- Starring
- Lynn Chen, Yea-Ming Chen, Goh Nakamura |
- Writer
- Lynn Chen
- Director
- Lynn Chen
- Rating
- n/a
- Running Time
- 80 minutes
- Release Date
- May 26th, 2020
Overall Score
Rating Summary
For those who didn’t already know, this year’s SXSW was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. We at KLM are still here to do our part to help cover films slated to appear at this year’s festival. To keep up with our latest post-SXSW coverage, click here.
In 2011, director Dave Boyle made Surrogate Valentine, a black and white indie film about a struggling musician, Goh Nakamura (as himself), traversing through relationships and friendships alike. In 2012, Boyle followed that film up with the sequel, Daylight Savings. Now, eight years later, Lynn Chen (who plays Rachel throughout the trilogy) directs I Will Make You Mine, a dreamy and poppy ode to these characters who are handled with the utmost maturity.
Following the aesthetic of the previous two films of this series, I Will Make You Mine is again shot in gorgeous black and white, juxtaposing the ultra-modern California setting that our characters are currently inhabiting. Chen’s script is a precise dissection of these characters all trying to understand the changing landscapes of their lives. Nakamura has traded his guitar in favor of raising his daughter, while his ex-girlfriend Erika is at a crossroads in her life after recently losing her father. All the while, Yea-Ming (Yea-Ming Chen) is trying to make it by as a musician and Rachel is adjusting to the news that her husband recently cheated on her.
As these characters are navigating a stage of transition in their lives, their past relationship with Goh begins to fuse them together, forming a passive yet unforgettable bond between each other (and Goh) in the process. I Will Make You Mine’s breezy pace, clocking in at a crisp 80 minutes, and snappy dialogue that Chen exudes creates a dreamlike experience that is anchored by well-realized characters and catchy pop tunes.
The chemistry between the actors is charged and dynamic. Yea-Ming and Nakamura share a few wonderful scenes of them connecting over music, trying to find €œthe chorus€ in their music as well as their lives. Rachel is very calculated and careful when communicating with Goh up until they kiss for the first time, sharing a laugh between two friends about something that is just not meant to be. Erika (Fujitani) seems to have the weight of the world on her shoulders €“ losing her father, taking care of her daughter, and trying to make difficult career decisions. All these characters come to interact with each other during the film, creating heartfelt and tender moments that will stick with you long after.
I Will Make You Mine is an airy gem of a film that is focused on the meaning of relationships and why we sometimes need to let the past go.
still courtesy of SXSW
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Big Star Wars Nerd. Love all kinds of movies, but my favorites are sci-fi, indies, and superhero films. I created SplittingEdge Reviews with my friend Dakota, because we love expressing our views on the different kind of music and films that are out there. You can give me a follow on Twitter: @CorbinStewart12 or Instagram: corbin_stewart
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