This movie was shared with me by a friend who loves K-Dramas and Korean Movies and is a big fan of Gong Yoo and some others whose names I can’t recall.
So, some time back, I was traveling and had 2 hours of free time, so I decided to watch this movie, and it was good. I wouldn’t say it was mind-blowing, amazing, or astonishing, but it was emotional. It touched me because the actors, Gong Yoo and Jeon Do-Yeon, portrayed their roles so well. I really liked Jeon Do-Yeon’s portrayal as Sang Min; it was really good. I mean she followed her heart.
So basically, ‘A Man and A Woman’ movie is about two people who are married to different people and have kids. They meet in a children’s camp in Helsinki, Finland, where they had come to drop their kids. Now they encounter a snowstorm and spend some good time together. The next day they make out. Interestingly, they never ask each other’s names.
Months later, Ki-Hong (Gong Yoo) tracks down Sang Min in South Korea, and they get to know each other. We (the viewers) get to know that both their married lives aren’t going well. Now, the steamy part: both Ki-Hong and Sang Min start an affair, spending nights together. No one knows of it except them.
All goes well, but then Sang Min realizes that she loves Ki-Hong and she divorces her husband. She goes back to Finland to find Ki-Hong, and in a restaurant, she sees him happy with his family and leaves from there. Ki-Hong sees her too, and as he was about to follow her, he sees his daughter, who is smiling at him, and he stops in his tracks. He loves Sang Min too, but he chooses his wife and daughter above his love.
This might sound like a normal movie plot to you, but I had two things on my mind:
1. Right Person, Wrong Time
In life, we might meet someone who seems perfect for us, who understands us like no one else. But, sometimes, circumstances play a tricky role.
The characters, Sang-min and Ki-Hong, are stuck in this situation. They’re both married and meet during a school trip to Finland, where they form a connection that goes beyond friendship. The viewers had rooted for them, but life isn’t always straightforward. Their existing commitments, responsibilities, and societal expectations stand as barriers, and they have to deal with their emotions in silence.
2. The Feeling of Helplessness
Towards the end of the movie, Ki-Hong wanted to go after Sang Min but he stopped as he saw his daughter. Gong Yoo had played this emotion very skillfully. This movie reminds us that our feelings don’t always fit with our circumstances. Love is strong, but it’s not easy to manage. The way the movie shows this feeling of Love being beyond anyone’s control; this connects the movie with us, helping us relate to the characters as they deal with their emotions. It also made me feel the sacrifices we humans make in the name of duties and responsibility.
This movie is relatable to us, as many of us might have come across times when we may have met someone special, but the timing wasn’t right. We’ve felt the weight of society’s norms and our own responsibilities, making us make difficult choices.
What I liked about the story was that it was beautifully written with layers of emotion, making us think about love’s intricate dance between two hearts. Well, both actors have done really well.
Finally, if you haven’t watched this movie, ‘A Man and A Woman,’ watch it. Although it’s a one-time watch, I can bet you won’t be able to hold back your emotions.
What else did I watch this month?
‘The Fall of the House of Usher‘ remains my favorite due to its marvelous storytelling. Beckham is one interesting documentary series which didn’t nostalgic or sycophant but it is about a boy who grew to be a man. And lastly, A Classic Horror Story. Interesting story, not at all scary, but this was good, something different but certain scenes are gruesome I loved the post credit scenes though.