Columbus

“Columbus” premiered in Indianapolis on September 2 at Landmark’s Keystone Art Cinema. The movie is an indie film, which means that “Columbus” is not affiliated with a major film company.

“Columbus” is about a Korean man named Jin, played by John Cho, who is stuck in Columbus, Indiana, when his father, an architect, is in a coma. Jin meets Haley Lu Richardson, who plays a young woman completely fine with staying in Columbus with her mother, although she has architectural aspirations.

“I thought it was very cool that they were making a movie about Columbus because I love the architecture there,” said Marcia Gascho, Indy Korea writer and reporter. “When I found out that there was a Korean connection to the city, I thought I had to see it. I thought ‘Columbus’ was really interesting. It is not a big flashy Hollywood production with constant action.”

This was the first time I had seen an indie film in a theater, so I was surprised at how different “Columbus” was compared to the other movies I am used to, which usually have quick action shots and fast pacing for the plots.

However, the indie film had a slower pacing. This made it difficult for me, at first, to get into the storyline. Unlike most movies, “Columbus” showed the smaller parts of life with just everyday tasks that people do and the difficulty people have when there are changes in their lives. It also covered the different relationships between parents and children.

I was intrigued by the fact that “Columbus” used a lot of architecture. I have not seen many movies where the director places an emphasis on architecture. The director, Kogonada, uses architecture to develop the relationship between the two protagonists. Some of the Columbus landmarks that are used are First Financial Bank, Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans, and Cleo Rogers Memorial Library.

All in all, this will appeal to those who love comedy, drama, romance, architecture, and Indiana. I think “Columbus” will be a film people should watch if they want a movie that is different from all of the other movies with the quick pacing and action shots.