After Yang
After Yang is streaming on Showtime at the time of writing. Rated PG. Common Sense says 10.
STORY: A-
Writer/director Kogonada’s After Yang reminds me of high school biology labs. You drip some drops of water on a slide. You want to jump ahead to doing your drawing because it’s - you know - just water. But then you flick the microscope’s light on, and you see thousands of itsy bitsy green organisms shaking their stuff like it’s National Disco Day.
The film’s plot is not complex: After the android sibling he bought for their adopted child breaks down, a father tries to have him repaired. Simple. But if you take some time and look more closely, further examination reveals a finely woven story containing themes vibrating with wisdom and insight. In short, it’s a simple story told in an intricate and wondrous way.
PEOPLE: A-
Colin Farrell is excellent as the mediocre tea shop owner, Jake. He’s more than mellow or subdued - he’s been dulled down to a lonely shell. By what, we can only guess. Work? Technology? Parenthood? He doesn’t display much variety in this role, but he’s always doing enough to remind us that beneath the broken man lies a sleeping soul.
The film is full of fine performances. Jodie Turner-Smith in particular is excellent. Her Kyra is beaten down, but she’s the more practical of the two. She’s not as resigned to defeat as Jake is. Malea Emma Tfandrawidjaja shines as their heartbroken daughter. And Justin H. Min is unreal as Yang. He does more than play him as half robot and half human. He transforms into something bigger - something unique and undefinable.
FILM NERD STUFF: A
The movie is simply gorgeous. Much of that is due to the teamwork of the cinematography and the production design. The world this family lives in is designed at just the right frequency. It definitely feels forward from our present time, but it never reaches a point where it seems so futuristic that we can’t imagine ourselves living there. That, along with the beautiful way it’s captured by the camera, goes a long way to making the film’s message relatable.
THE TEA (Elective Class): A
I said before that the closer you look at this story, the more it reveals. But if we can’t literally put the movie under a microscope, how does one actually look closer? By paying attention to the things that are different.
For example, everyone in this story speaks very quietly and with little emotion. Only once does a character scream and flip out on somebody. It’s a jarring break in the movie’s mellow rhythm. Breaks like this one (usually) mean that whatever is happening is revealing important information about the film’s message. In this case, it’s a mega-clue.
The most important break in rhythm happens in a five minute scene that can be quickly summarized with one sentence: “Jake tells Yang why he loves tea.” Jake delivers a poetic monologue of how he developed his passion for tea. It’s the first time in the movie somebody speaks more than a sentence or two at a time. It’s also by far the most emotional he’s been.
It’s hugely different from anything we’ve seen yet. Kogonada is flicking on the microscope’s lamp, shining its light on a thousand dancing cells of meaning. We only need to take the time to actually look at his words to see that the scene is anything but simple. It’s actually the biggest key to understanding the movie.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Kogonada brings us a story about memories, expression, existence, meaning, and ultimately, what it means to be human. I’m not sure his message has enough substance to significantly enlighten me. However, the way he relays his message - the way this film is built - is magnificent and downright lovely. After Yang will reward those who take the time to ponder its small, powerful moments.