[Seulssine] Enjoying 'Life is Beautiful' Like a Feast, Light as a Feather...

[Lee Isul's Wise Cine Review]
Jukebox Musical Film 'Life is Beautiful'
Starring Ryu Seung-ryong, Yeom Jeong-ah, Ong Seong-wu

Photo by Lotte Entertainment

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] There is a couple living through the repetitive days. Seyeon (played by Yeom Jeong-ah), who is busy raising indifferent children and never has a moment to spare, learns that she doesn’t have much time left. Her taciturn husband Jinbong (played by Ryu Seung-ryong) knows about her situation but just sleeps. Sighing is a luxury; he is busy feeding the kids and seeing them off to school.

Seyeon realizes that she neglected herself while taking care of her family. Looking back on the past years, she feels endlessly sorrowful. While flipping through an album, she accidentally finds her first love from 30 years ago. Longing for the loved version of herself from that time, she asks her husband Jinbong to let her meet her first love as a last birthday gift. The couple sets off on a nationwide road trip in search of her first love.

The film adopts a road movie format depicting a couple at the end of life searching for their first love, rediscovering forgotten brilliant memories and the preciousness of everyday life. Their journey unfolds cheerfully with music. Various locations such as a 1990s college club room, highway rest stops, and the sea in front of Busan are filled with lively rhythms that keep the story engaging.

Popular songs that dominated from the 1970s to the 2000s, such as Shin Joong-hyun’s “Beauty,” Lim Byung-soo’s “Ice Cream Love,” Yoo Yeol’s “They Say It’s Goodbye,” Lee Moon-sae’s “Unknown Life,” “Solo Praise,” Lee Seung-chul’s “Sleepless Night,” “Don’t Say Goodbye,” Choi Ho-seop’s “When Time Passes,” and Eco Bridge & Choi Baek-ho’s “If You Go to Busan,” are adapted and placed to fit the scenes. Each number is adapted lightly to reduce heaviness and completed in a way that appeals to the general public.

Photo by Lotte Entertainment

The greatest charm is empathy. It places universal codes that evoke nostalgia and resonate across all generations. The joys and sorrows of family and neighbors?our parents, children, colleagues, and friends?are joyfully portrayed on screen to a lively rhythm. Although the premise itself might seem melodramatic, the film talks about parting as lightly as a feather. It completes life like a festive celebration, leaving a pleasant feeling.

The performances of Ryu Seung-ryong and Yeom Jeong-ah are also impressive. Especially Ryu Seung-ryong skillfully controls the pace to portray Jinbong, who is not easy to win over the audience’s heart, leading the story dynamically. Yeom Jeong-ah’s charming voice adds a fresh feeling to the film.

You might enter the theater with a light heart to laugh but find tears flowing through your mask. The nostalgic classic songs inserted into scenes where past and present gently unfold strike the audience’s heart. Perhaps the most brilliant moment in life is right now, this very moment. “Life Is Beautiful,” a musical film perfect for enjoying with family and lovers in autumn, opens on September 28. Rated 12 and over. Running time 122 minutes.