Si-e-nui sa-rang (Korean) [The Poet And The Boy]

This film technically should be blocked strictly in the LGBTQIA+ category. This is a very universal story, but the fact that a poet's muse happens to be a young boy would probably not go down very well by straight audience and hence I guess the reason this film is gaining popularity in the LGBTQIA+ circle. While initially the movie tarts off well, somewhere it loses track and is hampered by contrived drama.

Hyeon, is a 30-something man, married, working as a part time teacher but really enjoys writing poetry. His poems are full of beautiful expressions but lack depth and passion. Their financial condition is not the best but his wife has decided that she wants to have a child. He is not a very sexual person and hates the idea of sex even for a child and they eventually start going for IVF, since thats what his wife demands. HIs mundane boring life and his libido suddenly spike when he watches the boy in the newly opened doughnut shop making out with another girl. He is excited and confused by this and decides to stalk and make contact with the boy. The boy also comes from a poor family, with an ailing father to be taken care of that and very sad and angry mother. He sort of becomes a friend for the boy helping with food and groceries. The boys becomes his muse and his poetry improves drastically but Hyeon never makes any sexual move. He wants to care for him and support him in any way possible. The wife finds about it, tries to be as supportive as possible. Eventually when she becomes pregnant, Hyeon has a difficult choice to make. The wife asks the boy to leave Hyeon's life and the two men eventually drift apart only to meet 1-2 years later. And as always Hyeon helps the boy financially to start out a new life in the city.

The story is interesting, as you can see, and it's mostly done right. I was pleasantly surprised with the openness of conversations between Hyeon and his wife about each and every single issue including money, sex, love and even him possibly being gay. Rather than being about sexuality, the film is about loneliness and our need for company and someone who can take care of us. Of course, people will question on why a 30s man is taking an interest in a young boy. And to be honest, the interest starts with a sudden sexual attraction but eventually grows into something more tender than that when the boy gives our poet so much inspiration to bring in depth and passion in his poetry. And it's really hard to explain what you would call this nature of relationship. The movie stays vague about his sexuality, which we see in a scene when he tells his wife that if anything, he is bisexual. But then, we see he is just not a sexual person overall. If not for the drama in the last 30 minutes between the wife and boy and others, this movie could have had ranked much higher. And the poems probably make lot more sense in the native language than with English subtitles. Nevertheless, the story brings sensitivity to an artists life. The duration of the film needs to be trimmed as well.

Relationships may be inspiration for many artists. The film tells us to love the person for who they are and not for how useful they can be for you. (6/10)