When I initially came across the title Love 911, I ignorantly believed it may have something to do with one of the most painful occurrences in America's recent history. This however is not the case, 911 strictly referring to the number called when seeking emergency services. Despite opening with an incredibly emotive start, don't always expect the narrative to be so saddening in this character driven romantic comedy, during which, the film frequently switches tone, from an atmosphere of hilarity, to one of poignant drama, the evocative musical score, quintessential for South Korean melodrama, effectively setting the mood.
Kang-Il (Koo So) is a dedicated firefighter, who leaps without thinking into dangerous situations in an attempt to save lives, this represented later in the feature when he goes out of his way to save a character he doesn't very much like. This desire to help others is however, not without its consequences, his wife, Ji-Young (Oh Su-Min) having tragically died when he was on the job. Their past is subtly conveyed in flashbacks during the film, that is on occasion associated with Kang-Il's penchant to become easily intoxicated, and despite his affection for his former paramour being undeniable, the reason behind her death is largely unanswered. Moreover, Kang-Il's loss, has caused much of his own existence to equally lose its passion, his frustration being intensified upon meeting, who he later calls, a young, attractive, smart doctor.
Mi-Soo (Han Hyo-Joo) is her name, the undiagnosed fainting she suffers from, which continues throughout the feature, alongside her egotistical self-diagnosis and reassurance, leading to a costly error in judgement when she prescribes the wrong medication to Hyoung-Goo's (Jo Kyoung-Hoon) wife, leading to her hospitalization. When the husband sues the hospital and Mi-Soo, who originally exhibits a lacking sense of humility and care, she attempts to convince Kang-Il, who was accosted by Hyoung-Goo while attempting to restrain the grief-struck husband, to sue him, in return for the injuries inflicted upon his character.
Forcing her friend, Ha-Yoon (Jin Seo-Yeon) along for the adventure, as Mi-Soo decides to volunteer her services at the same fire-station as Kang-Il, her intention is to cripple Hyoung-Goo's malpractice lawsuit against her, though her initial rational attempts to exploit the system by using Kang-Il fail miserably, leading her to become convinced that the most effective strategy would be to fall in love with the widowed firefighter. This leads to a series of hilarious instances, including, attempting conversation at the scene of a crash, where a number of chicks have escaped their cages (the cute, yellow feathered kind, not the foxy variety), losing her dignity on a bridge, and becoming involved in a drunken brawl. Little does Mi-Soo suspect, when you pretend to have feelings for someone, you may inevitably fall in love with them for reals.
The character development over the course of the film is very well incorporated, as are several of the sweet conversations that take place between them, the leads beginning to change each others perspectives on life, love and professionalism. The relationship between Kang-Il and Mi-Soo is strengthened by Yong-Soo (Kim Sung-Oh) and Hyun-Kyung (Juan), two fellow firefighters, whose relationship not only assists in scaffolding the connection between the leads, but equally represents the peculiarity and waning commitment. Moreover, the station's Chief (Ma Dong-Seok), having taken frequent notice of Kang-Il's attitude, while attempting to help him move on, displays a great sense of responsibility and integrity in his role, being not only an unconventional father figure, but an especially enjoyable character to watch.
The life-threatening instances the leads are occasionally forced to endure in their daily occupation assist in building strong tension, the chance of serious injury causing viewers to hang onto every moment, a couple of scenes which contain significant amounts of blood accentuating the climate. Furthermore, the character's dedication to their professional responsibility is incredibly powerful, heightening the respect we feel for not only the characters, but for the emergency services in general.
Although a major sub-plot is assumed completed upon the film's conclusion, instead of being realized on screen, while additionally, the ending is a little unrealistic, Love 911 is a charmingly heartwarming and melodramatically tragic film about discovering love in a fire-station, that, unlike many features which incorporate humor, is an honestly funny experience that will surely keep your attention from beginning to end.
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