Melo Movie Review: Beautiful Showcase of Love, Longing and the Power of Films

Netflix K-drama Melo Movie showcases the hopes and dreams of the younger generation who want to find happiness by following their dreams. When aspiring film director Kim Mu-bee meets film critic Ko Gyeom, the sparks fly instantly. Unfortunately, the romance fizzles out soon leaving us to question what could’ve been. Will they find their way back to each other eventually and start something beautiful once again?

The series has 10 episodes, each with a runtime of around 60 minutes.

Melo Movie Review

There’s something about Choi Woo-shik’s Go Gyeom that is absolutely infectious. His unbridled positivity, soft nature and looking at things in the best light are some of the things I found to be so warm and interesting. The difference between him and Park Bo-young’s Mu-bee are not only expected, but also comedic in a way, and left me thoroughly engaged in their story from the start. The thing about Melo Movie is that it’s sort of a dreamy series showcasing the dreams, aspirations and emotions of a group of youngsters. It also showcases the hold fate has in our lives and its ability to change the course of our lives in impossible ways.

There’s something quite heartbreaking about this film. It’s bittersweet in one of the best ways possible and highlights how if you want something bad enough, it will always find its way back to you. Just like Shah Rukh Khan’s Om Prakash Makhija says in Om Shanti Om, “Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho toh puri kainaat usse tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai”. I think this dialogue perfectly captures the magic of this series.

One of the most important parts of the series is the love that these characters share for films. Films bind these characters together, not just because of their professions, but also because it’s an integral part of their lives in different ways. The love for films binds Gyeom and Mu-bee together, such that even after their breakup and eventual reunion, there’s a part of them that was always fated to be connected. The nuanced emotions that the two feel will pierce your heart in more ways than one. I think it’s difficult to explain these emotions, but they are very present and surprisingly piercing. The aching sadness one feels in this series never really goes away, even when there’s humour in its mix.

I think another interesting part of the series is the characters themselves. From the first episode, the differences between Mu-bee and Gyeom’s lives are made very clear — they themselves bring that to our notice in their own words. Mu-bee’s complicated history with movies results in her complicated feelings for Gyeom, who has only good memories surrounding films. However, that doesn’t mean that she isn’t forever tied to films. These two are so different from one another (classic golden retriever and black cat relationship) yet so alike. Thus, Gyeom’s disappearance pushes Mu-bee to close her heart once again. But is it truly closed? Can the thread binding them together truly be snapped?

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Choi Woo-shik and Park Bo-young are fantastic in this series. They have such an infectious chemistry that it’s hard to not believe that they are meant to be together. Both the actors are just so good in their roles that you lose yourself in their world. Both Choi and Park bring out the nuanced emotions of their lives to the screen with such painful precision that every emotion that they feel comes up beautifully in every scene. It’s always a treat to watch them.

Final Thoughts

Melo Movie is a playful and joyous watch with a lot of pent-up emotions. There’s also a sadness in its runtime that one cannot ignore. I like the change of perspectives from Gyeom to Mu-bee and back, it really drowns us in the beautiful story all the more. The soft romance is spot-on and it’s difficult to stop watching the series once you start.

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