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One of the beautiful aspects of Secret Sunshine is what it reveals emotionally, making it both a difficult film to describe with words yet also one worth resisting too much to reveal a first time viewer of this powerful film. This is a film with layers of emotions but it is portrayed with the touch of simplicity, instead masking the deepest feelings with a greater sense of denial. It is a denial to face tragedy with grief and loss. However, this denial is not truly revealed until later in the film when tragedy strikes again. Secret Sunshine is the fourth feature from talented South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong. With a simplistic cinematic style, Lee centers this film around the lead performance of Jeon Do-yeon, who is nothing short of brilliant. Under Lee's direction, Jeon gives an astonishingly powerful performance that perfectly works with the complex emotions at work in the film and her character. Her range of emotions are expressed through a performance that is both restrained and melodramatic. Lee finds the honesty in the character and as the unpredictable developments occur, the results are the essence of being human. Powerful and raw, Secret Sunshine is an emotionally wrenching film with an unforgettable lead performance.
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