As one of the most notoriously prolific directors of his generation, Hong Sang-soo is someone that is consistently managing to defy expectations and find new stories to tell. A surface-level glance at the films he has made over the years might lead the untrained eye to assume that he peddles in the near-derogatory sub-genre of two people sitting in a room and talking, which is normally something we hear when his detractors get the opportunity to criticize his work. However, for those who are attuned to Hong’s wavelength (and there are many of us, as he picks up new supporters with every new masterpiece he puts out), there are few filmmakers who are capable of making films that are so small and intimate in form, but yet so enormous in their intentions. One of his more recent efforts is In Front of Your Face (Korean: 당신 얼굴 앞에서), which gives the esteemed filmmaker the opportunity to ruminate and meditate on a number of major issues, while still adhering to his strong, pared-down method of telling very simple stories in ways that may seem rudimentary, but contain a fiery passion that can only be fully comprehended once we have undergone the various journeys that are experienced by these characters, most of them emerging through dialogue and more intimate moments. In Front of Your Face is one of the finest films Hong has made to date, which seems like a broad statement, considering I have yet to encounter one of the director’s films that aren’t at least rapidly approaching the status of being a masterpiece, with this one in particular carrying significance in how frank it is about some very deep issues, all while keeping the same graceful and ethereal tone that has defined most of the director’s previous work.

Hong’s films are much more diverse than they would appear at first, mainly due to the fact that they don’t announce their intentions from the outset, but rather invite the viewer to step into their world and become nestled within the comforting vision of a director who consistently, and without any hesitation, manages to tell compelling stories, weaving them together from the most simple premises. It’s not so much the fact that these are often mostly unfurnished offerings that consist of long stretches of dialogue between characters, normally in a single location and filmed in a single static shot, but that Hong uses this format to explore the human condition from the inside out, interrogating some profoundly moving themes through evoking conversations, both from the characters at the heart of the film, and the audience, who will hopefully walk away from this film with a new appreciation for the general concept of existence that Hong manages to so effortlessly refer back to throughout this film. It is unmistakably the work of a true master, whose incredible control of form and content has made him such an enigmatic filmmaker, each new work building on his continuously growing provocations of the idea of celebrating and critiquing the very nature of what it means to be alive, while never feeling as if it is pretentious in any conceivable way, which is a strength that has constantly defined Hong’s work, which take the form of these tender and insightful character-driven dramas which manage to be both intimate and sprawling, his decision to limit the space in which these individuals are able to physically move directly reflecting their spiralling existential quandaries, which come through mainly in the dialogue, which is more revealing and compelling than any more traditional directorial flourishes would lead the viewer to believe when first venturing into this film.

Referring to a Hong film as being rooted in a particular issue is not only foolish, it’s reductive. While they may appear to tread similar ground in terms of style, his films are often very different in the ideas that they explore, and how the narratives develop gradually through the intermingling of different subjects. In Front of Your Face is a film about a woman returning to South Korea for what appears to be a visit to her old neighbourhood, as well as a meeting with a prominent filmmaker, who wishes to give the woman (who used to be an actress many decades before) another chance, only to discover that she only has a few months left to live after she is diagnosed with an unnamed disease. This is the foundation from which the film is constructed, with In Front of Your Face facilitating a range of extremely insightful conversations that all ultimately lead to the film being a poignant exploration of the fact that art is one of the most effective means of emotional and psychological catharsis. The main character at the heart of this film is a former actress who engages in a spirited series of conversations around the value of art, entertaining the idea of appearing in another film (particularly one by a young director for which she clearly has strong admiration), not being honest enough to let those around her know that she is in the last few months of her life, leading to a kind of quiet rebellion where silence is her way of making sense of the world, which she has to understand will go on without her, leading to the decision to avoid negotiating between life and death, and just slowly voyaging into the ether, visiting these various locations, not as a reminder of her previous life, but as a way of bidding farewell to the past. It is put together so beautifully throughout the film, where the artistry allows Hong to carefully tell this story without it being overwrought, and instead focusing on the smallest details.

There are many lessons that come with watching In Front of Your Face. Primarily, this is a film about appreciating life and cherishing the smallest moments, since we are not aware of how volatile our existence is. Hong filters this profoundly important theme through a series of conversations, where the main character questions her own mortality while reflecting on her past. It’s a simple but effective approach to discussing one of life’s most enormously intimidating inevitabilities and something that each one of us would have pondered at different points in our life. On a purely artistic level, In Front of Your Face proves that viewers do not need to be hesitant when entering into one of the director’s films, since (regardless of the subject matter), we’re constantly in safe hands, since his perspective is one built less on proving a particular point or critically discussing particular ideas, and more celebrating the small joys we all encounter, and addressing some of the more melancholy issues of our existence, which is done through a precise and earnest 80-minutes of solid filmmaking. This is much more than just a few conversations strung together by sporadic moments of silence – instead, it is an active and engaging work that dives into the very fabric of life, working through a few fundamentally captivating concepts. The film is anchored by an absolutely stellar performance by Lee Hye-young, who plays the main character with such fervency, and manages to ground the film with her beautifully-measured performance that is so much more than just the sum of its parts. As a whole, In Front of Your Face is a well-crafted film that may appear simplistic at first, but as is often the case with Hong’s films, the more one is willing to engage with the story, and not see it merely as tedious conversations between ordinary individuals, but as dynamic vignettes of the human condition, the sooner we realize there is something very special simmering beneath this film. Beautifully composed and reaching a level of elegant honesty in the way that only a master as fully in command of his craft can achieve, In Front of Your Face is an astonishing film and potent reminder of the value of cherishing every moment, even those that may not appear that important at first.