Review: 20S.30S at Regal Cinemas ~ A Love Story

An old saying posits that distance makes the heart grow fonder. The proposition sounds right and romantically appealing, but it may not always be true as is sadly evidenced in Jee Hoon Seo's short film, 20s.30s.

Seo is a Korean filmmaker, a student at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the U.S.’s preeminent center for the study of the performing, cinematic and emerging media arts. At the age of 26, he is already an accomplished actor, having been awarded in 2020 the KBS (Korean Broadcasting System) Drama Award for Best New Actor for his performances in two television series, Welcome and Men Are Men.

In his shift to the role of film maker, he has revealed his acumen as a writer and director as well. 20s.30s is a compelling, sensitively framed, and touching film, marked by the solid performances of its cast. The film focuses on Jae (Sung Chul Choi), a twenty-year-old architecture student in Seoul whose aspirations for success and money extend beyond what a life in his homeland can offer. With the encouragement of his 30-year-old girl friend, Joo Hee (Junae Won), he relocates to New York, but not without solemn promises that he’ll call her regularly.

Before his departure, in the comfort of Joo Hee’s apartment, they contemplate a future together where they’ll manage a guest house. Two symbolic actions occur, however, that forecast a different and fateful ending to their dreams. In a moment of testiness, Jae blows out Joo Hee’s treasured candle and then refuses to relight it. Joo Hee returns with a going-away gift ~ a 500-piece puzzle that portrays them together ~ but puzzles are fragile things with pieces that can scatter easily.

As Jae pursues his studies in New York and presents his innovative design for a new kind of live/workspace ~ a circular architecture that embodies a collection of minimalist ergonomic studios for young workers ~ he catches the eye of an American student, Nala (Matilde Silva).

The chemistry between the two is palpable and the puzzle pieces that have framed Jae and Joo Hee’s relationship cannot withstand the power of attraction abroad.

Seo has captured the poignancy of the characters’ emotions with vivid clarity. As Jae and Joo Hee navigate the painful realities of their relationship’s demise, cinematographer Jason Wang has fixed his lens on their faces ~ countenances that communicate with authenticity and credibility the pain and grief of endings. Just as Sung Chul Choi and Junae Won deliver stellar and moving performances as two star-crossed lovers, so too does Matilde Silva reveal a powerful and attractive on-screen presence.

 There is a Korean saying: “I want to be your favorite hello and your hardest goodbye.”

당신이 만날 때 가장 반갑고 헤어질 때 가장 힘든 사람이 되고 싶습니다.

20s.30s gives special meaning to the complex nuances of that statement and is, in turn, a marvelous and welcome introduction to Seo’s artistic vision.

20s.30s (run time: 15minutes) is an Official Selection at the 2023 Micheaux Film Festival and is having its world premiere screening at 1:50 p.m. on July 13th in the Shorts Program: Matters of the Heart at Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live on 1000 W. Olympic Boulevard, LA.

The film is fiscally sponsored by Asian Cinevision and secured additional funding from an Indiegogo campaign.

The Micheaux Film Festival is a multicultural and BIPOC film festival that showcases and celebrates diverse representation, gender and identity parity, and boosts visibility in the entertainment & media landscape. The festival seeks to cultivate a dynamic community that gives artists the platform to share their unique stories.

20s.30s.film@gmail.com ~ Instagram: @20s.30s.film ~ Jee Hoon ~ 646-647-0058

Venue: Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live, 1000 W. Olympic Boulevard, LA.

Photo and graphic thanks to Jee Hoon Seo

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