Abigail Harm DVD Review
“Abigail Harm” frustrates more than anything else.
Inspired by the Korean fable “The Woodcutter and the Nymph,” 2012’s “Abigail Harm” revolves around a middle aged NY woman (the titular character) who doesn’t like to be seen, but is quite the voyeur. She reads to the blind, she lives a secluded life, and she’s afraid to see her dying father. One day an injured thief ends up in her place. She saves him from pursuing men and in exchange he arranges an experience for her to experience love. In order to do so, she has to steal the robe from a mysterious Asian man in an abandoned building thereby keeping him in her affection as long as she has the robe. The question is- Will Abigail be able to experience love or even accept it?
Directed by Lee Isaac Chung (of “Minari” fame) and penned by him alongside Samuel Gray Anderson, “Abigail Harm” offers up a unique modern take on a classic fable, but fails to really connect with the viewer. In addition to falling victim to indie art film cliches (expect lots of scenes of characters staring, wandering or generally doing nothing of note), the material lacks emotion and instead seems more focused on understated character work and an ere of mystery. You’re left wanting more substance and perhaps a more well rounded arc for Abigail. What we get feels incomplete even if that’s purposeful. Likewise, it would have been nice to feel a bit more of a connection between Abigail and the robed man because there wasn’t any real chemistry there.
The greatest strength of “Abigail Harm” is the cast. Amanda Plummer takes full advantage of this character despite the writing’s shortcomings. She really puts herself into what is essentially an intimate character study/fairytale. Despite only being in 1 scene each, veteran actors Will Patton and Burt Young make an impression in their moments. Tetsuo Kuramochi doesn’t have a lot to say or do, but he does manage to give off a suitably intriguing vibe with his mystifying character.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.35:1. Grade: B
Audio Track: 5.1 Surround. Grade: B
The only extras are trailers for “Munyurangabo,” “Once Upon A River” and “My Art.”
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