Watch this but be ready to be spent

Last night I watched one of those movies that makes you ache. The movie? Poetry. I'm not quite sure if I should recommend it, because, quite frankly, it left me exhausted and disturbed.

Here's a blurb from Wikipedia.


Poetry (Korean: 시; translit. Shi) is a 2010 South Korean drama film written and directed by Lee Chang-dong. It tells the story of a suburban woman in her 60s who begins to grow an interest for poetry while struggling with Alzheimer's disease and her irresponsible grandson. Yoon Jeong-hee stars in the leading role, which was her first role in a film since 1994. The film was selected for the main competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Best Screenplay Award. Other accolades include the Grand Bell Awards for Best Picture and Best Actress.

There are scenes in Poetry that feel like documentary, and perhaps that's what makes the film so difficult to watch. To say that what is depicted in these scenes is hard to watch...not because the "what" is graphic or obscene. No. What is depicted in these scenes is intimate, painful human interaction.  And actress Yun Jung-hee who plays the main character Mija is beyond brilliant.