Summary
The film “My Sassy Girl” is a romantic comedy that features themes strongly related to the concept of love and destiny. The story is basically about how a young, kind-hearted man falls in love with a woman that for all intents and purposes can be described as being a hellion, namely a woman possessing a wildly erratic behavior that verges on the insane. The character of Charlie Bellow has created for himself a set path in life where he wishes to settle for an average managerial position at a rather boring company all for the sake of conforming to the wishes of his parents. Yet it is strongly hinted in the film that Charlie is for all intents and purposes far more valuable as an individual to be left to slowly rot away at a boring job.
It is at this point that he encounters the character of Jordan Roark, a beautiful woman whose emotional volatility yet unmistakable charm has captured the interest of Charlie for in her he sees a life not set into a boring predetermine existence but rather a form of freedom that he himself yearns for. The movie follows their subsequent development as a couple, presenting viewers with a look at how the path to finding one’s true love is not dependent on destiny alone but rather the people who attempt to create their own destiny in order to find the person that they love.
Theme
One of the ongoing themes in the movie is the concept of destiny and its connection to love. The movie explores the concept of how love is in fact created not out of mere destiny but rather is the result of two people who want the same destiny. In other words, while the film was initially about the concept of people having no choice it slowly verges toward the idea that people do in fact have a choice over their lives and that it is only a matter of choice, not destiny that a person’s life changes for the better.
Exploration of the Content
An examination of the content of the movie shows that it is heavily vested in the concept of love conquers all, a concept all too common in a majority of today’s romantic comedies, in fact, it can even be said that in most romantic movies the concept of love resolving all issues is almost a prerequisite. In the film viewers are shown that the character of Jordan believes heavily in the concept of destiny, this is verified near the end of the movie where she states that her meeting with the other main character of the film, Charlie, was in fact destiny since he seems so much like her fiancé’ who had committed suicide only a few months ago.
It must be noted that in the film’s conclusion it is shown that Charlie is in fact the cousin of the fiancé of Jordan who committed suicide and that on the day they met they were actually supposed to meet each other through a mutual acquaintance, namely the mother of her dead fiancé who is actually the aunt of Charlie.
On the other hand, one message that Jordan states at the end of the film is the fact that destiny does not decide the path of a person’s life but rather it is the bridges that we build to our destiny that truly determines what path a person will take. This particular concept, while true, is rather odd to mention since that throughout the movie it appears that the meeting between Jordan and Charlie is in fact pre-destined with both making little actual effort to be together.
Building a bridge to destiny means actually putting in some work into the act yet there is little effort actually seen by both parties. Another concept touched on by the film is the fact that love comes in various forms and a variety of ways. This is evidenced by the fact that two unlikely characters from very distinct backgrounds actually wind up falling in love with each other. Again in this particular case, it is shown that destiny plays a heavy influence in getting people together yet the movie contradicts this in the end which would make most people think that the movie doesn’t truly know what message it wants to give.
Examining the Music of the Film
One unique quality of the score of the film is its use of acoustic guitar music as the main instrument to portray the emotions of characters and what they feel in particular moments. It is seen in numerous instances throughout the film that in instances where the main characters are in deep emotional turmoil or are in a particularly emotional event the slight strumming of the guitar can be heard wherein each strum seemingly helps to build up the moment and let the emotional anguish of the characters carry on through.
The score of the film can be basically described as expressing the pain that comes with love, the anguish that comes with caring for another, and the sorrow that comes when that person is not by your side. In fact, it can even be said that the song itself embodies the very soul of the film. In various movies, the background music heard in the film helps to enhance the mood and bring about a better emotional perception yet they seldom express the true heart of the film.
They at times are meant as nothing more than an addition to film yet in “My Sassy Girl” the score speaks volumes about love, romance, loss, pain, and regret. It embodies the message of the movie and helps viewers experience the pain and loss of the main characters.
It must be noted that the movie itself is rather straightforward and simple it is not overly convoluted or action-packed as such this reflected in the musical score as well. The score continues on a specific low pitched melody that is accentuated by acoustic guitar strumming that makes a person think of their lost loves, of regrets, and of things that could have been done.
The musical score influences audiences in such a way that it makes them relate more with the movie by having them remember their past romances and how what is shown in the film embodies nearly every facet of a romance from heartfelt beginning to its sorrowful end to the possibility of being united once again. Overall, the score is the embodiment of the heartfelt romance of the film, integral to how people interpret the love and sorrow the film expresses.