Columbus

★★★★ OUT 5 october / CERT 12a / 104 mins director kogonada

cast John Cho, Hayley lu Richardson, Rory Culkin, Parker Posey

KOREAN DIRECTOR KOGONADA makes a debut to savour with this measured variation on Lost In Translation, which charts the fleeting friendship formed by librarian Casey (Richardson) and translator Jin (Cho) when he flies from Seoul to visit his ailing father and she guides him round the architectural delights of Columbus, Indiana. The emphasis is firmly on conversation, as kogonada explores issues such as class, cultural diversity, parental responsibility and female ambition. But, while it’s unashamedly cerebral, this is also a deeply moving human story, as Jin accepts the need to forgive his neglectful father and Casey realises she has to leave her ex-addict mother to fulfil her ambitions.