Directed by Park Hyeon Jin and staring Cho Ji-Woo, Lee Mi Yeon, Kim Joo Hyuk, Yoo ah in, Kang Hanul, and Esom, "Like for Likes" deals with the idea of social media forming human relationships. The film took third place in its opening week. No surprise looking at the cast of long time actors/actress and new generation ones who have also gained considerable popularity. This film was also actress, Choi Ji Woo's return to the big screen in a while. One can only wonder why she decided to comeback with this film.
"Like for Likes" surrounds the lives of three couples who connect with each other. The couples consist of an actor, a screen writer, a flight attendant, a television producer, a music producer, and a nurse. Each couple has their own set of problems that are revealed and solved with the help of their significant other.
The plot of this film confused me then it took me off guard a little bit. You would think that social media caused these couples to meet but thats not the case. Social mead is present in the film but it doesn't stand for the reason these couples meet. Chance circumstances along with history is the reason these couples have relationships with each other. I think the plot would have been stronger if all the couples had met because of social media. Also the presence of Facebook is more apparent in one couples story because of their main conflict. It helped move the story along with these two and the way Facebook was used in the conclusion to their story was very satisfying. Texting was used more than anything else unless I'm mistaken and they were using Facebook messenger. Otherwise, texting is not a from of social media. That just runs up your cell phone bill. Another couple had problems because their meeting was based on lies and the guy has hearing problems. He was supposed to be a producer but he lost his hearing after an accident. The whole situation is just sad and makes for great emotional viewing.
The parts of the film that did use social media were interesting. It was relatable watching the actors and actress trying to put their best self out there on social media. We all do it and it can be fun but also kind of sad. Making friends and finding love online is realistic but flaws come with this action as well. People try too hard to please others and get likes. Soon your pretending to be someone your not. We as people who see other's feeds of them looking beautiful/handsome while going to different exciting places isn't their life all the time. We have to remember that like I said above, people are trying to put their best foot forward so people will only see the good things. Someone could be looking happy for a picture then after that picture is taken, they go back to having the worse time of their life. None knows what goes on behind closed doors so don't ever think that another is living the best life based on Facebook posts because social media is just a big attention seeking machine. You shouldn't need people to validate your life either. Anyway, characters in the film use Facebook to get dates and check on the one they have an interest in. I kept thinking that i need to go check to see what my privacy setting is set to on Facebook because I don't want people being able to see my feed and we are not friends. This situation happened in the film and it was cute for the film but super creepy in real life.
Choi Ji Woo and Kim Joo-hyuk have a comical free spirited chemistry on screen that was fun to watch. They are the oldest couple in this film but they went the whole film without seeming like a couple at all. It was painful to watch for me. Both of them had too much pride to admit that feelings were there. Instead of the gushy romantic stuff we get Choi acting out her emotions in witty ways making you and the people in the film go "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Her character can be very defiant but insecure at the same time. She always looks good dressed up because her body shape is tall and thin like a model. Kim Joo-Hyuk is like the big brother that always does things to you just to get on your nerves. He's all over the place but I loved how he was always there for Choi ji Woo's character. Kang Haneul made me feel too many emotions when he was really facing off with himself and his disability. He got emotional at one point that he didn't know if he should break down and cry or if he should just keep pretending that everything was alright. Watching him made me go grab some tissues because the water works were coming. I look ugly when I cry so we not going to even go there. Yoo ah can't get anymore talented as an actor. This role should have been like a walk in the park for him because he's played similar characters before. The actress he was paired up with seemed to be older than him by a few years and that help their chemistry a lot. They weren't on the best of terms and a big secret looms in the background that she wants to stay hidden. Social media never lets secrets stay hidden, now does it?
Honestly, I didn't know if I would make it to the end of this film in the beginning. Not because the film was bad but because I couldn't get into the feel of the plot. So I decided to stop watching the film and come back latter when I gathered the energy to watch again without letting outside reasons affect my outlook of the overall film. Things pick up in the plot toward the middle then carry on to the conclusion for me. I can also see why the film was so popular in Korea. Its a great date night flick for young couples or singles who just want to see a simple romantic film. "Like For Likes" will make you wait for the juicy parts, laugh, cry, and go "aww". Be ready for a slow moving beginning though.
No comments:
Post a Comment