Teen angst raises its head once more with Korean drama “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Si-Do” from helmer Kang Geon Hyang and online novelist Guiyeoni, who also gave the genre “He Was Cool” and “Romance of Their Own”. The film treads a similar path to these earlier efforts, again revolving around a love triangle and packing in plenty of melodrama, though this time with somewhat of a musical twist. More so than for its plot, the film is likely to be of interest thanks to its hip cast of young performers, with the hotly tipped actor Jang Geun Suk (recently in “Crazy Waiting”) and promising actress Cha Ae Rin (”Bad Love”) as the star-crossed leads, and with able support from Jung Euh Cheol.
The film begins as the unlikely couple of the obtuse tomboy Jung Won (Cha Ae Rin) and the handsome ladies’ man and rock band singer Eun Kyu (Jang Geun Suk) get together after some playful flirting, seemingly destined for cute romance and lots of smiles. Unfortunately, there turns out to be a fly in the ointment in the form of Eun Kyu’s band mate Hee Won (Jung Euh Cheol), who just happens to be Jung Won’s first love, with whom she shares a tragic secret. Inevitably, this disrupts not only their budding relationship but also the friendship between the two guys, raking up old ghosts and past miseries, threatening the happiness of all concerned and, worse still, the success of the band.
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Although it may sound like a fairly typical teen romantic triangle affair, “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Si-Do” actually has a fair bit of depth, mainly since writer Guiyeoni invests a good amount of time in the characters, ensuring that they are all fully fleshed out and interesting. This is particularly true in the case of Jung Won, who makes for a complex and conflicted female lead, and whilst Eun Kyu and Hee Won are rather more conventional prince charming figures, they are at least reasonably human, despite their tendency to spout cornball lines at the drop of a hat. The plot itself is standard stuff, though well worked by the standards of the genre, managing to throw in enough emotional conflict to keep the viewer wondering as to who will end up with who, and whether or not everyone will remain friends after the last tear has been cried. Naturally, things do get progressively more melodramatic, with the cast spending a large part of the running time with moist eyes, and although there is a little too much in the way of clichéd montage sequences (mostly revolving around characters wandering the streets glumly at night or staring longingly into the distance), the time spent with the characters in the earlier stages means that the viewer does care about what happens to them. As such, the film has a decent emotional payoff, and is surprisingly moving in places. Thankfully, there are also a few laughs scattered throughout, and director Kang weaves in a few amusing subplots to distract from the over-familiarity of it all.
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There is a great deal of music in the film, most of which should be enjoyed by fans of teen pop and rock, and the songs do ensure that the proceedings remain lively, especially during the upbeat tracks. In fact, a few more of these wouldn’t have hurt, with the slower and more maudlin songs being a few too many in number, especially towards the end. Wisely, a lot of the music turns up via the band’s practice sessions and live concerts, which is certainly more acceptable than had it simply been used as an omnipresent and intrusive background score. Kang’s direction also helps, being in a far less cutesy style than usual for the genre, and although it would be going a little far to call the film grounded, it does come across as being more believable than usual, if perhaps a little too close to television drama.
Still, this in itself isn’t really a criticism, as “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Si-Do” achieves its modest aims. A quintessential mixture of coming of age drama and teen romance, it ranks as a must see for fans for the form or the stars, and will definitely engage and entertain its target audience. Certainly above average for its type, although unlikely to win the genre any converts, it should also be enjoyed by anyone looking for an emotional ride or a well-handled tale of love and friendship.
Kang Geon-hyang (director) / Kang Geon-hyang, Guiyeoni (screenplay)
CAST: Jang Geun-seok, Cha Ye-ryeon, Jeong Ee-cheol, Im Joo-hwan, Lee Mae-ri, Park Min-ji, Nah Eun-kyeong, Han Tae-yoon, Lee Geun-hee, Kim Hye-ok
