Hong Sang-soo was the most reliable auteur of the decade...

It's an explosive, soul-baring display from a filmmaker who hasn't lost - and indeed, may be rediscovering - his capacity for surprise.

For all its solemn beauty, Hotel by the River is lax and under-imagined compared to Hong's masterpieces.

So that’s the plot, and it only exists so that the characters can hold forth on gender dynamics in the second act. But before that, we get to luxuriate in the muted winter beauty of the river scenery, accentuated by the crisp black-and-white digital image