Directed by: John H. Lee Starring: Son Ye-jin (손예진), Jung Woo-sung (정우성) Release Date: November 5th, 2004
Action-noir and crime drama films have played a major role in expanding the reach of Korean cinema around the world with films like The Man From Nowhere (2010) and The New World (2013). But as many fans of Korean cinema know, melodrama is the OG signature Korean genre and arguably the most perfected one. And in 2004 director John H. Lee (71 Into the Fire, Operation Chromite) brought together two of the hottest rising Korean stars of the time, Son Ye-jin (The Classic, My Wife Got Married) and Jung Woo-sung (Asura: The City of Madness, Beasts Clawing at Straws), and struck pure gold with his devastating melodrama for the ages A Moment to Remember.
Su-jin (Son Ye-jin) is stood up by her married boyfriend and colleague at a train station one day after having planned to runaway together. Dejected and embarrassed, she attempts to move on with her life and returns to living with her family and working as a fashion designer. After a few chance encounters with a man named Chul-soo (Jung Woo-sung), a foreman from her father’s construction business, the two almost instantly hit it off and begin a new life together as a happy young couple. But when Su-jin’s forgetfulness grows concerning beyond being just a bad habit, she visits a doctor only to discover she a severe case of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. This throws the couple’s bright future into turmoil as Su-jin’s condition takes a turn for the worse.
A Moment to Remember has one of the best character establishing opening 30 minutes out there. Both leads have their special quirks and charms introduced with some hilarious first encounters that make great use of the environment and other props. By the time they become a couple, its incredibly enjoyable just to watch them work through the everyday challenges of cohabitation and career advancement together. This great opening is one of the key reasons why A Moment to Remember works so well. The time spent here becomes all-important scaffolding in the foundation of Su-jin and Chul-soo’s relationship that viewers really invest in, which makes the eventual crumbling down all the more heart-breaking when the Alzheimer’s kicks in and Su-jin’s memory starts to fail.
And with the disease, the second half of the film is spent examining this painful deconstruction of what the characters built together. All efforts become focused at keeping that scaffolding in place despite the disease’s virulent nature. Coupled with one of the best soundtrack’s around, it makes for an unforgettable and highly emotional cinematic experience. A Moment to Remember is so heartbreaking that it could even be described as a tough watch, but it’s very worthwhile for the lasting and valuable impression it leaves.
As of 2020, actors Son Ye-jin and Jung Woo-sung have established very prolific careers for themselves, appearing in well over 40 combined films and are beloved by fans and critics alike. While I have not seen all of their work, A Moment to Remember remains my personal favorite of all their films. Both actors make great use of their tightly written characters and put on showstopping performances.
Son Ye-jin is a joy to watch and radiates with her signature charm in every scene as the film builds towards its heart-wrenching twist. And from then on she’ll have you in tears every sad and frightening step towards the unknown as her character’s memory fades. Jung Woo-sung gives a similarly all encompassing performance that’s also heartbreaking. There’s an enigmatic yet playful masculinity Jung brings to his role as the blunt carpenter Chul-soo who suffers from anger and resentment issues. The transformation Jung undergoes as his character moves towards a more sensitive and devoted husband role remains one of the most moving and convincing performances I’ve ever seen.
There have been many powerful films made about the devastating effects that Alzheimer’s has on individuals and their loved ones. Still Alice (2014), Poetry (2010) and Memories of Tomorrow (2006) are some of the best. But none have created as strong of an emotional response in me as A Moment to Remember. I believe the film works so well because of its simple and honest examination of how we manage and endure love, loss, forgiveness, and attempt to move forward despite our setbacks. Whether the issues be related to family, intimacy, career or health, A Moment to Remember reminds us that an open heart is the key to not having to struggle alone.
The loss of memory itself has to be one of the scariest things imaginable. And even though it’s fairly unlikely to occur in young people, there’s nothing like taking in a big breath of fresh air after coming out of a movie with newfound or reinforced motivations. With every viewing, A Moment to Remember reminds me to try and stay present and appreciate the positive moments in life for all their invaluable worth.
NOTE: It’s worth noting that there is both a theatrical and director’s cut to A Moment to Remember. I personally favor the theatrical cut in terms of its pacing and I tear up just as much in either cut. The director’s cut is about 27 minutes longer at 144 minutes and you’ll perhaps feel that extra time. The additional and extended scenes give a bit more insight into Chul-soo’s family history and Su-jin’s previous relationship to give their characters more dimension and could make for a bigger emotional impact for some.
It will come down to personal preference, but I would recommend watching the director’s cut at least once after the theatrical cut initially. And since the knowledge of the extra scenes is enough to keep the emotional impact high, I prefer watching the theatrical cut for repeat viewings since it’s a tighter package overall and gets the job done. As of May 2020, the remastered director’s cut is the most widely available version of the film to watch and one probably needs to seek out the Korean DVD editions if they wish to own/view the theatrical cut.
If you enjoy this content and would like to support our ability to continue to update and increase the quality of our content.
