(Haeng-bok). Talented director Hur Jin-ho has signed Happiness, his fourth story of memorable love, with a steady hand and intricate writing. Melodious and incisive, his storytelling streams into a seamless account of joys and sorrows, narratives that are familiar and yet portrayed with vibrant freshness and originality. Casting a sharp, perceptive look at the simple facts of life, Hur seems to have inherited from Yasujiro Ozu the ability to crystallize the passing of time in his films. Young-su (heartthrob Hwang Jung-min) treats his life carelessly, until he falls ill with cirrhosis of the liver. Forced to reconsider his lifestyle, he reluctantly decides to go to a health clinic in the countryside, and meets the angelic Eun-hee (Lim Soo-jung). Never overly sentimental, Happiness enjoys a great clarity of expression and a remarkable transparency of feelings, enhanced by Hur’s genius in directing his actors.

—Giovanna Fulvi, Toronto Film Festival

• Written by Hur, Lee Sook-yeon, Shin Joon-ho, Seo Yoo-min. Photographed by Kim Hyung-koo. With Hwang Jung-min, Lim Soo-jung. (119 mins, In Korean with English subtitles, Color, 35mm)