Product Description

Sophie seems to have an idyllic life; she's the perfect housewife for Andrew her successful husband. Their relationship is put to the test though when she can't conceive a child. To save her marriage Sophie does something desperate. She initiates a bold and clandestine venture with Jihah an illegal immigrant from Korea. Sophie soon finds this new arrangement spiraling into a situation that may actually destroy what it was meant to liberate. Stars Vera Farmiga (Down to the Bone The Departed Joshua).System Requirements:Running Time: 225 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/MELODRAMA Rating: R UPC: 829567052228 Manufacturer No: 670522

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16337 in DVD
• Brand: HART SHARP VIDEO
• Released on: 2008-07-15
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 102 minutes

Review
Reviewed for CompuServe By Harvey Karten. "Never Forever"; an awkward title for a film that might better be called "Pleasure for Sale"; were that not the actual title of a Sundance Channel series about the friendly relationships of hookers and their clients, features explicitly sexual scenes which are obligatory if writer-director Kim is to have her audience believe in the emotional changes of this odd couple. Sophie, a woman who can afford to stay at home in a location that could be Scarsdale or Greenwich, finds common ground with Jihah, an illegal immigrant working jobs at a meat-packing plant and a dry-cleaning store before taking a third and more unusual and lucrative occupation. Andrew does not quite appreciate Sophie's motivations upon his discovery of the clandestine meetings: the lives of the three are to change dramatically in a film that compels our attention. --Rotten Tomatoes

Review
Reviewed By Mary Block...The motivations are thin, but Farmiga's painfully unguarded performance keeps the film from degenerating into dismissible soap drama. Sophie visibly self-destructs as the boundaries that define her relationship with the man she's hired to impregnate her become increasingly blurred. Korean star Ha struggles with the English dialogue, but is intriguingly masculine and defenseless as Farmiga's illegal immigrant lover. Cinematographer Matthew Clark's trembling, tightly-focused camerawork keeps the viewer uncomfortably close to the messy situation, and the terrifying brightness of Sophie's townhouse in Brooklyn contrasts startlingly with the warm darkness of Jihah's Chinatown hovel. Writer and director Kim's deep investment in the subject matter is apparent, but consequently seems to be the source of the melodrama (and the positioning of husband Andrew as a monstrous, unfeeling archetype). The narrative isn't perfect, but no one seems to have entered half-heartedly into Never Forever. --The L Magazine

Review
"Never Forever" The return of nervy, oughta-be-a-star Vera Farmiga ("Breaking and Entering," "The Departed"). In Gina Kim's drama, a 2007 Sundance selection, the actress plays a New Yorker married to a Korean-American lawyer (David McInnis) but unable to have a child. Desperate to conceive, she embarks on a relationship with a Korean illegal immigrant (Ha Jung-woo, "Time"). Regardless of the movie, Farmiga's worth seeing in anything and buzz about her performance here is strong. --Boston Globe

Customer Reviews

Acts of Love
NEVER FOREVER is a well-developed, well-written and well-directed film by Gina Kim, and with an actress with the stature of Vera Farmiga in the difficult lead role, it is frustrating to see that this fine film didn't last on theater screens. But as with many of the other treasurable small independent films, this one feels even better in the privacy of the home - the small screen somehow allows the powerful emotions of the story to be more focused.

Sophie (Vera Farmiga) is the beautiful Caucasian wife of wealthy and respected Korean Andrew (David Lee McInnis) and the couple seem to have it all - looks, a close-knit family, beautiful home, etc. - but there is an underlying tension: Sophie and Andrew have been unable to conceive and bear a child, a fact that troubles Andrew's very orthodox Christian family and profoundly affects Andrew's sense of worth. Though the couple has sought professional assistance, their marriage remains barren. Andrew's fragile stance results in a suicide attempt and in trying to correct the cause of this tragedy, Sophie decides she will attempt to conceive from a donor. Because both members of a couple must consent to artificial insemination, Sophie's plan is thwarted except for one aspect: visiting the clinic she has selected is a young Korean man named Jihah (Jung-woo Ha) who is attempting to be a sperm donor but is rejected because he is an illegal immigrant. Overhearing this exchange, Sophie follows Jihah and finally discovers where he lives. She approaches him with a business deal - she will pay him $300. for each session and when she becomes pregnant she will pay him $30,000. Jihah is shy at first, but he is working in a meat packing plant and dry cleaners trying to save enough money to bring his girlfriend from Korea to the USA. Desperate for money Jihah consents and Sophie begins her visits to him when her cycle is conducive to conception. The relationship is one of quick polite encounters, careful to avoid interpersonal factors that might make either partner uncomfortable. But a sense of interdependence evolves, and when Sophie achieves pregnancy, the couple decides to part ways.

Sophie's pregnancy at first overjoys Andrew and his family and the couple's future looks bright. But both Sophie and Jihah are unable to dismiss the intimacy of the relationship they have developed, Andrew discovers Sophie's adventure, and the marriage falls apart while Jihah informs his girlfriend in Korea that he will never be able to bring her to America. At this vulnerable point the film simply ends - some years later Sophie is at the beach with her son and is again very pregnant and the viewer is left to decide the resolution.

Vera Farmiga is even more beautiful in this role than her many other roles and never for a moment loses out empathy and understanding of the decisions she makes. Both of the men are strong as are the various actors who flesh out the film. This is a tough topic to relate, but writer/director Gina Kim allows the acts of love to be the memorable echo the film leaves behind. Grady Harp, August 08

Another bold role for Farmiga...
Gina Kim's first attempt at a big film with known actors was a courageous project with a harsh subject matter. She decided to write and direct a film that captures the personal transformation of an emotionally stunted woman, who in short order, sacrifices herself for the sake of her husband's happiness but ends up finding love, passion and inner peace through motherhood.

Vera Farmiga plays the lead role, showcasing her inter-racial Korean marriage to a wealthy New York lawyer. Their inability to have a child has driven a wedge between them that appears to be destroying their partnership. Through a variety of scenes and events, she decides to pay for the "donations" of another Korean man to help anonymously become pregnant and save her marriage. The remainder of the film shows the inevitable destruction of her relationship and the consequences of creating such a pact. Several other small plot lines play out to show the culture she lives in, including an overbearing mother-in-law and Korean pastor who both impose their faith-laden ways in trying to make her become pregnant.

The film is shot with long scenes of non-dialogue and lengthy views of New York City. The sex scenes are graphic yet passionate, mainly because Vera made all of her intimacy so heartfelt. She is very believable in displaying her transformation, and you realize the film becomes all about her and not the actual relationships. The ending was deliberately vague, but if you look closely at the small details, there are several clues as to what has happened.

The DVD has two small featurettes (3 and 7 minutes) that provide little regarding the film. One is shot in Korean with no English subtitles, the other is more of a blooper and gag reel of the actors during filming with no narration. Only 1/5 of the film is Korean with English subs, the rest is all in English. The film is a definite watch for Vera's fans, as the other two cast mates are awkward unknowns and the camera work of New York is sub-standard, but tolerable.