Movie Review | Stream of Tears in Wedding Dress

Last Saturday, I got a runny nose -kind of severe, as I recalled- not because of sick, but because I watched a Korean movie entitled WeddingDress.

Wedding Dress Movie Poster (link contains spoiler)

I have frequently watched Korean movies. In my opinion, they are much better than Indonesian movies. Not that I dislike my country (I just dislike Indonesia’s movies), but yeah, Korean movies have a wide range of preference. You can watch cheesy-funny-romantic movie that make you feel happy and smile all the time. Or try to watch a horror-romanticmovie that makes you laugh and scared. You can also find cool action movie! Some movies even make me cry a lot. I really mean it when I say some Korean movies really make me cry so badly. Wedding Dress is one that makes me cry. I am a boy and I cry. So what? I don’t buy the ubiquitous saying ‘Boys don’t cry’.

Wedding Dress narrates the life of a single mother, Go-eun, played by Song Yun Ah. Her husband dies already, leaving her only with her young daughter, So-ra, nicely played by Kim Hyang-gi. As a breadwinner, Go-eun works as a wedding dress designer.

Family time: Song Yun Ah and Kim Hyang gi as mother and daughter in Wedding Dress

For most of the times, Go-eun’s business makes her have rare quality time with So-ra. Feeling abandoned by her mother, So-ra turns to be a cold kid, who has few friends if not no friend. It all changes when Go-eun’s condition gets worsened due to a stomach cancer. The doctor says she only has limited number of days to live. Knowing her mother’s condition, So-ra then tries to fulfill her mother’s wishes one by one secretly.

Simple story it is. However, its simplicity is the movie’s strength. The simple narration and theme makes us able to focus on the characters.

I can focus on the relationship between Go-eun and So-ra. They can explore their feeling so that as an audience I can feel the strong bond between their mother-daughter relationships in the movie. Their relationship feels so natural.

The movie, moreover, showcases the marvelous acting of Kim Hyang-gi, who at the time of the filming, was only 10 years old. As So-ra, she has to explore her character. There are numerous scenes in which So-ra’s emotion is turned upside down in a matter of seconds. In one second she has to laugh, in another second she has to cry badly. Her laughter and cry are all naturally. This girl can nail it! I am personally amazed at the maturity of So-ra despite her young age.

If you love movies about parting ways with the ones they love then watch it. If you love movies about real life story, then watch it. It will be outrageous if you watch this movie but not cry. You have to at least get teary eyes. I myself spent dozens sheets of tissue! This is very recommended to watch.

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Score: 7.5/10