Morethanonce,theprotagonistsinMimangwonderwheretheyareandwherethey’regoing—itisaconcrete,geographicalquestionbornfromwalkingaroundthestreetsofSeoul,butasthefilmprogresses,thaturbanjourneyalsoprovestobeanexistentialone.Weaccompanythecharactersinsomestretchesoftheirpath—manyyearsseparateeachoftheepisodesthatmakeupthefilm,andthatdistancerevealschangesthroughwhatremains.Thisisnotafilmaboutearthquakes,butaboutsmalltransformations,andthemarksoftimecanbeseennotonlyintheactors’bodies,butalsointhatotheromnipresentprotagonistthatisSeoul,whosevitalityinvadeseveryshot.Likeothersbeforehim(it’sinevitabletothinkaboutTruffautorLinklater),here,KimTaeyangremindsusthatcinemaisthebesttimemachinethathasbeeninventedsofar.
