Those We Leave Behind

Amor is an interesting if sometimes confusing Korean film that tells the story of a man whose lover is dying of a terminal illness. The story is told from the man's perspective as he copes with the responsibilities of supporting his girlfriend during her final days, fulfilling her wishes, making the necessary practical arrangements and trying to cope with the loss.

The man, Tae-Woo (Jung Kyoung-Ho), seems almost detached in the beginning as he deals with the impending death of his lover, Hee-Yeon (Jung Yoon-Sun), but through the actors' lowkey yet excellent portrayals you soon realize just how much they love each other. They're also orphans, so they have no families to help them get through this (something that deeply resonated with me, too.) Just as Hee-Yeon is growing sicker, Tae-Woo finds a mysterious mute woman (Mina Fujii) who seems to have collapsed at his workplace, and does what he can to help her.

This movie was short (less than 90 minutes) but it felt much longer. I didn't understand the role of the mute woman until the end, and my interpretation is a still a bit fuzzy. I'm not even sure if I want to recommend it to others because it is so sad, and we have to cope with enough sadness in the real world right now. I did think it was very touching and rather reassuring in that kindness and love are never wasted on anyone. Available on Viki-com.

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