Canola (2016) Poster

(2016)

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8/10
An unbelievably beautiful movie...
paul_haakonsen22 June 2017
When I found "Canola" (aka "Grandma Gye-Chun") then I can't really claim to have heard of the movie prior to happening to come across it. But it being a South Korean movie was more than sufficient for me to decide to sit down and watch it, because I like Asian cinema, and South Korea definitely do put out some very amazing movies quite often.

Without knowing anything about "Canola", I had no expectations in regards to anything. So I sat down to watch it with an open mind. And having see it now, I must admit that I am more than happy that I did so, because "Canola" is a very entertaining movie with a heartfelt and wonderful storyline.

The story told in this movie is about orphaned girl Hye-Ji who is living with her grand mother. The grand mother is working hard and does everything she can to provide for her grand daughter and loves her unconditionally. One day they get separated at the market and Hye-Ji becomes lost to her grand mother. 12 years pass before the girl resurfaces and becomes reunited with her grand mother. However, things have changed for Hye-Ji with the passing of 12 years, although her grand mother is still acting as is no time has passed.

The pacing of "Canola" might be a bit slow for some people in the audience, so this might not be a suitable movie for everyone. However, if you like a drama that is based on a solid and realistic story, and one that is driven by characters and good storytelling, then "Canola" is definitely a movie that you should take the time to sit down and watch. I found the pacing of the movie to be good.

"Canola" has some amazingly beautiful acting performances to help the story along. Go-eun Kim (playing Hye-Ji) and Yeo-jeong Yoon (playing the grand mother) put on some really memorable performances and they carried the movie so very, very well with their talents.

The movie is driven by character development and a proper storyline which moves the movie forward. And the characters in the movie are very detailed and so nicely fleshed out on the screen, and equally so brought to life by the acting talents portraying the characters. With such well-rounded characters it is difficult not to invest yourself into the storyline and feel for the characters.

There are some surprises to the storyline along the way, and I didn't see that coming. So it was nice to have such changes and twists thrown into the mixture, because it did spice up the movie.

This is a very moving and heartfelt story, and it might be a good idea to have a tissue at hand within reach, because chances are that you might actually be moved to tears by the story and the performances.

The ending of the movie was amazingly beautiful, and I will say that it is one of the most emotional and moving endings that I have seen in a long, long time.

"Canola" is a very beautiful movie, and if you enjoy South Korean cinema, then you simply have to watch this 2016 drama by director Chang. It is the type of movie that will stay with you for a long, long time after you have finished watching it.
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8/10
Grandma loves you Honey....
chenggaga15 March 2017
This is one of the beautiful, emotional Korean drama I ever seen.

I don't know how should i describe,

If you love drama, family movies then i recommend it. This movie worth to watch.

This is a story about a grandmother and her granddaughter.

I had a life without my grandma. I saw her when i was too young. I missed her love. I wish my grandma was still alive.

Some people leaves their grandmother and that's not good.

Please if you have your grandma. Please take care of her, Also take care your Grandpa.

Thanks for reading my review, And watch this beautiful movie
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8/10
Good enough
PennyReviews22 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
A movie about the bond between a granddaughter and her grandmother. The story is very moving: a grandmother is raising her little granddaughter alone, after her son died and her daughter in law ran away. They do seem very happy with each other, until the grandchild goes missing. Twelve years later, she comes back, after facing hardships in Seoul, and reunites with her grandmother that hadn't stopped looking for her. This movie starts with the simple theme of the grandparent-grandchild bond, but has many twists in it even till the very end. The performances were perfect, with the granny being very moving and the granddaughter's character maturing slowly during the process of the film. Great landscapes and impressive paintings, as well as the representation of the country life are creating the perfect mix for this amazing movie, so 8 out of 10.
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10/10
Simply Mind-Blowing!
mdislamaminul23 February 2017
One of the best movie I have ever seen! Just loved it. Have not seen anything like this for long. Wonderful work and everything was so lively. Some wonderful people and the natural beauty was mind-blowing. And I wonder, the more I am watching Korean movies, the more I am becoming addicted to it. So much talent and the way the stories are plotted surely deserve appreciation. LOVE for all! Keep up the good work.
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9/10
Beautiful story ... floods of tears!
ok_english_bt21 October 2020
It's a while since I cried in a movie, but this one blindsided me with its central idea, brought me onside with its sentimentality, and finally moved me to tears. I thought perhaps for maximum impact they could have ended it 10-15 minutes earlier, but actually the ending was also inspired. Rolling the final credits alongside the artist's paintings reminds you of all the great moments in the film. In the last 5 years I've seen quite a lot of Korean movies, and not a bad one among them. They clearly punch above their weight in this industry. Hong Seung Yoon's 'Canola' reminded me how emotionally-charged this medium can be when it's done well. Open the floodgates, let the feelings flow ...
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7/10
Beautiful and heartfelt drama, but a bit difficult to empathize with
CrappyG20 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I watched this movie with two goals in mind: I wanted to cry, and I wanted to see Kim Go-Eun's beauty. However after watching, I only achieved the latter.

What made the film a bit difficult to empathize with, AT LEAST FOR ME, is how unconvincing grown up 'fake' Hye-Ji's attachment is to the grandmother. She only had a relatively short span of time spent with the grandmother, and didn't even bother to visit her again after she was caught with the identity theft. But suddenly she was so concerned and worried when grandma was reportedly lost, and even decided to be her personal caretaker.

On the other hand, the strength of the film lies with the acting. Although this was not Kim Go-Eun's strongest exhibit, it's definitely one of Yuh-Jung Youn's (grandmother) and would undoubtedly try to squeeze the hell out of your tear ducts.
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10/10
Another South korean Masterpiece ,A must watch movie
jsaleem-897054 March 2020
Never listen about this korean movie before ,just Randomly Appear at youtube i watched it & regret it why know about this masterpoece sooo late ,Direction,Script,Story,Acting,Cinemtography,Music every thing was sooo good & just perfect ,Story simply will touch ur heart
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7/10
Story - 3/5, Acting - 4/5, Cinematography- 5/5
twenty_one_ds17 May 2019
Emotional drama. Good movie with plot twist. A bit lengthy. Character development was ok. Really appreciate acting from actors playing uncle and grandma characters. Pace was slow. Sometimes felt scene was unnecessary or tried too hard. Cinematography was excellent.
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10/10
I loved it
sonia-9511115 February 2022
What a little gem of a movie this is! I loved every frame, it's so meaningful and the performances are full of light! Really lovely!! Kim Go Eun is wonderful In this movie, really!!
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7/10
uncle character 10, grandmother 9, teacher 7, Kim go UN 8
doctoruslu4 November 2017
great emotional movie , little beat too long , they kept mystery about who is who , overall if you enjoy Korean style emotional movies this movie is great after watching it i still have questions about some details in the movie ,so it doesn't explain everything great, some of the scene little bit cheesy especially school part , i would give the uncle character 10, grandmother 9, teacher 7, Kim go UN 8
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10/10
Amazing
n-7519225 June 2021
The story of the movie was so emotional l really recommend it if you want to cry a lot .
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9/10
A beautifully portrayed confession
robertcairnduff-567481 August 2023
There are some films you just want to cling to. The characters are underplayed, and for those of us familiar with Korean cinema that's a relief. The story is simple, with twists which could be cruel, but they're not. The actors are perfectly chosen, the cinematography is breathtaking. Brace yourself though - tears will stream down your cheeks. Life can be hard but with artists like these it can be bearable and have meaning. Thankyou Korea, these last few decades you have contributed so much.

If you have a chance to watch Canola, grasp the opportunity. Who knows, it might be buried in some archive or found in a specialist theatre somewhere. Take tissues.
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