A humorous indie Korean road movie about a young man who drowns his unrequited love with soju (the notorious Korean rice wine) and staggers happily from one misunderstanding to the next.
One of the most charming and successful low-budget films of the last year is the Korean Daytime Drinking.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2009
Daytime Drinking 2008
Natsul
Hyuk-jin's buddies don't think much of his pining over a girlfriend. In fact, he's a killjoy, ruining the mood and resisting their efforts to cheer him up. Drinks downed, a pact is made: they're going for a boys' outing to a resort on the coast. Hyuk-jin reluctantly agrees, only to find himself alone at the bus station the following morning. Everyone else got too drunk to remember. Hyuk-jin nevertheless decides to continue his journey to the resort, little aware of the odyssey that awaits, involving enchanting or crazy girls, near-naked hitchhiking in freezing weather, dodgy companions and the constant invitation to fill a glass right up, because ‘it's so annoying to pour often’. A veritable balm for the heart. This offbeat ode to recuperation heralds a multi-talented newcomer: Noh Young-seok. He carried out virtually every task, even decorating the sets. His distinctive debut winningly mixes romanticism, deadpan humour and lots of soju (the notorious Korean rice wine). — SR