Plots(1)
Life is tough for Ye-ri, a young woman who runs a bar and takes care of her unconscious, paralyzed father. Three men, Ik-june, Jong-bin, and Jung-bum, all try to woo her, but they don't have much success for each is flawed in their own way. Ik-june is similar to the vagabond in Breathless, Jong-bin is reminiscent of the private in The Unforgiven, and Jung-bum is like the North Korean defector in The Journals of Musan. Can any of them win Ye-ri's heart?
As the Korean title hints, the story in A Quiet Dream may only be a "dream". Movies certainly do have dream-like attributes, and dreams are also a mirror of reality. Such thoughts remind us of the question Zhang Lu proposes to immigrant workers in his documentary Scenery: "What is your dream?" Their dreams actually unfold through his films, which are instilled with life's warmth, compassion, and tribulations.
A Quiet Dream serves as a testament to Zhang Lu's second period films, which include Gyeongju and Love and.... After attempting to criticize reality through calm contemplation, Zhang has turned to making films that intertwine dreams, the cinematic, and reality. Black and white images, restrained music, the daily rhythm of life-all coalesce within the traces of a dream. Directors Yang Ik-june, Yoon Jong-bin, and Park Jung-bum, all outstanding actors as well, perform in highly individual styles, while Han Ye-ri's charm proves its real worth. (Busan International Film Festival)
(more)Cast
Ye-ri Han
South Korea
Best movies:
Switch: Change the World (2018) (series)
As One (2012)
Sea Fog (2014)
Ik-joon Yang
South Korea
Best movies:
Canola (2016)
Maundy Thursday (2006)
The Innocent Man (2012) (series)
Jeong-beom Park
South Korea
Dal-hwan Jo
South Korea
Best movies:
Couples (2011)
The Beauty Inside (2015)
The Royal Tailor (2014)
Ee-seong Kim
South Korea
Best movies:
Mr. Sunshine (2018) (series)
Taxi Driver (2021) (series)
1987: When the Day Comes (2017)
Tae-hoon Kim
South Korea
Best movies:
The Man from Nowhere (2010)
Like a Butterfly (2021) (series)
The Innocent Man (2012) (series)
Min-ah Shin
South Korea
Best movies:
My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho (2010) (series)
A Bittersweet Life (2005)
Sad Movie (2005)
Yeon-seok Yoo
South Korea
Best movies:
Mr. Sunshine (2018) (series)
Hospital Playlist (2020) (series)
Oldboy (2003)
Si-hyung Choi
South Korea
Joo-young Lee
South Korea
Best movies:
Itaewon Class (2020) (series)
Something in the Rain (2018) (series)
Broker (2022)
Hwa-jung Lee
South Korea
Best movies:
The First Responders (2022) (series)
Cold Eyes (2013)
Escape from Mogadishu (2021)