Despite what the Korean trailer would have you believe, this is not a comedy. A bratty kid is sent to live with his grandmother in rural South Korea while his mother tries to find a job and get on her feet. I do not approve of out-and-out child abuse, but this boy could have used a spanking.
It’s sweet that the grandmother sacrifices so much to please her grandson, who only wants some KFC and batteries for his hand-held video game, and her perseverance pays off in the end (I’m not really spoiling anything), but if my grandchild acted like that, he would be repaid with hard labor.
It’s a very well-made and thoughtful film. The commitment of the grandmother is astonishing. Yet, something is lost in translation here, because I cannot believe that a child’s insolence and maliciousness (hiding grandma’s shoes, breaking her good water jar) would be overlooked so easily.
3/5
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