English Title: Lover's Concerto

Running Time: 106 minutes
Korea Rating: 12
Release Date in Korea: 13 September 2002 Release Date in Hong Kong: 8 May 2003

Director: LEE Han

Cast:CHA Tae-hyunasJi-hwan
LEE Eun-jooasKyung-hee
SON Ye-jinasSu-in


[Synopsis] [Review]

Wirtten by: Ryan Law
Date: 20 September 2002

With the success of MY SASSY GIRL (2001), audiences extracts CHA Tae-hyun's acting. Though his next films still takes romance in LOVER'S CONCERTO, his role is different. Instead of a strong character girl around, he is going to take the friendship between two girl he met - SON Ye-jin and LEE Eun-joo.

Melodrama is a genre very common and popular on television. This also becomes one of the main genres in Korean films over years. LOVER'S CONCERTO shares most characters of the film for its set up as triangle between two girls and a boy then followed by a tragic on one of the characters. The whole story is introduced by Ji-hwan (CHA Tae-hyun) refreshing his memories for a romance 5 years ago.

Director and script writer LEE Han offers the film more than a normal melodrama. The approach for the introduction of the three characters and their relationship is impressive. Ji-hwan tried to show his love on Su-in (SON Ye-jin) at a cafe by she refused the love. Then a hour later, Ji-hwan is back with his clock putting the time a hour back asking to have another start with her and her friend Kyung-hee (LEE Eun-joo) to be friends. The set up is fresh and clear, while helps for the set up for the time when the threesome together to everywhere.

The time for the threesome is so happy that audiences should be well-prepared for a sharp drop for the life of the characters. Ji-hwan still cannot show his fair to both girls while all of them feel that Ji-hwan still loves Su-in, despite their promise to be friends together, resulted in the jealously.

CHA Tae-hyun, who is still green in his film business, suits the character as Ji-hwan more than expected. Unlike the style of lovers from JANG Dong-gun or JUNG Woo-sung, he shows his care and concern by appearance and dialogues on girls.

The more outstanding character, however, is LEE Eun-joo. Being in romance BUNGEE JUMPING OF THEIR OWN before, she acts as an innocent third party on the love of Ji-hwan and So-in. She shows her changes in minds from being happy with Ji-hwan when he cares her, to the evil mind when she noticed that the promise for being friends is broken. Relatively, SON Ye-jin's role is not as powerful as LEE Eun-joo. SON has been considered a love target and she is so pretty in the film that gives what she is expected.

MOON Geun-young, who was introduced in the TV Drama AUTUMN TALES as the young Eun-seo, appeared in this film as Ji-hwan's younger sister. In parallel with the triangle love for Ji-hwan's threesome, Geun-young has a part of romance with the bookstore keeper who do not know how to confess herself in front of him. MOON looks sweet and suitable in her roles.

Despite the old genre of melodrama, LOVER'S CONCERTO has offer an accurate casting of staff which makes the whole film stronger and much more special that expected.