Oasis is probably not the film you'll want to show your new boyfriend or girlfriend to illustrate your interest in Asian cinema. Don't get me wrong; it's a stellar film featuring a genius performance by Mun So-Ri, but it's often difficult to watch because of both its subject matter and deliberately slow pace. At 133 minutes, you're not only investing a considerable amount of your time, but because of Oasis's weighty subject matter and heartbreaking story, you're investing a great deal of emotion as well. I guarantee you will think about this film long after you've ejected it from your DVD player.

I was fortunate enough to watch Oasis without knowing anything at all about the story. I say "fortunate" because I was completely surprised when Mun So-Ri's cerebral palsy-ravaged character Gong-Ju appears for the first time. Not that I would have been any less moved by Oasis, but the revelation that the movie was going to be about the very unconventional relationship between a woman with a severe physical handicap and a mentally retarded ex-con was very, very surprising, and refreshing as well.

Oasis is worth watching for many reasons, namely because of the performances of Mun So-Ri, as Gong-Ju, and Seol Gyeong-Gu, as Jong-Du. The actors absolutely disappear into their roles. You'll never once think that either is acting. And while it's easy to applaud both their physical transformations (in the DVD's extras, So-Ri even breaks down during filiming at one point because of the pain caused by the necessary and frequent twisting of her limbs), I was just as impressed with the shame, humility, humor, anger, frustration, joy and pain they inject into their roles.

Oasis is never exploitative. It treats its characters with an honesty that's at once heartbreaking, honest and revealing. Few American films have been brave enough to tackle topics related to physical and mental disabilities, so for an Asian film to so humanely depict the lives of two handicapped characters is refreshing, enlightening and profound. Bravo to the people who greenlit and produced Oasis. (With a little research, I learned that cerebral palsy is not a disease, but rather a condition brought on by a lack of oxygen to the brain during childbirth. An important bit of information gleaned as result of this very powerful movie, and any movie that can keep me both engaged AND educated gets high marks in my book.)

The film does have a few minor faults, but these are more technical in nature and have little to do wit the brilliant story. The lack of adequate lighting at times makes it very difficult to discern what's going on on the screen. I understand that the director was going for a more intimate and natural look and feel to the film, but certain scenes are so poorly lit that the action disappears into shadow and darkness.

Other than that, Oasis is a beautiful, moving and thought-provoking movie that shouldn't be missed.

ALEXANDER'S RATING: 9/10