Right from the very beginning, you know this is going to be a tear-jerker. Due to the story's directionality, one could accuse the narrative of predictability, yet never does the film lose its poignancy, or melodramatic beauty. I, for one, have often enjoyed beautifully emotional features, and ...ing is no different. The characterization and depth applied to the characters allows each of the leads the opportunity to shine, rather than some individuals overshadowing others in their roles, the plot being applied with an equal amount of care and dedication.
Lim Soo-Jung as Min-A and Kim Rae-Won as Young-Jae are exceptional as two very different individuals, who inevitably find romance together. Young-Jae's role as a photographer is efficaciously applied to the film, with the pictures he takes occasionally appearing on screen, capturing the beauty of a moment, while during other scenes, the images are used to showcase moments to the audience that were not depicted using live action sequences. Moreover, the director makes the decision on more than one occasion during the feature to deliberately hold back on showing a live action moment until later, these decisions assisting in the emotional impact that is developed. In this sense, the visuals have a greater role to play in this film than they might in others.
Min-A, an adorably sweet young lady, is a college student, who has lived her entire life with an expiration date on her forehead. At school, we witness she goes unnoticed by most of her classmates, potentially reflecting her desire not to become too attached to those around her, from fear of hurting them when she inevitably passes away. Although it is explained early on how her hand is peculiarly deformed, this, alongside her affliction, is largely a mystery to the viewer for much of the production.
Lee Mi-Sook as Min-A's mother is equally fantastic in her role, being more of a best friend to her daughter rather than an adult guardian, and this is wondrously articulated in their communication. Lee Sung-Kyung as Nurse Kim, who has known Min-A for much of her life, displays much compassion towards her, while Kim Ji-Yeong as the maid that assists Min-A's mother around their residence, is a character who generates a number of laughs when conveying her opinions.
Not long into the film, Young-Jae moves into an apartment downstairs from Min-A, and upon seeing her, immediately forms an attraction. Although his attempts to ensnare her attention are largely immature, his behavior doesn't take away from his character, or the plot. Although many might categorize the film as a comedy, I personally would refer to it as a melodrama, the comedic aspects of the feature often been in the background rather than the fore. With this in mind, the humor, both oral and slapstick, is produced in an enjoyable fashion, and though the latter is occasionally unnecessary, the humorous dialogue is fantastically effective.
Despite fighting the feelings she has for him at first, Min-A begins to spend time with the man who found his way into her life. Through the characters around her, we discover many of Min-A's hopes and dreams, a plaguing question being whether or not she will live long enough to experience what she wishes to.
As the title suggests, ...ing is a pluralized term that can be applied to a wealth of words, many of which can be used in describing the emotions delivered upon the screen in this heartfelt experience. Unlike other films, where characters with smaller roles can be overlooked, this occurrence does not transpire here, with, as an example, a traffic conductor, who only appears in a couple of scenes, having an incredibly pertinent part to play in the feature as the narrative progresses.
In conclusion, never does the film feel forced or out of place, capturing the honesty and beauty of the many relationships Min-A has with family and loved ones, and the strain her impeding passing has upon them all. Though not quite as sad as A Millionaire's First Love, and perhaps we ought to be thankful for that, ...ing is a story of love, compassion, friendship, acceptance and understanding, that only ever captures the gorgeousness of even the most painful situations.
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