Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
'Portrait of a Family' delivers warmth amid dark realities
Actors Kim Si-a, left, and Ryu Seung-ryong in a scene from "Portrait of a Family" / Courtesy of Content Zio, Playgram
By Baek Byung-yeul
Filmmaker Lee Ji-won, who earned critical acclaim with her 2018 movie "Miss Baek," is expanding her thematic scope from isolated individuals to nontraditional family ties in "Portrait of a Family," crafting a story that explores resilience in the face of harsh realities.
The film follows baseball star Joong-goo (Ryu Seung-ryong) and high-profile actor Nam-mi (Ha Ji-won), whose lives fall apart when Joong-goo's secret daughter Dong-joo (Kim Si-a) appears. Eight years after their public downfall, the estranged family must reunite, as Dong-joo becomes embroiled in a middle school student's death.
While the movie tackles uncomfortable social issues, such as power imbalances and prejudice, its strength lies in its emotional core. Rather than leaving audiences in despair, Lee offers a message of hope and tries to show how broken people can find solace by choosing to stand by one another.
Ryu brings deep emotional weight to the lead role. He captures the quiet pain of a fallen star who finds his sole motivation in his drive to protect his daughter.
"Even when everything collapsed, the small back of my daughter trying to survive was my driving force," Ryu said after the premiere in Seoul on Monday. "That paternal love moved me when crisis hit."
Actors Ha Ji-won, right, and Ryu Seung-ryong in a scene from "Portrait of a Family" / Courtesy of Content Zio, Playgram
Ha offers a compelling performance, shedding her polished image to depict a woman weathered by eight years of hardship.
To reflect on her transformation, actor Ha said she took a broader view of her own life while she prepared for the role. She added that she let go of many things on set to show how hard Nam-mi's life had been.
Kim delivers a quiet performance as the traumatized daughter. She shows deep emotion through her eyes instead of heavy dialogue.
Kim, who reunited with Lee after "Miss Baek," shared that working with the director again allowed her to focus entirely on her acting in a comfortable environment.
From left, actors Ha Ji-won, Kim Si-a and Ryu Seung-ryong pose during a press conference for their movie “Portrait of a Family” at a theater in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
Beyond the main cast, the supporting actors add richness and unexpected humor to the heavy narrative. Kim Hae-sook, Kim Sun-young and Kim Young-min deliver natural performances that bring warmth to the screen.
The director explained that she revised the film extensively during postproduction to highlight these character dynamics. Filming for the movie ended in September 2021, and the film is finally reaching theaters after a five-year wait.
"I always wanted to make a family movie," Lee said. "As the release was delayed, I edited the film extensively to focus on the emotional arcs of the characters and revised the music dozens of times to bring those feelings to the surface."
"Portrait of a Family" hits local theaters on Sept. 2.