Secret Sunshine

It is unlikely you are going to see a more palpable portrayal of grief this year than Jeon Do-yeon’s magnifi cent perfomance as Shin-ae in this Korean drama of the heart. She moves with her son to the small town of Milyang, which means Secret Sunshine in Chinese, in an attempt to forge a new life for herself after the death of her husband. – – On the first day in town, she strikes up a friendship with Jong-chan (Song Kang-ho), a soft-hearted garage mechanic, who falls for her hook, line and sinker. Just when you think this is the story of romance in unlikely circumstances, the film takes an abrupt and tragic turn. A single event sees Shin-ae face the abyss and darkness of an all-consuming grief.
– AMBER WILKINSON, EYE FOR FILM