For his 22nd feature as director, Hong Sangsoo delivers a delicious cinematic riddle only he could concoct. In the corner of a small café, Areum (Kim Minhee) sits typing on her laptop. At the tables around her, other customers enact the various dramas of their lives. A young couple charge each other with serious crimes, an old man tries to rekindle a flame with a younger woman, a narcissistic filmmaker works to put together his next project—all while Areum types. Is she merely writing what she hears? Or is she hearing what’s been written? As the dramas inside the café unfold, the plants outside grow taller. <br /><br />With stately black-and-white cinematography from Hong regular Kim Hyungkoo and a wide range of performances from an outstanding ensemble, GRASS is a truly singular chamber piece, a beguiling combination of raw emotion and philosophical intrigue.<br /><br />Opens April 19 at Metrograph.
