Shortly before settling into “The Novelist’s Film,” a tense, absorbing and finally enchanting new movie written and directed by Hong Sang-soo, I couldn’t help but cycle through a flurry of familiar questions: Will this one be in color or black-and-white? Will the protagonist be a writer, a painter, a filmmaker or an actor? Will the story (or stories) unfold in strictly linear fashion, abruptly hit the reset button halfway through or play other gently mind-bending games with time? And most importantly, what will everyone drink: soju, as usual, or something a bit less conducive to Hong’s brand of reckless, well-liquored truth telling?
Source: ‘The Novelist’s Film’ review: Hong Sang-soo does it again – Los Angeles Times