There is no happy ending here, as there isn't in so many of our lives; only the struggle to figure out enough in the short-term to get to the long-term, if one ever gets there at all.
The rewards of watching this film are, first, the opportunity to see inside the day-to-day lives of an immigrant Korean family trying to survive against formidable odds; a family that includes a son whose central conflict is not coming out, as it might be in a more conventional film.
Rather, the conflict is between his need to discover who he is and what he wants, including but not limited to his sexual identity, balanced against his wish to satisfy his parents' ambitions for him, which may or may not align with his own aspirations for himself and his life; while making an effort to help them financially.
There is a quiet dignity in this young man's quest that makes us want him to find the answers he's looking for, but the film, to its credit, doesn't serve up an easy resolution at the end. What's clear instead is that the protagonist will continue his quest for answers and direction, which he may or may not find. The film had a lot to say and said it well.
The rewards of watching this film are, first, the opportunity to see inside the day-to-day lives of an immigrant Korean family trying to survive against formidable odds; a family that includes a son whose central conflict is not coming out, as it might be in a more conventional film.
Rather, the conflict is between his need to discover who he is and what he wants, including but not limited to his sexual identity, balanced against his wish to satisfy his parents' ambitions for him, which may or may not align with his own aspirations for himself and his life; while making an effort to help them financially.
There is a quiet dignity in this young man's quest that makes us want him to find the answers he's looking for, but the film, to its credit, doesn't serve up an easy resolution at the end. What's clear instead is that the protagonist will continue his quest for answers and direction, which he may or may not find. The film had a lot to say and said it well.