Jeong
Ga-young’s latest film has been described as a female counterpoint to Hong
Sang-soo’s work and when judged according to the sheer volume of alcohol
consumed by the characters, the comparison could not be more apt. Watching this
film could make your liver hurt. Some of the awkward silences and brutal truth-telling
sting a little too. There will be talking and drinking in Jeong’s Hit the Night (trailer here), which screens
during the 2018 New York Asian Film Festival.
Jeong,
playing Ga-young, a deliberately meta version of herself, has invited a dude acquaintance
out for drinks to ask him a series of questions on sex and relationships,
ostensibly as research for a prospective screenplay. However, as the night
advances and the questions probe into increasingly personal territory, Jin-hyeok
starts to understand this may all be a gambit to seduce him. In fact, Ga-young
will say as much herself, but the potential screenplay is probably still a
secondary concern.
Even
though Jin-hyeok has a girlfriend, he is perversely fascinated by Ga-young’s
frankness. The alcohol is probably a factor. They also load up on sugar from
grazing on fruit and pastries at a late-night tea house. Initially, Jin-hyeok
seems to betray the intimate vibe when he invites a friend to join him, but
perhaps there is a method to his madness.
If
you dig talky movies, then Hit the Night will
be like The Avengers assembling in Jurassic World for you. They talk in Night—boy, do they ever—but it is some razor-sharp,
lethally pointed dialog. The NYAFF description suggests this is an empowered
feminist response to Hong, but that is really more what the writer wants it to
be, rather than what it necessarily is. Arguably, Jeong is way harder on
herself than she is on horndog guys. Indeed, she gives Jin-hyeok the upper hand
throughout the second and third acts. Yet, that only reinforces the Hong parallels,
because few filmmakers have so thoroughly deconstructed the male ego as has
Hong.
Jeong
makes her namesake sly and likable, but also more than a bit of a mess. She
looks at herself with gutsy honesty. As Jin-hyeok, Park Jong-hwan constantly
surprises, playing the part like he has one foot in a Neil LaBute film and the
other foot in My Dinner with Andre.
Yet, it is Hyung Seul-woo who comes out of nowhere and completely charms us as
Jin-hyeok’s karaoke buddy, but the film is too realistic to let him take over
as Jeong’s romantic interest/foil.
After
watching Hit the Night, you
definitely feel like you spent the night haunting Seoul’s late-night hang-spots,
mostly in a good way. Jeong seems to know the scene well, because she conveys a
strong sense of its vibe. So, gun-bae everybody. Recommended for fans of Hong
and dialog-driven indies, Hit the Night screens
this Friday (7/6) at the Walter Reade, as part of this year’s NYAFF.
