Movie Reviews,  Reviews

Castaway on the Moon – A different perspective on Life!

November 20, 2020
Original TitleKimssi pyoryugi
LanguageKorean
Year2009
Runtime1h 56m
GenreDrama/Romance/Comedy
RatingPG-13

What makes us happy? What does it need in life to be happy? Feeling lonely, down and out? Well, watch ‘Castaway on the Moon’ and get uplifted!

Castaway on the Moon is a 2009 Korean movie about two people who does not want to connect with the society anymore. Both characters have the same name ‘Kim’. Deep in debt and completely hopeless, the Male Kim decides to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge only to get washed up on the shore of a tiny island in the middle of the river. On the other side, we have a Female Kim, an introvert who isolates herself within a confined area and refuse to interact with others. She has been shut in her apartment for three years.

The Two Kim’s!

Castaway on the Moon shows that the two Kim’s have a lot in common. They both were hurt and rejected by the modern society. So they created their own space. The Male Kim lives in an Island, free of his debts and worries of city life. He finds peace and harmony through simplicity. The Female Kim lives in a Virtual space where she imagines a perfect world by taking on a persona of whom she wants to be. She updates her blogs and gets engaged in her favorite hobby of viewing the empty spaces of city and the Moon through her Telescopic Camera lens. How these misfits try to connect with each other forms one of the weirdest heart-warming movies out there.

Castaway on the Moon is a breath of fresh air!

Hae-jun Lee, the writer cum director brings his unique perspective to a deserted island narrative by striking the perfect balance between comedy, despair, romance and full on weirdness! Castaway on the Moon is visually stunning with great cinematography and an excellent background score. The two Kim’s are a delight to watch and their character development is fascinating.

There would be the obvious comparisons with Tom Hank’s starrer ‘Cast Away’, but barring some similarities, the Korean one is completely different. While Tom Hanks’s character is desperately trying to get back to his life, our protagonist here is trying to get away! He isn’t really deserted and can even see the city and the bridge from where he jumped!

Castaway on the Moon is more visual than dialogue centric. This is one of those rare movies which will make us laugh, cry and reflect about our own life. Castaway on the Moon has many symbolic references like the necessity of basic needs and how we take them for granted.

The below scene shows the protagonist making and enjoying black noodles which he never appreciated in his life before, but now he wants it more than anything! (The movie will answer ‘how’ and ‘why’)

Castaway on the Moon also shows what the modern society has become over the years by everyone desperately trying to fit in and the ones who can’t are left behind! Everyone is caught up in their own lives and have forgotten to socialize with others.

The movie starts slow, but gradually builds into an absorbing one with many memorable situations and ends up on an emotional note.

Verdict

Castaway on the Moon is a cinematic experience which will make us look at life from a different perspective, appreciate little things in life and embrace simplicity as the key to happiness.

Highly Recommend! 👍

Have you read my review on Memories of Murder? Read here

Image Source: IMDB
Video Credits: YouTube

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