Perhaps Love (Korean: 장르만 로맨스; RR: Jangneuman romaenseu) is a 2021 South Korean comedy-drama film, directed by Jo Eun-ji. Starring Ryu Seung-ryong, Oh Na-ra and Kim Hee-won, the film depicts the complex private life of a best-selling author whose work and life go awry as he meets people involved in an unusual romance. The film was released theatrically on November 17, 2021.
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Plot
A divorcing couple, a secret relationship on the brink of collapse, a reversed teacher-student dynamic, a mysterious neighbor, and a cousin all become entangled in an unusual romance. The intertwined lives of these individuals slowly come to light.
Cast
Ryu Seung-ryong as Kim Hyeon, a best-selling author who has fallen into a slump
Oh Na-ra as Mi-ae, Hyeon's ex-wife
Kim Hee-won as Soon-mo, Hyeon's best friend and the head of a Sunmo publishing company
Lee Yoo-young as Jeong-won, Hyeon's neighbor
Sung Yoo-bin as Kim Seong-kyeong, Hyeon and Mi-ae's son
Mu Jin-sung as Yoo-jin, an aspiring author
Oh Jung-se as Nam-jin, an ex-best friend and rival writer of best-seller Hyeon
Ryu Hyun-kyung as Hye-jin, Hyeon's current wife
Production
Perhaps Love is the directorial debut of actress Jo Eun-ji. On May 2, 2019, it was revealed that Ryu Seung-ryong has been cast in upcoming comedy film tentatively titled as 'Not the Lips'.
Filming began on June 4, 2019,
and was wrapped up on September 13. The film was released 2 years after its completion.
Release
The film was released theatrically on November 17, 2021. In April 2022 the film was invited at the 24th edition of Far East Film Festival at Udine held from April 22 to 30 2022. In July 2022, it was invited at the 21st New York Asian Film Festival, where it was screened at Lincoln center on July 26.
Reception
Box office
The film was released on November 17, 2021, on 1192 screens. As per Korean Film Council (Kofic) integrated computer network, the film ranked first on the Korean box office in the opening weekend.
As of December 16, 2021 it is at 10th place among all the Korean films released in the year 2021, with gross of US$4.36 million and 514,260 admissions.
Critical response
Bae Hyo-joo reviewing for Newsen praised performances of Ryu Seung-ryong, Oh Nara and Kim Hee-won and wrote, "Perhaps Love evokes sympathy and laughter from viewers. The actors' sincere acting, witty yet realistic dialogues and scenes, and witty directing bring about 100% pure pleasure in a long time."