Out now on Digital, VOD, and Film Movement Plus
Meeting a green-haired woman at the airport where she works, a woman ends up spending time with her and finding some freedom away from her abusive husband.
Written and directed by Shuai Han, this drama takes the story of a Chinese immigrant to Korea who is stuck in an abusive, oppressive marriage and turns it on its head by throwing her together with a green-haired, free spirit drug mule. Together they face their oppressors, make life changes, discover new things about themselves, and live a little without others making them do anything. The story here is touching and emotional with a heavy emphasis on the more morose aspects of life until they meet and become a bit of each other’s balance. The way the film brings them together and gives them hope works well, even though they meet with obstacles and violence. The story develops these characters as they get to know each other and the viewer is taken along for the ride. Beyond a few odd decisions here and there, the writing here is careful and calculated with direction that brings it to the screen just right.
The cast here is smaller with most of the film spent with the two leads Jingxia and the Girl with Green Hair (as she is listed), played by Bingbing Fan and Lee Joo-young respectively. The two of them are great with a believable emotional connection to each other by the midway point of the film as well as a connection to the viewer. They both make the best of their parts, playing wildly different characters. Bingbing Fan is her usual talented self, giving this part her all, making the character resonate and become more than what was written in the script. Lee Joo-young plays just as well next to her and brings her character to life with an interesting character development. The rest of the cast is also quite good, but the film definitely belongs to the two leading ladies.
The film’s cinematography here is lovely. Yes, a lot of the film is spent in the dark of night, but the way it is all filmed gives it all atmosphere and mood, creating a world for the two leading ladies to evolve and get a few hours of freedom together in a city that has not necessarily treated them well. The way the locations and scenes are framed and brought together brings the viewer into the film. This cinematography is careful and well planned, well lit, well framed, and in the end, it becomes a part of the story, adding to it and bringing the viewer along.
Green Night is a good thriller with heavy drama and a solid trigger warning for SA which does feel like it was not entirely necessary here (the point could have been made otherwise). The writing is otherwise solid with good direction and fantastic acting. The film looks great as well. Overall, this is one of those well-done films that brings the viewers into its story, making them a part of the emotional journey and payoff.