WISH YOU

Korea, 2021, 102 minutes, Colour.

Sang Lee, Kang Ye Na, Subin Park.

Directed by Do Joon Sung..

Wish You is something of a romantic story but not in the way that the audience might have immediately expected.

The central character is the young man, looking younger, aged 25, a musician with a group, pianist as well as an arranger, the group playing in the city streets. He has a part-time job in a recording company. Walking through the city, he notices a singer and his musician and stops, gazing. An indication of the direction in which this romantic story will go, homosexuality not criminal in Korea but frowned on.

The musician becomes obsessed with the singer, encountering him a number of times, sometimes contrived, sometimes by accident, having his singing on his phone – and giving this to his boss, who has a place on the record company board, recommending that this man be sought out and given a contract. And the musician is tasked with meeting him and bringing him to a conference for a contract.

The musician lives alone, very reticent, but sometimes strong-minded in his work. The singer, like the musician, is 25 but looks far younger. So, the camera embraces them as an attractive couple, and focusing on the fondness and yearning of the musician.

There are some complications with the audition, the contract, the musician asked to stay with the singer in his mansion, the musician seeing the singer shirtless… But, the treatment of the theme is quite reticent.

There seems to be success, a difficulty with the recording studios making an accompaniment which the singer does not approve of, the musician having his own accompaniment acceptable to the singer.

There is a surprising twist towards the end of the film concerning the singer and his walking out on his contract. Some tension in what the singer will do with his life. However, this is an attractive film and moved towards a happy ending.

1. The title, the lyrics of the song, played throughout, plaintiff and yearning? As sung by the singer, heard by the musician, heard by the record company representatives? The tone of the film?
2. The Korean setting, the city, homes and apartments, views of the city, the record company offices, musicians in the streets, recording studios? The musical score, the songs, the lyrics, pervading the film?
3. The focus on the musician, looking young, aged 25, his skill with the group, playing the piano, in the street, the bond with them? His seeing the singer in the street, fascinated? Gazing? The different encounters with the singer? Going to the restaurant, pretending to look for something? At home in his apartment, the yearning? The video, on his phone, showing the producer, her interest? His presence at the board meetings? The producer offering him a full-time job, her assistant?
4. The singer, his friend, producer, his restaurant? Singing in the streets? The recordings? The hopes? His being approached, different producers, decisions? The record company, the invitation, the company watching his video, listening to his music, the head of the department, her hard attitude towards singers? Liking his work? The offer of the contract, the details of the contract, the record company and control? Is agreement?
5. The producer, tough, ambitious, with the head of the department, with the musician, offering him the job? Getting him to meet with the singer, their meetings, the decision about the contract, summing someone living with the singer, the choice of the musician, his reaction?
6. The musician, packing up, his simple apartment, moving in, discovering the mansion, seeing the singer shirtless and the effect? Accompanying him, the recording sessions? His work at the office, having to do spellcheck’s and spreadsheets? His eagerness to go to the studio?
7. The recording studio, the manager, providing an accompaniment, the singer and his hard reaction, walking out? The musician and his accompaniment, the singer liking it?
8. On the roof, the musician kissing the singer, the reaction? Not staying the night?
9. The difficulty with the singer, his disappearing, his manager and the musician searching for him?
10. The twist, his father the head of the company, not wanting his son as a singer?
11. The singer at the beach, the water, the possibility of killing himself, his return, the explanation, the musician and the accompaniment, the group and producing his own record after his father me telling the company? The final kiss? The future?