Fille inconnue (la)

English title: The Unknown Girl

Genre: psychological drama – mystery

With: Adèle Haenel (Dr. Jenny Davin), Olivier Bonnaud (Julien). Jérémie Renier (Bryan’s father), Louka Minnella (Bryan), Christelle Cornil (Bryan’s mother), Nadège Ouedraogo (the cybercafé cashier), Olivier Gourmet (Lambert), Pierre Sumkay (Lambert Senior), Yves Larec (Dr. Habran), Ben Hamidou (Ben Mahmoud)

Directors: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

Screenplay: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

Release: 2016

Studio: Les Films du Fleuve, Archipel 35, Savage Film et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.4/10

  

The One That Got Away 

 

QuickView

Story-line: Jenny, who is filling in for Dr. Habran at his neighbourhood clinic and will soon move to the well-regarded Kennedy Centre, has spent a long and gruelling day taking care of patients with her trainee Julien. One hour after closing time, they are still at work tidying up when a young lady rings outside, seeking admittance. Julien wants to let her in, Jenny orders him not to and the girl goes away. The very next day, when she learns what happened to that girl, Jenny comes to regret her decision.

Pluses: a valiant, dominant performance by Adèle Haenel (as the dedicated and tenacious Jenny), able support from a good cast (especially Jérémie Renier and Olivier Gourmet in small but important roles), typically tight and sober direction, a beguiling and twisty screenplay highlighting the perils of daily life, competent cinematography and editing, quality production values and a jarring ending.

Minuses: aside from a brief song dedicated to Jenny and traffic noises here and there, the movie features no musical score… but this is understandable, considering the subject matter.

Comments: what Jenny learns about the unknown girl is so heartbreaking that she will try to make amends even if it means making decisions on the spur of the moment, taking risks and irritating people around her. As you follow her in this personal quest, her pain becomes so intimate that you feel as cheap and unsettled as she does. Once again, the Dardenne brothers have fashioned an effective film with very little means, a thoughtful and potent meditation on remorse, shame and the elusiveness of truth. 

 

MBiS 

© 2025 – All rights reserved

 

Byeon-ho-in

English title: Attorney (The)

Genre: legal drama

With: Kang-ho Song* (Song Woo-seok, the protagonist), Kim Yeong-ae (Choi Soon-ae, the restaurateur), Jung Jae-min and Yim Si-wan (Park Jin-Woo, the restaurateur’s son, as a boy and as a teen respectively), Oh Dal-su (Park Dong-ho, Song’s assistant), Eun-jae Cha (Miss Moon, Song’s secretary), Jung Won-joong (Attorney Kim Sang-pil), Jo Min-ki (Prosecutor Kang Byeong-chul), Kwak Do-won (Inspector Cha Dong-yeong), Lee Sung-min (Lee Yoon-taek, the newspaper reporter), Cha Kwang-soo (Park Byeong-ho), Song Young-Chang (the Judge), Lee Hang-na (Jang, Song's wife)

o       Director: Yang Woo-seok

Screenplay: Yoon Hyeon-ho and Yang Woo-seok 

Release: 2013

Studio: Withus Film, Well go USA Entertainment, Next Entertainment World Inc. et al.

Rating: 14A

MBiS score: 8.5/10 

 

Money Can’t Buy Respect 

 

QuickView

Story-line: Busan (South Korea), 1978. Attorney Song Woo-seok is so ambitious and entrepreneurial that he raises eyebrows among colleagues of the local Bar. As soon as he was appointed judge – a feat in itself, considering he is only a high school graduate –, he quits his post because he doesn’t like it and it isn’t lucrative enough for him. Instead, he wants to become a real estate attorney, convinced that this line of work will bring in tons of money. It seems that Song’s only goal in life is to rake in the dough… but will it always be like this?

Pluses: vigorous performances by Kang-ho Song (showing great range as a tenacious, evolving protagonist), Kim Yeong-ae, Yim Si-wan and an evenly competent cast, restless direction, an intelligent, busy and colourful screenplay replete with good guys and nasty villains, superb cinematography, excellent production values, an attentive musical score and an awe-inspiring ending.

Minuses: none I can think of.

Comments: Yang Woo-seok’s admirable film begins as a lighthearted comedy but morphs into an increasingly potent drama – based on true events – as political tensions reach the boiling point in the cauldron of South Korea. More than a fine movie, THE ATTORNEY is a remarkable history lesson. If you do a little research on a man named Roh Moo-hyun – but only after watching the movie, of course!–, you will be amazed by what you discover. (Kudos to Rob Hunter, at filmschoolrejects.com, for recommending this important film.)

 

MBiS 

© 2025 – All rights reserved 

*Please note that proper names in this review have alternate spellings and may have been reversed. My apologies to any and all concerned.