Hallo? Lente Komt Er Aan (2019)

A sweet (too) short film about breaking up and coming out

Sadly only one short episode so this is more a short film than a drama really, but there is potential even in this very short story. The aesthetic and cinematography is really nice (as expected from any Korean production) with some really nice colours. The music is very classic, but works quite well for the story.

It is very short so there is not much in terms of story, but there is enough for a short film. I am always of the opinion that a good short film story should not be more than a couple of sentences. This is your pitch. The importance is in how you present and develop it. The story of this short film is simple: "Two young women used to date each other, but broke up because one did not want to come out to her family. She realises she cares too much about the other to let her go, but can she come out and will the other take her back?" It is a story that can resonate with a lot of queer people. It is certainly one which I have talked about in other reviews I have written on this website. The actresses manage to show the longing, the regret, to make us understand everything that happened before which is only alluded to.

I liked the use of tarot cards, both for the aesthetic of it and for the way it was used with the cards that are turned to reveal to the audience what happened in the past and the one left unturned because it is what this short film's story is telling us.

Special mention to the kiss in this short film which is one of the best kisses I've seen in the Korean short films I have seen so far and I like that.

In conclusion, it is a little short which limits its potential and the rating I could give, but if you have 4 minutes to spare, this is a very good use of your time.

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Short, sweet, and to the point

Man, but I wish it had been longer. Usually I'm not one to bemoan the shortness of, well, short films, but with this one I really would have liked to see just a bit more.
It's a visually stunning little movie with the tarot and fortune telling theme woven into the story line flawlessly.
I really liked how it serves as a vessel to deliver the movie's core message: coming out is hard. Love is hard. But often it's worth fighting for.
That being said, I really wanted to see what the reactions were to the coming out. It seems like such an essential part of the story and it felt a bit dissatisfying for it to just be completely dropped like this at the end.
I'd still say it's worth watching this film. It's beautiful, it's sweet, and it doesn't shy away from letting it's protagonists kiss like so many other shows and movies do.
All in all, this was five minutes well spent.

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