[Family Ties] consists of three stories of mutually related families. In the first story, Mira`s brother Hyungchul has not had any contact with her for five years. One day, he unexpectedly shows up with Musin, his girlfriend who also happens to be 20 years his senior. In the second story, Sunkyung is to leave for Japan but her mother, who has devoted her whole life to love, dies leaving behind Sunkyung`s younger brother by a different father. In the last story, Kyungsuk, a young man who is timid and unskilled in affairs of the heart, falls in love with Chaehyun, but is hurt by her endless benevolence. This film shows an outstanding observation of the changing gender politics and the collapse of the traditional family in Korea. Men are helpless and irresponsible and women sustain the poor life and make bonds beyond the blood. These three women are the `familial heroes`, mentally mature enough to laugh at the male heroes of other Korean films, who do nothing but curse the world, torture themselves, and die. Magnificent are the delicate description of characters, well-structured narrative, and the exquisite visual imagery. (Huh Moon-yung)