NYFF Review: ‘Right Now, Wrong Then’

Right Now, Wrong Then | Sang-soo Hong | NYFF 2015What if I said this, instead of that? What if I made a better first impression. Could I have won her over then? We’re constantly second guessing ourselves, especially after interactions with potential romantic partners, wondering if we could’ve done something differently that would’ve yielded better results. While there’s no time traveling abilities to course correct like in About Time, director Sang-soo Hong ponders these questions in a clever manner. In his latest picture Right Now, Wrong Then, Hong literally shows us the same daily encounter of two strangers, as they get to know one another and potentially build a budding romantic relationship.

His story begins with acclaimed director Han Chun-su (Jung Jae-young) who is killing time before he’s scheduled to speak about one of his works and screen one of his films at a film festival in Suwon. It’s when he’s out that he’s spotted by Hee-jung (Kim Min-hee) who recognizes the director and it doesn’t take long for her to catch his eye and affection. They visit her apartment, grab tea together, go for sushi and get drunk, and visit her friends at a party.

The night isn’t perfect but mostly goes off well, but it ends on a sour note. It’s after this that Hong hits the restart button and starts again from the beginning of their encounter, this time with subtle differences that slowly add up for a much different encounter for the two characters, and a different viewing experience for the audience. There’s a lot of similarities, but the differences are there, and they make a noticeable difference. It’s the repetition and deja vu that allow us to compare on contrasts these characters before and after, and it creates a unique viewing experience that is both trying, but rewarding.

I was able to connect to Right Now, Wrong Then much more than his previous effort Hill Of Freedom (which we reviewed at NYFF last year). This refreshing take on the perceptions of reality and expectations haven’t done in such a great satisfying manner since possibly the memorable scene from (500) Days Of Summer. The technique may be trying on some viewers patience, but for those who dive into Hong’s method, you’re in for a fresh take on romance that is a jay to watch unfold, and take apart with each viewing. It truly stands on its own, and certainly something worth taking note of.

Review: 7.6/10

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