The self-destructive obsession of a would-be writer, who has made up his mind to write a bestseller, is motivated by the success of his wife as a writer. Problem is, he lacks talent and imagination. He figures out that great fiction is drawn from reality and plots the murder of a neighbor. This film resonates with at once would-be writers and those who write for a living. The main character has no talent and a strong sense of inferiority. He takes advantage of his neighbors, manipulates them, and gets involved in their lives in order to find inspiration for his writing. He eavesdrops on others’ conversations, but like him, the audience can’t see the people who are talking but only the shadows on the wall. This unique mise-en-scène by Manuel MartÍn Cuenca, with efficient sound effects creates an unrealistic atmosphere and implies the irony that Alvaro’s realist fiction is actually based on unreal. The Motive is a vivid and dramatic portrayal of a contemporary man who lives a dual life in emotional isolation. (RHEE Souewon)