''Solace'' (; (lit. "Things You Say When You're in Love") is a
2006 South Korean film, and the directorial debut of Byeon Seung-wook. It stars
Han Suk-kyu
Han Suk-kyu (born November 3, 1964) is a South Korean actor. One of the leading actors of Korean cinema, Han's notable works include ''Green Fish'' (1997), '' No. 3'' (1997), '' Christmas in August'' (1998), '' Shiri'' (1999), ''The Scarlet Lett ...
as a
pharmacist
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...
who cares for his
mentally disabled
Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
brother, and the relationship he builds with a
debt
Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money or other agreed-upon value to another party, the creditor. Debt is a deferred payment, or series of payments, which differentiates it from an immediate purchase. The ...
-saddled woman (played by
Kim Ji-soo) who sells
fake designer clothes.
Plot
In-ku is a
pharmacist
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...
who runs his own
store in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
. Although approaching middle age, he still lives with his elderly mother and
mentally disabled
Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
older brother, In-seob. In-ku spends much of his time caring for his brother, and in the recent past had to end a relationship with his girlfriend, as her parents would not accept In-seob into their family. Hye-ran earns a living by selling
fake designer clothes on a stall in Seoul's
Dongdaemun
Heunginjimun, literally "Gate of Rising Benevolence" or more commonly known as Dongdaemun, is one of The Eight Gates of Seoul in the Fortress Wall of Seoul, a prominent landmark in central Seoul, South Korea. The Korean name "Dongdaemun" means "Gr ...
shopping mall, a practise which has led to trouble with the police on several occasions. She is also saddled with a crippling
debt
Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money or other agreed-upon value to another party, the creditor. Debt is a deferred payment, or series of payments, which differentiates it from an immediate purchase. The ...
, inherited from her now-deceased father.
While Hye-ran enjoys a night out with her family at a
karaoke box
A is a type of karaoke establishment commonly found in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the United States and Canada. It originated in Japan, and is now popular worldwide, particularly in Asia. Karaoke boxes consist of multiple rooms contai ...
, her younger sister announces that she is pregnant and wants to get married. Fearing that she will be left to pay their debt by herself, Hye-ran upsets her sister by telling her to wait and get an abortion. Meanwhile, In-ku gets a surprise visit from his ex-girlfriend, who wants to see him one last time before she marries another man. After sharing a meal they go to a hotel for sex, but once there he has second thoughts and walks away. Back at his shop, In-ku sits and drinks a beer by himself, when Hye-ran comes in looking for something to help her sleep. One thing leads to another, and they end up getting drunk at a local bar, before ending up back at the same hotel where they spend the night together. In the early hours of the following morning, Hye-ran sneaks away without saying a word, while In-ku pretends to be asleep.
In-ku and Hye-ran keep running into each other, gradually building up a friendship. They arrange a date, but when In-ku goes to meet her at work he arrives just in time to see her being taken away by the police, her stall having been raided again. At home, In-ku gets angry with his brother who has been throwing hysterics, though they later make up. Recognising the sexual needs of his older brother, In-ku arranges for In-seob to meet a
prostitute
Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
, but things do not work out, and the two men end up going to a
sauna
A sauna (, ), or sudatory, is a small room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a ...
instead.
Eventually, In-ku and Hye-ran manage to go on a proper date together, and after walking her home at the end of the night he surprises her with a kiss. Now spending time together as a couple, In-ku takes Hye-ran camping by a lakeside. As they talk, Hye-ran tells him about a song that used to get played at her
elementary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
at the end of each day, and how she wonders if they still play it. In-ku reminisces about In-seob in his younger days before he became ill, and how he used to enjoy
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
. The next day, In-ku decides to take Hye-ran to her old school, but their time is cut short when she gets a phone call and rushes off to meet her sister. Sometime later, Hye-ran meets In-ku at his shop; she feels guilty about being happy when she has so many problems, and decides to end their relationship.
As In-ku prepares for the
death anniversary
A death anniversary (or deathday) is the anniversary of the death of a person. It is the opposite of birthday. It is a custom in several Asian cultures, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Myanma ...
of his father, In-seob becomes hysterical again and runs off. In-ku goes out to look for him and tells his mother to stay at home, but feeling distraught she goes out anyway, and in a panic she runs into the road where she is struck by an oncoming car and killed. After the funeral, In-ku meets with Hye-ran for a heart to heart conversation. He admits to sometimes feeling resentful towards In-seob, but acknowledges that he is the only one left who can look after him. Sometime later, In-ku goes hiking with In-seob, sending photos of their journey to Hye-ran. Hye-ran finally visits her old elementary school, and, elated to find that they still play the song she remembers from her childhood, leaves a message on In-ku's
answering machine
An answering machine, answerphone or message machine, also known as telephone messaging machine (or TAM) in the UK and some Commonwealth countries, ansaphone or ansafone (from a trade name), or telephone answering device (TAD), was used for a ...
.
Cast
*
Han Suk-kyu
Han Suk-kyu (born November 3, 1964) is a South Korean actor. One of the leading actors of Korean cinema, Han's notable works include ''Green Fish'' (1997), '' No. 3'' (1997), '' Christmas in August'' (1998), '' Shiri'' (1999), ''The Scarlet Lett ...
... Shim In-ku
*
Kim Ji-soo ... Lee Hye-ran
*
Lee Han-wi
Lee Han-wi (born June 17, 1961) is a South Korean actor. Since his acting debut in 1983, Lee has become a prolific supporting actor on Korean film and television. He is particularly known for his mastery of ad-libbing
In music and other pe ...
... In-seob
*
Jung Hye-sun
Jung Hye-sun (born Jung Young-ja; February 21, 1942) is a South Korean actress. Jung made her entertainment debut as a voice actress with the KBS Daejeon
Daejeon () is South Korea's fifth-largest metropolis, with a population of 1.5 m ...
... In-ku and In-seob's mother
* Kim Seong-nyeo ... Hye-ran's mother
* Choi Ban-ya ... In-ku's ex-girlfriend
*
Jung In-gi
Jung In-gi (born September 12, 1966) is a South Korean actor. Jung made his acting debut in 1990, and has remained active in mainstream and independent film as well as television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunic ...
... In-ku's friend
* Kim Ik-tae ... drunk customer
*
Oh Jung-se
Oh Jung-se (born February 26, 1977) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''Missing 9'' (2017), ''When the Camellia Blooms'' (2019), ''Hot Stove League'' (2019), and ''It's Okay to Not Be Okay'' (2020) ...
... Mi-ran's lover
* Yoon Ga-hyun ... #53 owner
* Lee Mi-yoon ... customer at clothing shop
* Kim Joo-young ... yoga instructor
* Kim Kwang-sik ... detective 1
* Han Dae-gwan ... detective 2
*
Choi Cheol-ho
Choi Cheol-ho (; born 2 March 1970) is a South Korean actor. He rose to fame after appearing in the hit drama ''Queen of Housewives'' (also known as ''My Wife is a Superwoman'', 2009). Other notable roles include King Seonjo in '' The Immortal L ...
... lawyer
*
Baek Ji-won
Baek Ji-won (born 30 April 1973) is a South Korean actress. She graduated in Horticultural Science from Kyung Hee University. She made her acting debut in 1996 in play ''My father got cancer''. She is known for her role in television series '' ...
... Shim In-sook
*
Kim Ji-hyun as Lee Mi-ran
*
Lee Ji-hyun as Hye-ran's business partner
Production
Writer and director Byeon Seung-wook, who had previously served as assistant director on ''
Peppermint Candy
''Peppermint Candy'' () is a 1999 South Korean drama film by Lee Chang-dong, his second. The film opens with the implied suicide of the protagonist and uses reverse chronology to depict some of the key events of the past 20 years of his life th ...
'', spent five years working on the screenplay for ''Solace''. His intention for the film was to focus on real-life issues and avoid the predictability of other melodramas, saying, "We tried to cut down on sentimental stuff as much as possible and tried to fill that space with an emotional one".
In the "surprise kiss" scene, Han Suk-kyu was required to spin Kim Ji-soo around in a commanding way, but this took much trial and error for the duo to get the desired movement. The scene was later singled out by ''
The Chosun Ilbo
''The Chosun Ilbo'' (, ) is a daily newspaper in South Korea and the oldest daily newspaper in the country. With a daily circulation of more than 1,800,000, the ''Chosun Ilbo'' has been audited annually since the Audit Bureau of Circulations w ...
'' as one of the "outstanding" film kisses of the season.
The film's original
working title
A working title, which may be abbreviated and styled in trade publications after a putative title as (wt), also called a production title or a tentative title, is the temporary title of a product or project used during its development, usually ...
was ''Miyeol'' (meaning "Slight Fever"), a reference to the lead character's occupation as a pharmacist. However, a series of online surveys prompted a change, with people finding the title either too vague or confusing, or not representative of the film's romantic themes.
''Solace'' was filmed on a budget of .
Reception
''Solace'' was released in South Korea on November 30, 2006, and was ranked sixth at the
box office
A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...
on its opening weekend, later going on to sell a total of 216,876 tickets nationwide. In 2007, it was screened at the Udine Far East Film Festival and the Seoul International Film Festival,
[Nigel D'Sa]
"SENEF'07 Draws Top Directors"
''Korean Film Council''. 4 September 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-11. and received several nominations at the Korean Film Awards.
In a review for ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', Derek Elley praised the performances of the two leads, and noted that while the film was "limited in its ambitions" and difficult to categorize, it nevertheless "ranks as one of last year's most satisfying South Korean pics in terms of accomplishing what it sets out to do."
[Derek Elley]
''Solace'' review
''Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''. 16 July 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
* {{hancinema film, Solace, Solace
2006 films
2000s romance films
South Korean romantic drama films
Cinema Service films
CJ Entertainment films
2000s Korean-language films
2006 directorial debut films
2000s South Korean films