Our Movie (2025) 우리 영화
Directed by Lee Jung-heum, starring Namkoong Min as Lee Je-ha and Jeon Yeo-been as Lee Da-eum.
Watched 31 July - 13 August 2025 — 12 episodes (KISSKH)
*This is a highly rated drama series where a film director chooses a terminally ill actress to play the lead role of a terminally ill character in his new film, a remake of his father's melodrama. It's a slow-burn of a series (I like slow-burn romances) but unfortunately I didn't really connect with this show and it didn't affect me that much emotionally.
*Normally I love Namkoong Min and I also think he's a good actor (I love his looks in this drama, by the way, his hair and glasses and his dress sense, love the turtlenecks), but I did fall a bit out of love with the actor in the course of this series. His character Lee Je-ha (who doesn't believe in love) is not very engaging, he's cynical and rather emotionless, and his stoic/wooden demeanour annoyed me at times. Namkoong Min's performance was less impressive than other performances I've seen of him (he was great in My Dearest). Fortunately his character becomes more animated towards the end of the series when Je-ha has fallen in love and can freely show his feelings.
*Rookie actress Lee Da-eum is a quirky character with an upbeat attitude, but she seems unstable at times (well ... who wouldn't be, being terminally ill ...). Though I didn't completely love the character, Jeon Yeo-been plays the role convincingly and I think she did a great job.
*I think the leads lack romantic chemistry, their pairing seems a bit off, and the love coming from Je-ha's side is far less convincing than from Da-eum's side. I didn't mind the age gap but I was a bit uncomfortable with the power balance, Je-ha being Da-eum's superior. The kiss at the end of episode 4 came way too quick and I didn't like how Je-ha didn't want Da-eum to meet up with her male co-star. He wasn't just being protective but possessive.
*When Da-eum expresses her love for Je-ha at the midway point of the series, I was glad Je-ha said he didn't want them to cross any lines and didn't act upon her confession.
*The scene at the end of episode 8 with Je-ha running to Da-eum in order to watch the sunset together looked unnatural. Normally my heart would be pounding with romantic scenes like that but it didn't move me and the subsequent kiss was unconvincing.
*Actually, I like the other couples better than the main couple. Love the head cameraman with the makeup lady (would have loved to see more of them) and the restaurant owner (Da-eum's manager/Je-ha's friend) with the assistant director.
*So, to be honest, the central romance was my least favourite part of the series. It's not the unforgettable, heart-fluttering romance I had hoped for. What I liked: the team of film crew members, the film shoots at the bookstore cabin, the bonding between Da-eum and Chae Seo-yeong (played by Lee Seol; I actually liked her character better than Da-eum), the long-standing friendship between Da-eum and her bestie. I also like the backstory with Je-ha's mum being the real writer of the film scripts his dad used as his own, and the friendship between the mum and the actress who supposedly had an affair with Je-ha's dad.
*The final episode is satisfying. The scenes that made me teary- eyed are the ones with Da-eum and her mum (in the dream), Da-eum and her dad (when she slips into his bed), Da-eum and her bestie (in the hospital bed). Je-ha is crying in two scenes: in front of the film poster at the theater and with Da-eum's camcorder message. I never knew Namkoong Min is such a bad crier and these two scenes didn't move me at all.
*So overall I didn't lóve this show (seem to be in the minority here) and at times I even had difficulty getting through it. Luckily it only had 12 episodes.
*Yesterday I started watching Awaken (seen one episode so far). Namkoong Min is pretty cool in that show. It also stars Lee Chung-ah, she's by far my favourite co-star for Namkoong Min. I've seen them together in My Dearest and One Dollar Lawyer and I think they have great chemistry. Looking forward to continue with Awaken and expect to fall for Namkoong Min again.