3
2
Salatheel
You can’t dress up a shopping bag and call it a Vuitton original.
A good drama has to start with memorable characters and an insightful script. Unfortunately, the lead characters lacked depth, which is the hook that gets you intrigued. And early in the drama, when so many of the supporting cast verge on caricature, you are in deep trouble. I finally engaged at Episode 14 and hoped that the last two episodes might offer something good. But unfortunately not.
All the good cinematography, costumes, direction and acting in the world won’t make up for mediocre writing, whereas good writing can sometimes carry a show lacking in other departments. Unfortunately, in the main, the script was bland and occasionally descended into cringe-worthy cliché. It was sprinkled with unrealistic dialogue and spoken thoughts that often sounded remarkably like quotes from the Little Book of Banal.
It took until three-quarters of the way through for me to feel that the writer had any serious grasp of the issues that she was trying to reveal. It’s all very well to explore the concept that letting someone go can be a way of loving them, but you need to convincingly show the whole arc. In so many episodes, only the obvious was presented and if it doesn’t take you by surprise, you don’t feel you have been drawn in. You merely skate along the surface with everyone else and learn nothing. It does not strike your heart as a truth.
We were not given a proper start to the relationship, it seemed to arise fully formed, like Venus, out of the waves of a one-night stand. And somehow, with barely a hint of conversation, a great deal of obstinate rejection and a liberal dose of patronising condescension, love emerged. From Here to Eternity was suddenly swirling on the beach. The explanation? Destiny and a photograph… The actors were given only a tiny fragment of a foundation to stand on and build their parts convincingly. It’s not surprising therefore, that I failed to connect and give the relationship the degree of credibility it was asking for.
There were not many places for JKY to explore in the character of the male lead. For most of the drama, Jae Guk’s inner conflicts and decision making-processes were not really investigated and surely, in the circumstances of the story, there must have been some discordant motivations and doubts. It was Episode 11 before the character Jae Guk got something to ruffle his feathers. As a result I can somewhat forgive JKY for the lack-lustre performance.
The writing was a little better for the female lead and I did feel that SHK was given enough to be able to explore the emotional landscape in a bit more depth. But again, there could have been more in the performance. Perhaps a rather mundane direction by Lee Gil Bok, didn’t help. New to being a director (this is his second drama in that role), I don’t think he had the insight and feel for how to show-not-tell that Ahn Pan Seok so excels at. Actors need help to bring out their best, subtle performances in these more mature, sotto voce dramas.
I felt that the writer, Je In, was more in her groove and had a deeper appreciation to contribute to the sub-plot involving Mi Suk (Park Hyo Ju). Here the reactions and sentiments expressed were more insightful and this is where, for me, the most moving and interesting parts of the drama lay.
Every writer has a genre that they are good at. Misty was a far superior product. Romance has it’s own skill-set and from this offering, I’m not sure Je In has really understood or mastered it.
As for the sound track, even the singer sounded bored. The theme tune homage to Chopin didn’t fit with the other music in the show and seemed uncomfortably out of place.
It was a cast of actors whom I have seen many times before and whom I know can offer up a good performance when strong writing demands it. The performances I enjoyed were some of the supporting cast, notably Yoon Na Moo as Mi Suk’s husband. Only Kim Joo Heon of the leads convinced me and as with everything in this drama, I had to wait for it.
What my rating means: 4+ I forced myself to go through to the end of it, but only because I was committed to writing the review. It annoyed the hell out of me. Actively avoid.
All the good cinematography, costumes, direction and acting in the world won’t make up for mediocre writing, whereas good writing can sometimes carry a show lacking in other departments. Unfortunately, in the main, the script was bland and occasionally descended into cringe-worthy cliché. It was sprinkled with unrealistic dialogue and spoken thoughts that often sounded remarkably like quotes from the Little Book of Banal.
It took until three-quarters of the way through for me to feel that the writer had any serious grasp of the issues that she was trying to reveal. It’s all very well to explore the concept that letting someone go can be a way of loving them, but you need to convincingly show the whole arc. In so many episodes, only the obvious was presented and if it doesn’t take you by surprise, you don’t feel you have been drawn in. You merely skate along the surface with everyone else and learn nothing. It does not strike your heart as a truth.
We were not given a proper start to the relationship, it seemed to arise fully formed, like Venus, out of the waves of a one-night stand. And somehow, with barely a hint of conversation, a great deal of obstinate rejection and a liberal dose of patronising condescension, love emerged. From Here to Eternity was suddenly swirling on the beach. The explanation? Destiny and a photograph… The actors were given only a tiny fragment of a foundation to stand on and build their parts convincingly. It’s not surprising therefore, that I failed to connect and give the relationship the degree of credibility it was asking for.
There were not many places for JKY to explore in the character of the male lead. For most of the drama, Jae Guk’s inner conflicts and decision making-processes were not really investigated and surely, in the circumstances of the story, there must have been some discordant motivations and doubts. It was Episode 11 before the character Jae Guk got something to ruffle his feathers. As a result I can somewhat forgive JKY for the lack-lustre performance.
The writing was a little better for the female lead and I did feel that SHK was given enough to be able to explore the emotional landscape in a bit more depth. But again, there could have been more in the performance. Perhaps a rather mundane direction by Lee Gil Bok, didn’t help. New to being a director (this is his second drama in that role), I don’t think he had the insight and feel for how to show-not-tell that Ahn Pan Seok so excels at. Actors need help to bring out their best, subtle performances in these more mature, sotto voce dramas.
I felt that the writer, Je In, was more in her groove and had a deeper appreciation to contribute to the sub-plot involving Mi Suk (Park Hyo Ju). Here the reactions and sentiments expressed were more insightful and this is where, for me, the most moving and interesting parts of the drama lay.
Every writer has a genre that they are good at. Misty was a far superior product. Romance has it’s own skill-set and from this offering, I’m not sure Je In has really understood or mastered it.
As for the sound track, even the singer sounded bored. The theme tune homage to Chopin didn’t fit with the other music in the show and seemed uncomfortably out of place.
It was a cast of actors whom I have seen many times before and whom I know can offer up a good performance when strong writing demands it. The performances I enjoyed were some of the supporting cast, notably Yoon Na Moo as Mi Suk’s husband. Only Kim Joo Heon of the leads convinced me and as with everything in this drama, I had to wait for it.
What my rating means: 4+ I forced myself to go through to the end of it, but only because I was committed to writing the review. It annoyed the hell out of me. Actively avoid.
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