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Film Review: Director’s Intention (2021) by Kim Min-geun

Nothing stays the same as time goes by

presents his first feature-length production after serving as director and cinematographer for a host of short films since 2012's ‘Spring'. Now, a decade later, he is ready to take centre stage with this romantic comedy that is set to have its world premiere at the Asian Pop-Up Cinema Film Festival.

Director's Intention is screening at Asian Pop Up Cinema

A mysterious jingle plays in the background while a lady fixes her gaze on a suspicious package in the lake and takes out her camera to photograph the strange item. The plot thickens. Whodunnit vibes emanate as another character comes into focus. An elderly garbage man. Our ‘detective' proceeds to interrogate him. However, it soon becomes clear that she has fooled both us and the old fella when Sun-hwa () proclaims that she is a location manager for a film shoot and not Korea's answer to Nancy Drew. Unfortunately, these short establishing scenes showcase individuality and charm that is not witnessed again over the course of Min-geun's debut effort.

Sun-hwa's CEO, Mr Kim Hae-sol (), applauds her for choosing exceptional settings for the projects she had been tasked to work on, and breaks the news that another director from Seoul intends to meet the crew before filming commences. In a strange (or not) twist of fate, Sun-hwa discovers that the director sitting right in front of her at their awkward meeting turns out to be none other than her ex-boyfriend, Do-young (). The former lovers struggle to work together despite their differences until a particular choice of location forces them to confront their past.

Like that pretentious friend who strives not to be a wallflower, “Director's intention” performs too much all at once but does not deliver adequately on most fronts. It plays out all the stereotypical nuances of a rom-com production but alas, fails to contribute anything fresh to the genre. The main plot that drives the movie revolves around the tired trope of lovers scorned over a clash of interests. That coupled with the done-to-death persona of Lee Wan's hard-guy director, just makes it seem that we have seen such a picture a million times before.

The acting performance that stood out was hands down that of Park Se-ki's Mr Kim, whose comedic chops transcend his mundane role into an infectious and expressive character. Sadly, it does not rub onto his cast members, especially the two lead actors who were stiff and expressionless throughout their misadventures in love and war. The pair of them exhibit nary an emotion above a chuckle or frown when met with conflict, making it clear that this might be their first major portrayal of lead characters.

While not the best of debuts for Kim in his feature-length directorial career, the picture exhibits a move in the right direction. All the core elements of a typical rom-com are in place but an upgrade with more creative ideas, a much-needed dose of star power and a little polish will take it from final-year film school project-esque to a rightful seat in the growing repertoire of Hallyuwood. With his incredible backyard of the gorgeous yellows and ambers of the Korean spring aiding to boost the appeal of his cinematic pursuits, we can only wonder what is Kim Min-geun's next intention and if things really do stay the same as time goes by.

About the author

Leon Overee

Hello everyone, I'm Leon.

A Film Fanatic from Singapore.

I enjoy catching all sorts of motion pictures, from 1940s Frank Capra Screwballs to highbrow Oscar-Award winners like CODA,
but in my opinion, the Horror genre is the best thing that ever happened to cinema.
We can agree, or agree to disagree, or Agree that Chucky is the cutest killer ever.

In my spare time, I bake and go on long walks.

But enough about me, Lets talk movies!

BeAM Me uP ScoTTy!

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