the 2010s have had a lot of films that look at the experience of people well outside the big cities and urban centers of america, but few have captured the poignancy of their characters quite like minari. it would be easy to guess that lee isaac chung's feature directorial debut was semi-autobiographical even without having been told so, because it rings of an absolute authenticity that you can't fake no matter how you try. the characters ring true in this tale of jacob, a man who brings his family from california to arkansas in hopes of growing korean produce and carving out his family's own place in the american dream. they're struggling, a situation that is complicated both for better and for worse when soon-ja, the grandmother of jacob's wife monica, comes to stay with them. there are a lot of parallels between minari and nomadland, at least thematically and visually. chung's film has a more directed feel to it than zhao's that benefits the viewer's experience. it's perhaps more conventional, but it's also a touch more cohesive. the cast is all stellar; the walking dead alum steven yeung comes into his own as an actor in the role of jacob, matched well with south korean star han ye-ri as monica. child actors are always a dicey proposition even in the best films but alan kim and noel kate cho are wonderful as young david and anne. this film speaks a lot to the concept of the pressure on multi-cultural families to assimilate in america, with chung beautifully capturing the setting and the era at the same time. there's a gorgeous sense of wistfulness to minari that guaranteed this one won't be leaving my thoughts any time soon.