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Minari

 "Minari" is like a Rodgers and Hammerstein comedy -- with two love stories happening concurrently.

The first love story is the best; it concerns a little boy and his grandmother. The little boy gives his grandma brutal feedback; it's so brutal, it must have an element of affection. "You don't bake cookies." "Grandmas should not swear." "Grandmas should not watch wrestling." "I don't like you, and you smell bad."

The boy's grandmother--a character for the ages--acts as a tireless advocate. She is eccentric, but, consistently, she has good advice. You don't throw a rock at a visible snake; it's best to have your threats remaining visible, and not ducking to hide in the bushes. You might disregard your neurotic parents; you're stronger than you think. Maybe don't dwell on your wardrobe selections before a picnic; no one cares what a little boy wears to a picnic.

In the most touching sequence from this year, surely, the little boy gets irritated and pisses in his grandma's mug, then says the mug contains Mountain Dew. When young adults try to enact punishment, the grandma intercedes on her little antagonist's behalf. "It was just a joke. It was funny. It was fun. It's fun to drink pee..."

The second love story is less interesting; it concerns a married couple who fight over a farm. Even this part has its moments; I liked when the couple's children wrote DON'T FIGHT on paper airplanes, then sailed those airplanes into the middle of a marital argument. (Powerlessness sometimes makes you resourceful.)

Everyone already loves this movie, but just note one of my favorite touches: the writer's unsentimental rigor and compassion. When little children enter a foreign Arkansas environment, a white kid asks, "Why is your face so flat?" Our star says, "It's not." A long pause follows. Finally, the white kid says, "Wanna sleep over?"

Elsewhere, a clueless little girl finds another Asian-American character. "I'm just going to say a bunch of strange syllables, and you tell me if I randomly land on a Korean word...." (It's the 1980s.)

This movie is pretty consistently watchable, and it's a work of art. (And the little eight-year-old ought to have an Oscar nod! Justice for "Minari" --!)
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