The feelings experienced while watching a movie, the temperature and humidity of the day, and personal experiences often serve as criteria for evaluation. 'Choi's Review' aims to introduce films in a more relaxed and everyday manner, incorporating the author's perspective and experiences. <Editor's Note>
The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is less than a month away. For students awaiting the exam, marked by a countdown on the classroom board, and for adults who have long passed that day, the CSAT is a day their bodies instinctively remember. The crisp morning air as they entered the school gate, the silence while waiting for the first exam with a computer marker tightly gripped, and the sighs that erupted after the final bell. While students who have raced for 12 years prepare for this day, their anxious families stand by them, and there are also those working behind the scenes, dedicating time to create the exam papers. Director Lee Yong-jae's debut film, 'The Secret of the CSAT,' humorously unveils the stories of those isolated in a room crafting the exam papers.
The story follows a rookie Korean language teacher, Maeng Bo-ram (played by Lee Sun-bin), who accidentally gets trapped in the 'CSAT Production Headquarters,' a national security zone, due to an administrative error. Although she approaches the significant task of creating the CSAT with determination, her confidence wanes in front of a committee filled with esteemed professors. The committee chair, Moon Joo-yeol (played by Yoo Jae-myung), secretly harbors ambitions to include Kant in the CSAT Korean language passages, while his long-time rival and review committee chair, Park Kyung-tae (played by Kim Young-min), busily marks up the passages with a red pen. As the two engage in daily conflicts, Maeng Bo-ram becomes increasingly intimidated. Their sole mission is to create a 'problem-free problem,' but Maeng Bo-ram discovers something unusual in one of the passages under review, prompting Moon Joo-yeol to try to smooth things over as the deadline approaches.
Director Lee Yong-jae, known for writing 'Mathematicians in a Strange Land' and 'It Doesn't Hurt,' once again shares his reflections on what it means to be a 'good adult' through 'The Secret of the CSAT.' While the film presents the 'birth process of the CSAT exam paper,' the underlying struggles of the adults involved reflect a facet of our society. Although the film deals with an exam taken by students, it is the adults who find themselves on the examination table.
The film meticulously portrays the secretive CSAT Production Headquarters. The production team based their depiction on the exam diary of a former professor who served on the committee twice, titled 'Who and How Creates the CSAT Exam?' This foundation lends a plausible realism to the fictional setting of the production headquarters.
The film also pays great attention to showcasing the rules of the production headquarters. From the inspection of personal belongings upon entry to the days spent under surveillance cameras without internet or communication, and even the controlled disposal of trash, the characters navigate a familiar yet strange environment. The pressure of deadlines and the struggle for reputation among the characters create a sense of urgency that is relatable in any workplace. Director Lee Yong-jae presents the production headquarters as a space where oddities and urgency coexist. Instead of weighing down the narrative with this pressure, the film takes a light-hearted approach, following characters as they uncover flaws and navigate unexpected situations, giving viewers a glimpse behind the ironclad security.
The film's fast-paced antics are largely attributed to the performances of the actors. The small meeting room, designed by art director Song Yoon-sook with inspiration from '12 Angry Men' and 'Moneyball,' creates a theatrical atmosphere as ten characters clash. The constraints of the confined space and the burden of conveying extensive information through dialogue are effectively filled by the actors' sharp performances and chemistry.
Lee Sun-bin, portraying Maeng Bo-ram, serves as the audience's guide, exploring the unfamiliar production headquarters and gradually learning its rules. Even in her clumsy and oblivious moments, she portrays Maeng Bo-ram's sense of duty and integrity clearly and endearingly.
Yoo Jae-myung skillfully oscillates between dignity and pretense, adding depth to the vanity of the committee chair. His ability to inject humor and bitterness into a character that could easily be unlikable is particularly commendable. Kim Young-min's performance, which maintains tension in the conflict with Moon Joo-yeol, enhances the film's entertainment value, while actors such as Jeon Seok-ho, Kim Kyung-min, Hwang Bo-ra, Jung Soo-young, Lee Jin-hee, Lee Jung-ok, and Ryu Kyung-hwan consistently deliver impeccable comedic timing, adding rhythm to the farce.
While the film uses humor to drive its farcical narrative, it also carries an underlying bitterness as a black comedy. It critiques the adults who, under the grand name of the 'CSAT,' pursue their own interests while neglecting the hearts of children and their responsibilities as educators, highlighting their vanity and hypocrisy through humor. The clash between the earnest young teacher and the older generation advocating for compromise with plausible rhetoric can also be interpreted as a story of generational conflict.
As a modest film with a small scale, its fresh subject matter and the actors' chemistry provide stability, but viewers expecting a major twist or a powerful punch may find it somewhat lacking. The film opts to focus on the interactions and chaos occurring in the meeting room rather than expanding the narrative scope. As a 'good film' and 'gentle black comedy,' it may be seen as a weakness that conflicts are resolved somewhat easily.
Nevertheless, as audiences leave the theater, they are likely to ponder the concept of a 'good adult.' 'The Secret of the CSAT' may lack a game-changing twist, but it maintains a consistent sense of humor throughout. It is a film that can be enjoyed without burden by those facing the CSAT and those who have already experienced it. The film is set to be released in theaters on October 28, with a runtime of 99 minutes and a rating suitable for viewers aged 12 and older.
The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is less than a month away. For students awaiting the exam, marked by a countdown on the classroom board, and for adults who have long passed that day, the CSAT is a day their bodies instinctively remember. The crisp morning air as they entered the school gate, the silence while waiting for the first exam with a computer marker tightly gripped, and the sighs that erupted after the final bell. While students who have raced for 12 years prepare for this day, their anxious families stand by them, and there are also those working behind the scenes, dedicating time to create the exam papers. Director Lee Yong-jae's debut film, 'The Secret of the CSAT,' humorously unveils the stories of those isolated in a room crafting the exam papers.
The story follows a rookie Korean language teacher, Maeng Bo-ram (played by Lee Sun-bin), who accidentally gets trapped in the 'CSAT Production Headquarters,' a national security zone, due to an administrative error. Although she approaches the significant task of creating the CSAT with determination, her confidence wanes in front of a committee filled with esteemed professors. The committee chair, Moon Joo-yeol (played by Yoo Jae-myung), secretly harbors ambitions to include Kant in the CSAT Korean language passages, while his long-time rival and review committee chair, Park Kyung-tae (played by Kim Young-min), busily marks up the passages with a red pen. As the two engage in daily conflicts, Maeng Bo-ram becomes increasingly intimidated. Their sole mission is to create a 'problem-free problem,' but Maeng Bo-ram discovers something unusual in one of the passages under review, prompting Moon Joo-yeol to try to smooth things over as the deadline approaches.
Director Lee Yong-jae, known for writing 'Mathematicians in a Strange Land' and 'It Doesn't Hurt,' once again shares his reflections on what it means to be a 'good adult' through 'The Secret of the CSAT.' While the film presents the 'birth process of the CSAT exam paper,' the underlying struggles of the adults involved reflect a facet of our society. Although the film deals with an exam taken by students, it is the adults who find themselves on the examination table.
The film meticulously portrays the secretive CSAT Production Headquarters. The production team based their depiction on the exam diary of a former professor who served on the committee twice, titled 'Who and How Creates the CSAT Exam?' This foundation lends a plausible realism to the fictional setting of the production headquarters.
The film also pays great attention to showcasing the rules of the production headquarters. From the inspection of personal belongings upon entry to the days spent under surveillance cameras without internet or communication, and even the controlled disposal of trash, the characters navigate a familiar yet strange environment. The pressure of deadlines and the struggle for reputation among the characters create a sense of urgency that is relatable in any workplace. Director Lee Yong-jae presents the production headquarters as a space where oddities and urgency coexist. Instead of weighing down the narrative with this pressure, the film takes a light-hearted approach, following characters as they uncover flaws and navigate unexpected situations, giving viewers a glimpse behind the ironclad security.
The film's fast-paced antics are largely attributed to the performances of the actors. The small meeting room, designed by art director Song Yoon-sook with inspiration from '12 Angry Men' and 'Moneyball,' creates a theatrical atmosphere as ten characters clash. The constraints of the confined space and the burden of conveying extensive information through dialogue are effectively filled by the actors' sharp performances and chemistry.
Lee Sun-bin, portraying Maeng Bo-ram, serves as the audience's guide, exploring the unfamiliar production headquarters and gradually learning its rules. Even in her clumsy and oblivious moments, she portrays Maeng Bo-ram's sense of duty and integrity clearly and endearingly.
Yoo Jae-myung skillfully oscillates between dignity and pretense, adding depth to the vanity of the committee chair. His ability to inject humor and bitterness into a character that could easily be unlikable is particularly commendable. Kim Young-min's performance, which maintains tension in the conflict with Moon Joo-yeol, enhances the film's entertainment value, while actors such as Jeon Seok-ho, Kim Kyung-min, Hwang Bo-ra, Jung Soo-young, Lee Jin-hee, Lee Jung-ok, and Ryu Kyung-hwan consistently deliver impeccable comedic timing, adding rhythm to the farce.
While the film uses humor to drive its farcical narrative, it also carries an underlying bitterness as a black comedy. It critiques the adults who, under the grand name of the 'CSAT,' pursue their own interests while neglecting the hearts of children and their responsibilities as educators, highlighting their vanity and hypocrisy through humor. The clash between the earnest young teacher and the older generation advocating for compromise with plausible rhetoric can also be interpreted as a story of generational conflict.
As a modest film with a small scale, its fresh subject matter and the actors' chemistry provide stability, but viewers expecting a major twist or a powerful punch may find it somewhat lacking. The film opts to focus on the interactions and chaos occurring in the meeting room rather than expanding the narrative scope. As a 'good film' and 'gentle black comedy,' it may be seen as a weakness that conflicts are resolved somewhat easily.
Nevertheless, as audiences leave the theater, they are likely to ponder the concept of a 'good adult.' 'The Secret of the CSAT' may lack a game-changing twist, but it maintains a consistent sense of humor throughout. It is a film that can be enjoyed without burden by those facing the CSAT and those who have already experienced it. The film is set to be released in theaters on October 28, with a runtime of 99 minutes and a rating suitable for viewers aged 12 and older.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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