From writer/director Choo Chang-Min comes Lost in Love, a 2006 melodrama about two people who can never seem to get things right when it comes to romance - they either can't adequately communicate their feelings to one another or simply lack the courage to even try. Unlike other recent films of this kind, rather than throw in a terminal illness or have someone fall victim to a car accident somewhere in the story, the filmmakers wisely avoid these K-drama clichés, instead delivering a film that feels anything but formulaic. The pace may be a bit slow, but it's a compelling journey nonetheless.
     Song Yoon-Ah portrays Yeon-Ju, a timid young girl who maintains a secret crush on her platonic male friend, Woo-Jae (Sol Kyung-Gu, from Public Enemy and Peppermint Candy). Her shyness frequently gets the better of her, and she can only stand idly by and watch as Woo-Jae suffers a broken heart at the hands of his ex-girlfriend and, consequently, get kicked off the school's crew team due to his resulting attitude problem. Later, while Woo-Jae is in the army, Yeon-Ju visits him, hoping to spend the night with him. Unfortunately, just as in their school days, Woo-Jae is totally oblivious to her intentions, and a disappointed Yeon-Ju goes home.
     Years later, we catch up with Yeon-Ju to find that's she's now a divorced veterinarian in a local clinic, while Woo-Jae is, ironically enough, a high school crew coach. The two meet once more, and the certainty of a romance between them seems inevitable, as the once clueless Woo-Jae warms to the idea of being with Yeon-Ju. But after he finally makes his move, Woo-Jae bumbles himself right out of a relationship, and the visibly frustrated Yeon-Ju decides it's finally time to move on. When Woo-Jae eventually realizes both the enormity of his mistake and his love for Yeon-Ju, he goes after her. But with a potential new beau in her life (Lee Ki-Woo), is it too late?
     Although it could be argued that next to nothing happens in Lost in Love, it's the little things - a look, a gesture, the good word left unsaid by the characters - that really make a difference in the film. Lost in Love is a movie is about missed opportunities, one that relies heavily on the performance of its two leads. There's a palpable chemistry between Song and Sol, one that catapults the film forward despite the somewhat lackadaisical narrative arc. Whatever its demerits in terms of pacing or plot, Lost in Love makes up for it in its ability to perfectly capture the both the bitterness and heavy sense of loss one feels when a perfect love goes oh-so-very wrong. Although the film concludes not so much with a happy ending, director Choo delivers a conclusion that should still please the romantics in the audience, while remaining true to the Lost in Love's overall theme. (Calvin McMillin, 2006)