"Columbus"

 2017 Not Rated 1h 44m

If you’re looking for an action-packed thriller, you’ll probably have to take a pass on this one. Viewing “Columbus”, the first full-length feature film from the talented Korean writer/director Kogonada, is an almost Zen-like experience. It has a gentle and graceful pace to it that I found quite soothing. The film features a beautifully nuanced performance from Haley Lu Richardson, known for “The Edge of Seventeen” and “Five Feet Apart”, which I reviewed in this column a few months ago. This young actress has truly arrived—look out for her to shine in the next few years. 

 

The film is set in Columbus, a small town of some 50,000 souls in southern Indiana. Casey (Richardson) is a serious young woman and we first encounter her at her job in a library. She strikes up a friendship with her coworker Gabriel (Rory Culkin), and the two share many a smart repartee on a wide range of topics including reading, video games, and attention spans. He warns her not to get an MLS degree, as he feels it’s one of the most useless degrees one can have. I beg to differ—I feel librarians are just about the most knowledgeable and helpful people I know!

 

Casey has a deep love for architecture, which is fortunate because Columbus is home to some remarkable buildings by noteworthy architects including Deborah Berke, Eero Saarinen, and James Stewart Polshek. In a way, the Mid-Century Modern structures act as characters in this engaging story. One day she bumps into Jin (John Cho), a Korean man who’s stuck in town, looking after his father, a professor of architecture who is in a coma. I appreciated that while the two spent quite a bit of time together, they didn’t get romantically involved. It made for a much more interesting tale. The always-delightful Parker Posey plays a supporting role as Jin’s father’s assistant.

 

Jin has a marginal interest in architecture, but when Casey takes him around and introduces him to her favorite buildings, he becomes intrigued. She shares her love and passion with him, and at several points in the film, their paths cross with organized tour groups, and we hear interesting tidbits of the docent’s lecture. It’s almost a tease that makes you want to do some research of your own. In the course of the movie, both Gabriel and Jin encourage Casey to follow her dream and go back to school. 

 

While Casey is passionate about architecture, and has been invited to go out east and further her studies, she’s torn. She feels obligated to stay home and take care of her mother Maria (Michelle Forbes), who is a recovering drug addict.  Maria is a hard-working woman and the two have an easy friendship. Her drug problems are the result of terrible relationships with ill-suited partners. She also wants Casey to go out into the world and get a college degree. 

 

As I mentioned earlier, the buildings act as supporting characters in this film. Much of the credit should be given to Kogonada. He treats each shot of the exteriors and interiors of the buildings with love and care and a true artist’s sense of composition. Almost every shot is perfectly balanced and could make a stunning painting. The cinematography adds to the sense of calm and tranquility of the movie. I look forward to seeing Mr. Kogonada’s next movies. If “Columbus” is any indication, they should be outstanding. 

 

Streaming on Kanopy (for free with your library card), the Roku Channel, Youtube.Amazon Prime, and other services.