As an alternative point of view of one day during the Los Angeles Riots in 1992, "Gook" is able to bring up themes that are still very much relevant to this day. Being angry at the world. Hating without reason. Racial tensions. A disappointing government. Surviving on your own. Dreaming for something better. Looking for a place to belong. Cultural identity. These are a lot of things that many people can relate with, and writer / director Justin Chon channels all of that into the different characters in this story.
The decision to team up the characters of a struggling Korean-American shoe salesman, with a young African-American girl that constantly ditches going to school, is a compelling premise. I admit that I also found the relationship between Eli and Kamilla, to be quite endearing and touching as well. We follow one whole day with the two characters and go through a roller coaster of events that is filled with simple moments of going through a car wash, confrontations with the cranky liquor store owner, and tense situations involving racially charged violence. The supporting characters played by David So, Sang Chon, and Curtiss Cook Jr, also significantly adds a lot of different dynamics to the story as well.
A lot of the movie does focus on the themes of anger, hate, and frustration. There's a lot of yelling going on in this one, and a lot of cursing. Speaking of which, I'd like to specifically single out a sequence involving characters constantly yelling "F*** You" at each other, which I found to be pretty funny. So despite scenes of certain characters getting beat up, or the many intense arguing, there are still those moments of light-hearted levity, and thought-provoking conversational scenes, that help break the very serious tone and mood that this movie has.
I was originally tempted to compare "Gook" to Kevin Smith's "Clerks." It's in black & white, and it follows some clerks through a series of different situations. However, instead of discussions that diverges into pop culture commentaries, this one segues into more grounded talks about race and about trying to get by in life.
lovedit ENJOYED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible
