By Rosario Brenda Gonzalez
“Take Care of My Cat” takes us to a slow and steady journey into the lives of five high school friends amid society’s urgent issues on women’s rights, poverty, unemployment, migration and consumerism. Still, there are no heavy messages that accompany the presentation of everyday realities in a port city such as Incheon where most of the events took place. Neither is there a single conflict that needed resolution. This is a movie that looks at simple occurrences with irony, melancholy and hope. Surprisingly, it connects varying social issues without losing focus on the ever-changing landscape of human relationships.
Hae-joo used to be closest to Ji-young but eventually they drifted apart as Hae-joo became too preoccupied with climbing the corporate ladder through improving her physical appearance, wearing the latest fashion, and being submissive to her bosses. Relocating to Seoul, Hae-joo even returned the cat given to her as a birthday present by Ji-young saying she has no time for it.
Ji-young found it hard to get a job as she has no marketable skills such as computer literacy or driving but is a talented textile designer. Living with an ailing grandfather and a grandmother who earns a living by mending socks, Ji-young desperately needs employment yet would buy a new gadget after borrowing money from Tae-hee. She is also bothered with having to constantly inform their landlord of the need to repair their roof.
Bi-ryu and Ohn-jo are twins whose grandparents insist on speaking Chinese in their adopted country of South Korea. Theirs is the least developed of the movie’s characters, as audiences are left to imagine whatever will become of them as they sell fake jewelry on street sidewalks.
Keeping the five friends intact is Tae-hee who works for her family’s convenience store and spa at the same time that she volunteers to type poems for a man with cerebral palsy. She often thinks of why her father treats her differently than her brothers blurting, “Father beating isn’t the only form of violence, taking someone’s freedom of choice is also a kind of violence.”
It is Tae-hee’s search for independence that propels her most decisive moves in the process giving an opportunity for Ji-young to join her in her quest. Tae-hee also understands the value of friendship beyond a common physical environment as when they were still in high school with their carefree ways.
All five friends found their own ways to navigate the complicated routes of adulthood, showing strengths and weaknesses as well as joy and sadness. In the process, we are introduced to the narrow alleys of Incheon, its women workers, its illegal immigrants, the discrimination against women, the low regard for school drop-outs, and the corporate culture – all of which challenged not only friendships but all kinds of relationships. Yet “Take Care of My Cat” is never wild and unruly, but quietly passing by, making us think about things that really matter. #
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Rosario Brenda Gonzalez is a long-time development worker who discovered South Korean films and television series during the pandemic. She was encouraged to review 18 South Korean movies, 2 South Korean television series, and 1 Japanese television series upon realizing that many of these tackled social issues in an informative and entertaining manner.
A BA Journalism graduate of UP Diliman, Ms. Gonzalez has been a project evaluator and development management trainer for more than three decades. Prior to that, she was a human rights and church worker.
