As an actress, Jeon Jong-seo has been making waves since her debut in Lee Chang-dong's “Burning”. Her follow-up, “The Call” has also been well received on Netflix, with her performance often being called the highlight of the feature. Thus, it was with surprise and anticipation that fans looked forward to her next project “Nothing Serious”, a first romance in her filmography, in which she's been paired opposite man-of-the-moment Son Sukku.
“Nothing Serious” is screening at the 11th SDAFF Spring Showcase
Twenty-nine years old Ja-young is having a bit of a life crisis. Though things are looking up with her start-up grant being accepted, her recent break-up bears heavy on her thoughts. More than the relationship itself, she misses the sex and the upcoming New Year only helps in making matter worse. After all traditional attempts at landing a hookup fail, she finally installs a dating app, against her better judgement.
Woori is a creative writer who works for an online magazine where the regular sex columnist has quit and he is tasked with writing the sex column. Totally against it but stuck with the task of writing one, he decides to install a dating app to see how a modern day hookup works. It is on this app that Woori and Ja-young match with each other and the two meet up for drinks and a trip to the motel. As the column takes off and the two bond over drinks and copulations, Woori gets stuck in a place where must juggle his feelings and his work.
Romance has, for the most part, been an orthodox subject for South Korea's still slightly reserved society and audience, and with “Nothing Serious”, Jeong Ga-young tries to bring the genre to the modern day. Relationships here are, for the most part, about the base necessity rather than the other lovey-dovey stuff that other features of the genre have to offer. She is interested in having frank, forthcoming and often humorous conversations about sex and one-night stands, an interest which she also showcased in her debut feature “Hit the Night”. In fact, her sophomore feature bears a strong similarity to her debut, which was essentially a feature-length chat about careers and sex between Jeong playing a version of herself and an actor character, with some of the best moments here coming in the drunken exchanges revolving around sex that the lead characters have, much like in “Hit the Night”. Clearly, she thinks these are important matters that need to be discussed openly, or more accurately, matters that are being discussed openly now in Korean society, at least among the younger generations, and need cinematic representation.
These scenes, and indeed most of the feature around them too, succeed because of their authenticity. Much like Woori's column which writes like a sexual version of the original “My Sassy Girl” blogs, most of the events transpiring between the two and the dialogues exchanged have a organicity that feels experienced rather than imagined, which is probably the biggest compliment one can give Jeong's script and her direction. She does, however, falter ever so slightly near the end, where she seems uncertain and which she tries to tie together nicely with a ribbon and a bow, bringing the feature right within genre norms and cliche.
The feature doesn't score too many brownie points with its predictability and may have ultimately failed if it were not for its fantastic lead pairing of actors and the electric chemistry they share. Jeon Jong-seo is very comfortable in a role that is unlike others she's done so far and yet manages to make Ja-young feel like an extension of her own self. The almost nymphomaniacal character might be a bit of a shock for her fans but she makes a field trip out of playing the effervescent Ja-young, making her a very likeable, relatable character. The same can also be said about Son Sukku, whose boy-next-door charms keep Woori grounded and easily recognisable. An actor whose stock just keeps rising with each project, this is also a first romance for him on the big screen and a role that fans will be very happy to see him (and his bare bottom) in.
The modern look and approach of the two characters also extends to the cinematography, which has to overcome bright days, both brightly lit cafes and dim pubs as well as love motel rooms to present a picture that has its focus firmly on urban realism. The quirky music helps keep a light mood throughout and elsewhere, since the story relies heavily on smartphone messaging, the economic use of computer graphics to highlight some text conversations and comments of Woori's column is done well. The costume designing for both Jeong Jong-seo and Son Sukku also warrants special mention, giving a hip, urban look to the characters.
Ultimately, despite treading familiar grounds, Jeong Ga-young has managed to make a feature that benefits from its honest and unorthodox approach to a subject still considered taboo in Korean society as well as the genuinely likeable performances from its two genuinely likeable leads. The feature may be called “Nothing Serious”, but there is nothing insincere about her direction and the conversations the narrative wants to have.
