My Dear Enemy (2008)

Anecdotes

My Dear Enemy is a 2008 South Korean romantic drama film directed by Lee Yoon-ki, starring Jeon Do-yeon and Ha Jung-woo as two ex-lovers who reacquaint themselves while driving around Seoul. The film takes place over one rather uneventful day, and subtle emotions and chemistry between the actors propel the narrative.

Production

Director Lee Yoon-ki had been in a bookstore in Korea, scanning the display of bestsellers, when a lonely little stack of the Japanese novella One Fine Day by Azuko Taira caught his eye, "like one quiet, lonely person drawn to another." He found the story different from the currently popular trendy Japanese fiction, "There's something old-fashioned about it, something very unique and intimate, it felt like an old, forgotten fable," and thought he…

The film translates beautifully into the Seoul urban-scape, as the narrative takes one through the city's high rises and small alleys to absorb its mellow autumnal colors. Even though a large proportion of shots are taken beside the steering wheel or through a dashboard, the fluid cinematography still sustains visual interest.

The film took 37 days to shoot at around 58 locations in Seoul, including the back streets of Yongsan, Jongno, Itaewon and a few overpasses and crossroads.

Music director Kim Jeong-beom composed a jazz film score with influences from 1930-40s American music as well as Latin jazz. The music greatly enhances the atmosphere in the film.

Apart from the long take that opens the film, Lee's quietly assured direction avoids stylistic flourishes and puts the actor's performances at the center of the film – though the irregular rhythms of his editing help to augment a sense of tension between the two leads.

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