The 2023 Korean movie “Dream” is a comedy-drama sports movie that was released in Korea in April 2023. It stars Park Seo-joon and IU, a high-profile duo that is sure to attract a large fan base. The director of the film is Lee Byeong-heon, who is well-known for his comedy film “Extreme Job”.
“Dream” tells the story of a group of homeless men who undergo rigorous training from a tough coach and strive with determination to compete in the Homeless World Cup.
The cast of “Dream” consists mostly of well-known actors, including popular actors Park Seo-joon and IU. I remember being impressed by Park Seo-joon’s performance in “Itaewon Class”, and this comedy role shows that he is also suitable for comedic films (I’m also looking forward to his new film “Concrete Utopia”!).
He seems particularly adept at playing laid-back characters 😂 On the other hand, IU plays the role of a producer. She already has immense popularity, especially after her success in the drama series “Hotel Del Luna”. In this film, we get to see her less glamorous side as she starts off disillusioned but determined to turn things around when she encounters soccer coach Yoon Hong-dae. Their chemistry is really funny!
The pacing of “Dream” is well-executed, with continuous laughter created through character development and unexpected twists. The screenplay and dialogue design show cleverness; I don’t think it’s meant as heavy criticism towards society’s negative attitude towards those at the bottom rung but rather offers an alternative perspective on how we can treat them without labeling them unfairly – instead using more heartwarming ways to help them stand up again. For me, this film is a heartwarming and uplifting movie that sparks compassion, not just for its entertainment value. I highly recommend it!
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(2023) Korean Movie – Dream Movie Review
Kmovie “Dream” is essentially centered around a group of homeless players. I only found out about the existence of this kind of World Cup football tournament after watching this movie (Wikipedia has an introduction)! In a previous interview, the director mentioned that he hoped to eliminate misunderstandings and social exclusion faced by the homeless through this film.
Personally, I appreciate how the director criticizes society in a less harsh manner and instead uses a more heartwarming approach to make viewers reflect on whether they have unintentionally hurt certain homeless individuals with their stereotypes.
In Kmovie “Dream” there is a significant emphasis on showcasing the stories of these homeless people. One line that resonated with me was, “Who can guarantee that they won’t hit rock bottom one day?” The movie occasionally evokes strong emotions due to the unfair living conditions faced by these impoverished individuals.
It employs a warm but not overly heavy-handed way to satirize society’s treatment of the homeless. The stories of these homeless characters in Kmovie “Dream” revolve around seemingly ordinary incidents that lead them to hit rock bottom in life. However, who would willingly choose to become someone without a home?
This includes Yoon Hong-dae himself, who falls from grace as a professional athlete due to an incident involving violence during matches and becomes an ordinary person struggling in life. Yoon Hong-dae’s storyline follows the typical trajectory of an athlete’s downfall, experiencing various facets of societal life under pressure from team interests and certain unavoidable choices.
I believe this design allows Yoon Hong-dae to empathize with others’ experiences in order for viewers to understand what it feels like for these homeless individuals through his perspective. When someone loses everything, feelings of helplessness, resentment towards life and society, and resignation set in.
If there isn’t some warmth extended by society at just the right time to lend them support, they may quickly give up on themselves. “Why are you not desperate for victory?” For those who have no chance of winning in life, they display a passion to not give up. I think the mindset of a homeless person is already at the point of abandoning life, feeling that there’s nothing left to lose.
Even if they lose the game, it doesn’t matter because they’ve already lost in life. Coach Yoon Hong-dae himself, as a former athlete, understands how to defy society’s expectations. Throughout the film, one can deeply feel the sense of helplessness and marginalization faced by these individuals whom society looks down upon. Therefore, by the end, I believe that “Dream: The Dream Team” is not about winning games but rather about winning at life.”
In Kmovie “Dream” we deeply feel the society’s low tolerance for those who have made mistakes. From the trailer, we can see that the character Yoon Hong-dae is a football player who has been targeted by a “violent incident.”
He was brought down from the football field by the same journalist who incited and fueled the situation. However, no one knows who the real Yoon Hong-dae is, what kind of life he leads, and what hardships and pain he has experienced.
The writer-director portrays him as someone who is “unwilling” and “angry but helpless.” In Kmovie “Dream” Yoon Hong-dae represents a typical athlete’s career process. The director tells a story of growth and inner redemption through this character. Although it may seem cliché in terms of sports-themed movies, I believe it strikes a chord with audiences’ need to be inspired. The idea that “hard work can surpass talent” is truly absurd; athletes come to realize this at some point in their journey.
They push themselves forward with all their might while others gradually pull ahead. It’s not about being incapable but rather falling behind others. When you are lagging behind or unable to keep up with others, you need someone to lend you a hand because soccer is not an individual sport where only one person takes charge.
Therefore, I think Yoon Hong-dae’s transformation will serve as an exemplary model for viewers’ lives. The director allows us to experience how important it is to not only defeat our opponents but also uplift those struggling behind us—a reflection of how society treats those at its lower rungs. Perhaps we have been fortunate enough not to experience moments of utter despair in life ourselves; however, do we extend our helping hand and provide them with the strength they need?
I particularly love one line from Kmovie “Dream“: “Did anyone come here just for victory? Are we here to leave a record or to create memories? It’s up to everyone to judge.” This encapsulates the most beautiful core concept of Kmovie “Dream“.
The director lets us know that a competition is like a battle in life. We learn how to control our lives rather than being controlled by them. The dialogue written by the screenwriter is also humorous, saying, “I won’t let you fall and then stand back up. If you fall, I’ll stick my leg out and trip you so we both fall together. That’s what it’s all about.”
This satirizes society itself—when they find your weakness, they relentlessly attack your lifeline. But during our process of rising again, we fight tooth and nail without showing any mercy because that is the reality of society.
In addition, I would like to talk about the character Li Sumin in Kmovie “Dream“. She is very special. She initially expressed her expectation that life should be like a magnificent stage. However, in reality, it is impossible for life to be so glamorous.
Therefore, on stage, she just needs to “pretend” and that’s enough. I think her theory is correct. It is also the director’s criticism of how society becomes interested in and suppresses a person through “stories”. Initially, the stories of the homeless people in Kmovie “Dream” were deliberately created by Li Sumin and Yin Hongda as a means for work. But over time, these stories of homeless people can indeed touch the general public.
The design of the second half of Kmovie “Dream” completely grasps the audience’s innermost emotions and easily touches their hearts with a sense of emotion and sadness. The film creates a concept that “competition is the core concept of life” in its later stages. In life, we don’t necessarily have to “win” like football does, but our hearts must feel fulfilled and satisfied. Even if we know we may lose the game, going all out during this process allows us to gain something.
“We don’t have any problems; it’s only when we treat this world as having problems that there are problems.” Who wants to be down-and-out? Who wants to become someone at society’s bottom rung? And who wants to become homeless? Once labeled as homeless individuals, they cannot shake off this label no matter what they do.
Therefore, they can only step forward and make something out of themselves – even if it means giving everything until their bones shatter – so as not to give up before the competition ends. This gives them strength to change others’ perceptions towards them.
Therefore, there are reasons why the latter part of Kmovie “Dream” is so touching. The director portrays the players’ efforts and sincerity, their determination to change others’ perceptions of themselves, and their struggle to tear off the labels that have been stuck on them. The overall atmosphere of Kmovie “Dream” is fantastic! Especially the ending of Kmovie “Dream” is very moving! It’s an unexpected outcome for me!!!
Is 2023 Dream Movie Good?
Overall, Kmovie “Dream” is really a great sports-themed comedy film. Its satire is not too sharp, but it gives off a lot of positive energy, which resonates well with the general audience. The level of humor in “Dream: Dream Team” reminds me a bit of “Shaolin Soccer”. I like that Kmovie “Dream” focuses on the idea of helping those who are falling behind rather than individual heroism. This makes the film more heartwarming and uplifting, rather than just creating personal legends.
Of course, there are also some regrets in Kmovie “Dream“. The interaction between the characters Li Sumin and Yin Hongda is really funny, but it didn’t meet my expectations. Perhaps the screenwriter and director didn’t want to make this film too flashy, so they let go of it. But I wouldn’t reject the possibility of future sequels ❤️.