[Seulssine] Pregnancy as a Grave... A Woman Bound by Desire, the Regrettable 'Anchor'

[Lee Isul's Wise Cine Review]

Starring Cheon Woo-hee and Lee Hye-young
A Female Narrative Suffering Between Pregnancy and Social Desire
Disappointing Yongdusa-mi Ending

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] I hope movies where women tell women's stories, stand at the center of events, and lead the plot do well. I hope they are well made, chosen by many audiences, and remade. I wish for the day when the term 'women's film' disappears in our country. In that sense, 'Anchor' (director Jung Ji-yeon) was quite welcome. I expected Chun Woo-hee and Lee Hye-young to tell our story. Half was right, and half was wrong.

A busy broadcasting station. A call comes to 9 o'clock news anchor Jung Sera (played by Chun Woo-hee). "A child has been murdered. The culprit will come to kill me soon too. Please come to my house. I think I would be happy if my death is reported through anchor Jung Sera's mouth." She wonders if it might be a prank call from an overly enthusiastic fan. Looking at the clock, it's 5 minutes before the live broadcast, so Sera hurriedly ends the call and heads to the anchor room.

Sera, who was delivering nearly perfect announcing, stumbles on her lines. The prank call from a moment ago keeps lingering, making her uneasy. When she gets home, she confides in her mother So-jung (played by Lee Hye-young), who advises, "This is your real chance to become an anchor." Sera, who joined as an announcer and became an anchor, is a former journalist with three months of experience. With a station reorganization approaching and a desire to be recognized as a true anchor, she drives to the informant's house.

There, Sera witnesses the informant Miso and her daughter's corpse and reports the case she covered herself. Recognized for her ability at the company, she is given the opportunity to host a solo segment called 'Anchor's Eye.' However, after that day, Sera is tormented by the recurring image of Miso's last moments. Trying to pull herself together, she heads to the crime scene for additional investigation, where she meets In-ho (played by Shin Ha-kyun), a psychiatrist who was Miso's attending doctor.

Sera cannot shake her suspicion toward In-ho, a hypnosis specialist. She learns that he was involved in a case where a patient committed suicide during counseling. "That person killed my daughter," the informant Miso's cries in life echo like tinnitus in her ears, and eventually, Sera decides to undergo hypnosis therapy herself, carrying a recorder.

'Anchor' is a film depicting the narrative of suffering women. It is impressive in that it tells a fully female story amid conflicts faced as social beings and personal desires. The goals and desires pursued as members of society are blocked by childbirth, and by resisting this, it reflects an inescapable cycle through extreme situations.

It is impressive that such a subject is portrayed as a thriller. The story depicting pregnancy not as a blessing but as a grave for women is also intriguing. This differs from the clich?s consumed in media so far. It is quite an interesting story.

Chun Woo-hee is indeed Chun Woo-hee. She delicately portrayed the perfectionist anchor who cannot tolerate mistakes and the increasingly sensitive and irrational state tormented by hallucinations. Lee Hye-young changes the atmosphere of the film as soon as she appears. She supports the film with her seasoned acting. Shin Ha-kyun's energy also stands out. With his appearance, the film gains vitality and the mystery deepens. The three actors form a triangular relationship and flexibly vary their performances.

The anticlimactic ending is disappointing. The film captures attention by steadily following thriller formulas in the early part, but the ending becomes somewhat predictable toward the latter half. The film is very kind. Excessive kindness is not an attractive point amid the flood of content. Repetitive predictable devices such as lighting, angles, and foreshadowing reduce the fun. The old-fashioned melodrama involving a missing person case from the early 2000s appearing in the latter part is also regrettable. 'Anchor' would have been better with more directorial sophistication. Running time 111 minutes. Rated 15 and over. Released April 20.