Shi (aka Poetry) (2010)

A grandmother (Jeong Hie Yun) living on government subsistence is raising her slacker grandson (Da Wit Lee) while holding on to a part time job taking care of an elderly man suffering from a stroke. When she is diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's, she takes a poetry class which requires she complete a poem at the end of the class. She must also deal with the moral dilemma of a horrible act committed by her grandson and his friends. It's most difficult to describe what makes POETRY such an exquisite film. On one level, everything about it is incredibly simple. Yet there are undercurrents of something deeper and more profound lurking beneath its tranquil surface. Yes, the protagonist is dealing with the onset of Alzheimer's but this is no tearjerker. It's a precise and tight (despite its over two hour running time) and yes, at times poetic contemplative glimpse into the world of an ordinary person who must do something extraordinary. Yun's performance is extraordinary, the kind of subtle and discreet acting that too often gets pushed aside in favor of flashier acting pyrotechnics. A beautiful film.