Starring: Na Moon-hee, Lee Hee-jun, Choi Won-young, Park Ji-young, Jeon Bae-soo, Kim Ye-eun, Kim Sun-kyung Director: Jung Se-kyo

COMEDY drama “Oh! My Gran” is the first South Korean film landed in Chinese cinemas in six years. The film is not rolling-in-the-aisles funny, but has something eloquent to say about the meaning of family.

In the film, veteran actor Na Moon-hee plays Mun-hui, a woman who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and lives with her son Du-won (played by Lee Hee-jun) and granddaughter Bo-mi (Lee Jin-joo). She slips between the present and the past, sometimes fully aware of her precarious condition and sometimes completely oblivious.

Due to the symptoms associated with dementia, Mun-hui causes stress for the family and Du-won’s devastated wife leaves home.

One night, Mun-hui takes Bo-mi out for a night walk and the child becomes the victim in a hit-and-run incident, which leaves her in a coma.

Mun-hui is the only witness but she mumbles nonsense and the police do not even care to look into the case, so Du-won has to track down the culprit with the little evidence that his mother collected from the scene of the accident while she was temporarily lucid.

“Oh! My Gran” presents authentic observations of a family’s life when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Although there are occasional flashes of humor, it centers on the mother-son relationship and how the two join forces to find the culprit behind the hit-and-run.

Credit goes to the cast for adding substance. Na’s intense performance as a woman with Alzheimer’s shines throughout “Oh! My Gran,” but it is Lee’s performance that triumphs in the film. He projects resentment toward his ailing mother, but is simultaneously caring and true to his heart.

Director Jung Se-kyo said he wanted Na to play the role of Mun-hui, and shouted “bravo” when she accepted the role. He also thought Lee would be perfect for Du-won’s character because the actor is well-known for immersing himself in the characters he plays.

The 79-year-old actress said she learned to drive a tractor for a month to flip it upside down when chasing after the offender. She also performs wire-flying in “Oh! My Gran.”

“Mun-hui lives with dementia, but has excellent insight. Her character has double sidedness,” Na explained about her character.

Despite the great cast and heartfelt message, the exaggerated settings — like the appearance of wild boar in the junk yard strewn with wrecked cars — may not resonate with many viewers. The forced and clunky dialogue used to get viewers to understand what is going on with the plot take away from the tension and humor.

The movie is now being screened in Shenzhen.

(SD-Agencies)