FilmSnobReviews

Title: Columbus
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Kogonada
Starring: John Cho, Haley Lu Richardson, Parker Posey
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

What It Is: In Columbus, Indiana Jin’s (Cho) father, who’s a famous architect suffers some sort of illness. This brings Jin to Columbus, even if he’s rather estranged from his father. Casey is a young woman who grew up in Columbus and because of this has become infatuated with the towns extraordinary architecture. Through life and the difficulties of it, the two may find in each other exactly the strength they need to do something brave, something different.

What We Think: What an absolutely spectacular film! Cho gives a career-best performance but it’s Haley Lu Richardson who truly marvels. Her performance is the heartbeat and soul of a film full of them. Kogonada paints a tableau with buildings of grey and fields of green throughout this absolute stunner. Underneath all of this is a story full of thought out curves in the narrative. All of this is packaged in what one could call another evolution in the cinematic romance. Its glaring flaw is its deliberate pacing which will turn off impatient viewers. Those that stick with it will be treated to one of 2017’s very best pieces of cinema. A film that moves briskly and with a wonderful sense of self past its 100-minute runtime.

Our Grade: A-, I’d heard good things about this but I for sure got more than I bargained for. I cannot recommend this film any more highly. This is an absolute joy to watch and for those of you who enjoy beautifully shot pieces of film. Every shot looks like a real to life painting. Man, this is a film that will stick with me throughout the remainder of the year, and it’s Haley Lu Richardson that was the cause. From something terrible like The Bronze to something great like The Edge of Seventeen she’s great.