while Joo insists he spend all his time studying for the Civil Service exam.
The Romance is a tranquil 🏕 with a warm kindling 🔥 except... She's been out to destroy him. He promised himself he would not be hurt, nor would he be abandoned, ever again. Will we get to see them smile freely? As we get to know all the characters more, the more wary we are of the truth being told - It is going to hurt.
The themes revolve around hurt, revenge and weakness - and the enslavement those bring - but also endurance and forgiveness, with the freedom they bring. Revenge. 'Do you crash your ex's wedding?' He sincerely wants to know. Her: 'Yes, you get revenge by any means possible. You trip your ex if you have a chance.' Him: 'No, you'll have to live with that horrible memory and that empty feeling the rest of your life." CEO Shin demonstrates the point: "I've been living like a crazy person as if I was possessed by something. I ended up coming this far. I wanted to stop, but... I don't know what else to do with life. I'm so terribly sorry." In the end he was left with regret, which leads us into ~> Forgiveness. All of our protags are called upon to forgive.
The filmcraft is excellent. CIL drops tasty tidbits along the trail to keep us following along. There's connections made with good use of dialogue, camera shots, and the actors themselves. Many lines have double meanings. Juxtaposition is used cleverly. CIL is often accompanied by pensive, somewhat melancholy piano and the whole show is like a concerto of such music. It's sad, hypnotic, emotional, and oddly relaxing. What Can I Do, by Hyunji, is Spotifyable.
"I think I'm going to cry," Haesong says happily, because she sees Joo holding a man's hand. The camera pans to a woebegotten pharmacist... In one episode, Haesong is wearing a top that has two fabric straps hanging from her left shoulder, and her work name tag is pinned in such a way that they make a big "A" on her chest, resurrecting Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter. Haesong has dated alot of men.
As moody and methodical as the pace is, there's smiles to be found. "His house is big, but there's nothing in it. Just like him." Jin's misery is reinforced to the point of humor throughout the show. "How could you 3 make so much drama every day? You guys make trouble one after another. It's almost like teamwork, " remarks Jun. "I'll pretend being ignored is all in my head," is cheerful CEO Sun-woo's response to Joo's non-response. 'It's good to be gathered with you all - You who trust me least in this world, but cherish me most,' Jiju quips at one point.
One beautiful irony is that his mother had been an obstacle in all of his relationships, but she ultimately brought him together with Joo. She is the broken road that led them to eachother. Forgiveness paved the road. God bless that broken road - They don't have to hike alone ever again.
〰🖍 IMHO
📣8.3 📝8.5 🎭8.5 💓7.7 🦋7 🎨6 🎵/🔊7.8 🌞6 ⚡1 😅3.5 😭4 😱2.5 😯4 😖2 🤔6.4 💤1 🔚8.5
Originally 〰️🖋 4/2024
"Jin" is a slumped pile of suffering on long legs. He exudes depression more than Joni Mitchell or Radiohead. More than Eeyore, even. Jin's hands are often bleeding. He's always getting cut. His mother abandoned him when he was a kid and his GF dumped him a few yrs back. He's been slowly bleeding out for most of his life. His one 💖 is camping. His company brings together vendors for outdoor living fairs and exhibitions. (He does all the work and his partner does all the golfing). He is also the son of THAT woman. Crashing the funeral wasn't enough. Joo decides she's bringing Jin down.
Soon, Joo realizes she'll have to queue-up to bring Jin down. He's down already because of his ex. The only thing he has going is his company. The crows & raccoons have rifled through most of that already. As she's implementing her plan, she grows more uncomfortable with her goal. Jin is not the bad guy. All the critters around him are. Though morose, here's a handsome, perfectly good man. He's been dropped in the dirt, but all she needs to do is brush him off alittle. To begin, all she needs to do is take his hand...
Joo let heartbreak make her hard & mean. She decided to be hateful. Sis, Haesong, put her efforts into becoming lovable. She looks to boyfriends as substitutes for her father's 💘. Brother, Sim Ji-Gu, is played by Jang Sung-Bum, who has a voice like an angel. He's the baby and is somewhat insulated by the women in his family from the pain. He dreams of a singing career while Joo insists he spend all his time studying for the Civil Service exam.
The Romance is a tranquil 🏕 with a warm kindling 🔥 except... She's been out to destroy him. He promised himself he would not be hurt, nor would he be abandoned, ever again. Will we get to see them smile freely? As we get to know all the characters more, the more wary we are of the truth being told - It is going to hurt.
The themes revolve around hurt, revenge and weakness - and the enslavement those bring - but also endurance and forgiveness, with the freedom they bring. Revenge. 'Do you crash your ex's wedding?' He sincerely wants to know. Her: 'Yes, you get revenge by any means possible. You trip your ex if you have a chance.' Him: 'No, you'll have to live with that horrible memory and that empty feeling the rest of your life." CEO Shin demonstrates the point: "I've been living like a crazy person as if I was possessed by something. I ended up coming this far. I wanted to stop, but... I don't know what else to do with life. I'm so terribly sorry." In the end he was left with regret, which leads us into ~> Forgiveness. All of our protags are called upon to forgive.
The filmcraft is excellent. CIL drops tasty tidbits along the trail to keep us following along. There's connections made with good use of dialogue, camera shots, and the actors themselves. Many lines have double meanings. Juxtaposition is used cleverly. CIL is often accompanied by pensive, somewhat melancholy piano and the whole show is like a concerto of such music. It's sad, hypnotic, emotional, and oddly relaxing. What Can I Do, by Hyunji, is Spotifyable.
"I think I'm going to cry," Haesong says happily, because she sees Joo holding a man's hand. The camera pans to a woebegotten pharmacist... In one episode, Haesong is wearing a top that has two fabric straps hanging from her left shoulder, and her work name tag is pinned in such a way that they make a big "A" on her chest, resurrecting Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter. Haesong has dated alot of men.
As moody and methodical as the pace is, there's smiles to be found. "His house is big, but there's nothing in it. Just like him." Jin's misery is reinforced to the point of humor throughout the show. "How could you 3 make so much drama every day? You guys make trouble one after another. It's almost like teamwork, " remarks Jun. "I'll pretend being ignored is all in my head," is cheerful CEO Sun-woo's response to Joo's non-response. 'It's good to be gathered with you all - You who trust me least in this world, but cherish me most,' Jiju quips at one point.
One beautiful irony is that his mother had been an obstacle in all of his relationships, but she ultimately brought him together with Joo. She is the broken road that led them to eachother. Forgiveness paved the road. God bless that broken road - They don't have to hike alone ever again.
〰🖍 IMHO
📣8.3 📝8.5 🎭8.5 💓7.7 🦋7 🎨6 🎵/🔊7.8 🌞6 ⚡1 😅3.5 😭4 😱2.5 😯4 😖2 🤔6.4 💤1 🔚8.5
Originally 〰️🖋 4/2024
Was this review helpful to you?
