FuzzyTagz
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
Salubfoto
It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.
Hayden Kane
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Paul Magne Haakonsen
I stumbled upon "Seoul Searching" while looking through the Asia movie collection on Netflix. I hadn't seen or even heard about this movie prior to finding it there and deciding to watch it.I must admit that I had expected it to be just another teenage romantic comedy, but it turned out that I was in for something far greater and much deeper. This movie turned out to be quite entertaining on many different levels.The characters in the movie were quite colorful and very varied, which leaves just about something for just about everyone in the audience. There were some characters that you took an instant liking to and some with an instant adversity towards. But there were also characters that felt cheated out of screen time and were nothing more than just fillers, which was a shame - such as the twins, for example.This is a collection of various stories coming together as one entwined story, as Koreans from different countries abroad from Korea come together for a cultural summer camp in Seoul, to learn about their heritage.I was especially taken in by the story of Sid and also the story of Kris. Sid's story was definitely one of personal growth and progress, whereas Kris's story was one of reunion and coming face to face with her past.You might want to keep a tissue or two within reach, because there are some very emotional moments in the movie. I was taken aback by these and didn't except such excellence in direction from a movie such as this.The movie was full of great talents, and I especially enjoyed the performances of Rosalina Lee (playing Kris), Justin Chon (playing Sid), Jessika Van (playing Grace) and last, but not least, In-Pyo Cha (playing Mr. Kim). The entire movie had a great cast, but these really stood out in my opinion."Seoul Searching" is the type of movie that will sink right in and stay with you for quite a while after the movie have ended. I was genuinely surprised and entertained by "Seoul Searching" and I can warmly recommend that you take the time to watch it if you haven't already seen it.
shannelxho
This movie was so good that i literally just created an imdb account to rate this move. Wish more people knew about this movie. Came across it on netflix but it man it was damn good
Jeon Chie
As one born in the same year as Director Benson Lee and having been raised in the west coast of the United States, I fully appreciated the homage to John Hughes films and the BRILLIANT soundtrack. I was positively thrilled/comforted to hear it, especially the Jesus and Mary Chain, Erasure, and that long lost song by Q Lazzarus.I grew up on John Hughes films, but never thought I'd ever see a film that spoke straight to my heart with characters that not only look like me, but were also talking about what it is to be Korean, as an adoptee. The Korean adoptee storyline broke my heart, then put it back again. Rosalina Leigh gave her character the right mix of sadness, surprise, and confusion. And don't get me started about the woman who played her birth mother...I've seen many amazing films made by Korean adoptees (among them, First Person Plural by Deann Borshay Liem) which feature reunions and/or issues with birth mothers. I was a bit concerned about a fictional portrayal of this reunion, but I was pleasantly surprised at how it was handled. The performance between the character Kris and her birth mother left me absolutely gutted. Also, Cha In-Pyo was predictably solid and charismatic. There were extremely clever ways in which Benson Lee portrayed the both the growth and evolution of these characters. There were many true to the 80's references with the various characters portrayed. One may say there were scenes that were a bit over the top, I still think that this film brought key themes to the minds and hearts of the audience. And while applicable and relevant to many Korean-Americans, this film has the power to grab the attention and heartstrings of a global audience. I have no doubt that this film will be cherished both with a domestic and global audience.Well-done, Benson Lee and cast. Thank you especially for including the Korean adoptee story line. You've made my 80's film nostalgia complete and with a kick ass soundtrack, no less.
Maria A
I just saw the World Premiere of this film tonight, and loved it. The entire audience did a 'wave' for the director before the movie, and stood up for his well-deserved standing ovation at the end. Seoul Searching depicts teens from around the world exploring their relationship to their Korean cultural identity - at a summer camp in Seoul, Korea. (Cue mass quantities of alcohol.) Like any teen film, it explores relationships with parents, peers, and authorities, but what makes this one so enjoyable is that it is so specific and spot-on in illuminating the Korean cultural experience. As a hapa Korean and Italian woman, it's rare that I see a film so dynamic in its representation of complex cultural issues. The movie was hilarious, yet, particularly in one un-subtitled scene, still able to touch the depths of a drama. It explored everything from Korea's held anger towards the Japanese to the DMZ to Korean multiracial adoptees, while challenging and flipping assumptions in funny and clever ways.The director – who admitted an homage to John Hughes – hired mostly 'non-actors' who knew their characters from the inside, which worked. For example, the actor who played Sergio from Mexico was actually a Spanish-speaking Korean man culturally representing himself. This was true too, for the German-speaking Korean man from Hamburg. The cast was beaming – you could tell they loved being in the movie.The only characters that didn't land for me were the 'rapper' guys, and the only assumptions that didn't move enough for me were those about Korean fathers. But there were so many other things that worked – including the solid 80's soundtrack – that it still made my night.
