★★★★☆
22 November 2013
This article is a review of BOOMERANG FAMILY.
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“Don’t be a burden to others,” written on a wall
When you think of quality modern family dramedies, what springs to mind? Perhaps:
THE DARJEELING LIMITED
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
MARGOT AT THE WEDDING
JUNEBUG
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS
WIN WIN
ABOUT SCHMIDT
JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME
TINY FURNITURE
BOOMERANG FAMILY joins the above eccentric gang, and weirdly, and not uninterestingly, veers from the crass gag to the downright bleak and back again. This ship, captained by writer-director Song Hae-sung, charts the stormy seas of tone sans capsizing. In less assured hands, we might have been witness to a disaster.
When you think of quality modern family dramedies, what springs to mind? Perhaps:
THE DARJEELING LIMITED
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
MARGOT AT THE WEDDING
JUNEBUG
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS
WIN WIN
ABOUT SCHMIDT
JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME
TINY FURNITURE
BOOMERANG FAMILY joins the above eccentric gang, and weirdly, and not uninterestingly, veers from the crass gag to the downright bleak and back again. This ship, captained by writer-director Song Hae-sung, charts the stormy seas of tone sans capsizing. In less assured hands, we might have been witness to a disaster.
Launching into a fight on a snowy city riverbank, In-mo (Park Hae-il – THE HOST) is not holding back against the man who cuckolded him. In-mo’s wife has left him, and his career as a filmmaker has stalled out of the gate. Later, about to commit suicide in a squalid apartment, he is saved by a phone call from his widowed mother (played by Youn Yuh-jung – THE TASTE OF MONEY). Thus begins a coalescing of the three adult children back to the family home. Jailbird brother Han-mo (Yoon Je-moon – FIST OF LEGEND) is already ensconced, and multiple-divorcee sis Mi-yeon (Kong Hyo-jin – VOLCANO HIGH) has returned with young daughter in tow. Often we are given man-child flicks to gnaw on (DARK HORSE; STEP BROTHERS), and it heartens to see a female protagonist wrestling with maturity too. Hardly a palatial venue, the scene is set for what might have been a lowbrow comedy of sibling physical violence and fart gags, if not for the slowly darkening revelations.
Three generations in one home brings to mind sublime television show ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT. The comedy in BOOMERANG FAMILY is character-driven too, though never reaches the highs of the Bluth clan. Though, there is here a no holds barred commentary on the current economic climate, where the difficulty to live in dignity is explored; even down to be able to eat meat for each dinner. The matriarch (played with unusual gentleness by Youn) is the welcoming port, as the tempest of life’s travails buffets the trio – there’s a wonderful scene where she serenely carries on drinking while her brood fights the other patrons in a restaurant.
By the way, while you’re waiting to check out BOOMERANG FAMILY, watch the Shins’ ‘Simple Song’ music video (directed by Daniels); they aren’t related but have an endearing similarity.