Come Rain, Come Shine (2011, Yoon-ki Lee)

[fizz]

Come Rain, Come Shine depicts a couple during the last hours of their relationship. She announces her breakup plan to him during the lengthy opening scene where he is driving her to the airport. Their conversation shifts from being about the mundane and ordinary to finally the revelation that she has found someone else and will leave when she returns. He remains composed throughout. This is not a film about passionate outbursts or hysteria, but about muted emotions.

The films concept is an intriguing one, even if it’s not entirely successful. On the eve of her departure they plan a goodbye dinner, but extremely heavy rains make sure they are unable to leave and the two find themselves spending their final day locked in their apartment. This naturally gives rise to a situation where neither wants to confront the other, but this unwillingness to talk about what is essentially the proverbial elephant in the room never results in any scenes of showy weeping or grief. Instead their conversations naturally bend and curve till they talk about it with reason and understanding. Even in its quieter moments (and the film is heavy on conversations), you can tell that both still depend on each other, him for her emotional support and her for his physicality.

As a mood piece, the films colours are muted and grey but the script feels paralyzed and unable to take this situation to a more intriguing place. The latter part of the film, where the neighbours come looking for their lost kitten, become unnecessary and forced and the abrupt ending, leaving it open to ambiguity, may not be as effective as it might have seemed on paper. Despite this, the film remains a watchable relationship drama that at least attempts to give us a new spin by way of Korean cinema’s never ending desire to be anything but conventional.

Rating: 3/5

[X.]

Fantastic review. And loved your closing line.

[fizz]

Thanks ak, I only later found out that the film played at Berlin this year and was nominated for a Golden Bear. Though not one of the stronger films in the festival lineup at DIFF,  its certainly watchable.

[X.]

Apparently, Yoon-ki Lee is being touted as the real deal, the next auteur out of South Korea after Chan-wook Park. I've very excited about this film after reading your review and other newswires celebrating the film's specific use of the form to tell the story.

[shariqq]

For what's it worth, I saw this director's previous movie at DIFF '09. Didn't like it. My review.