Burning
Wow. I try to stick to general summaries when it comes to my reviews but with this one, I just can't. This is one of the most personally affective experiences I’ve had with a film. It is incredibly reassuring to know that I'm not alone in feeling so overwhelmed by life's uncertainty and ambiguity, and the fact that a film could have such a resounding emotional presence is beyond impressive to me. Burning's characters are flawed, uninspired, broken, and are characterized with such palpable realism that I relate to so deeply. The film encompasses that painfully isolating weight of never knowing if you're truly happy or hurting because you can't just see into everyone else's head to confirm that your emotions are valid. Additionally, it functions as a class commentary for the modern age, exploring how senses of self-worth and motivation are only becoming larger factors in where one ends up in life. It is technically superlative, in its nervously taut score, cathartic lighting, and tangible performances, all delicately hand-packaged by Lee Chang-Dong's unwavering melancholic direction. It really is a magnificent accomplishment that I deeply empathize with. This review probably sounded melodramatic but I'm just so thankful that got to experience it. 97/100