A meditative, delicately observed study of a Korean woman’s return to her home town after a long period living and working abroad, In Front of Your Face is a gentle pleasure and, as such, may not be a picture that will win new fans to the films of director Hong Sang-soo. But admirers of his distinctive style – long takes, zooms, social awkwardness, vast quantities of strong alcohol – will be beguiled by this bittersweet series of encounters. Much of the film’s allure comes from a mesmerising Lee Hye-yeong, playing a former actor hoping to reconnect with the past and come to terms with the future.
