[https://asianmoviepulse.com/2024/01/film-review-lucky-chan-sil-2019-by-kim-cho-hee-4/](https://asianmoviepulse.com/2024/01/film-review-lucky-chan-sil-2019-by-kim-cho-hee-4/)

  
After a career as producer and few short films, independent director Kim Cho-hee brings to light her debut feature, “Lucky Chan-sil”, a charming story of, well … a film producer, dealing with the challenges that life throws at her. 

This charming indie movie is, first of all, a love letter to cinema and a soothing overview of life’s critical moments. The story feels like something very close to the director’s heart and it probably is. In fact, Kim Cho-hee worked as Hong Sang-soo’s producer, between 2008 and 2015 and it doesn’t take much to spot the reference. Hong Sang-soo apart, the whole film is punctuated with gems for cinephiles, starting from the opening credits on canvas, in typical Ozu’s fashion, to many other cheeky hints to international and cult directors that the audience will have the pleasure to spot.

Actress Gang Mal-geum inhabits Chan-sil and owns it completely. It is a joy to watch such an authentic female character with all the ups, downs, without an inch of melodrama and so unconventionally beautiful. She is natural and deadpan at times, as for typical indie mode, but also energetic and funny; she is a woman you would like to befriend.

The other handful of actors are all really enjoyable too, from Yoon Seung-ah in Sophie’s playful all-over-the-place-actress stereotype, to veteran artist Youn Yuh-jung injecting a healthy dose of common sense into the mix, to Bae Yu-ram’s unfazed French teacher and Kim Young-min, the shivering Leslie Cheung in sexy vest and boxer shorts attire. Technical credits are very much in indie mode. Ji Sang-bin’s natural photography is particularly attentive to the natural beautiful light of the onset of winter, while Jeong Joong-yeop’s original music is just an upbeat accent here and there.

Kim Cho-hee has put to good use her insider knowledge of the industry, without exceeding in movie snobbism, to create a humorous character in turmoil and a story of transition and hope.

Have you seen “Lucky Chan-sil”? Please leave a comment if you want to tell us what you think of it.

Click on the link to read our full review.

Lucky Chan-sil (2019) by Kim Cho-hee