As If You Whisper is a Korean BL movie about an aspiring singer at the start of his career. Just when he struggles to gain traction in the music industry, the main character meets his biggest fan. The two men develop a close bond that gradually grows into a secret relationship.
With a mix of soft music and gentle romance, As If You Whisper shines brightly during several moments. However, the story suffers from some clumsiness that holds back its potential. It could have benefited from a smoother narrative, better character development, and more emphasis on the love story.
As If You Whisper Summary
Title:
속삭이듯 해줘
Movie Info:
South Korea (2019)
Genre:
Romance
About:
As If You Whisper is a nice & heartwarming BL film.
Is As If You Whisper BL?
Yes, As If You Whisper has a BL romance.
Plot
Beom-soo is an up-and-coming musician who has struggled to gain recognition. His producer Hee-jin is increasingly annoyed with him. She believes his vocals aren't strong enough and that he lacks star potential. Beom-soo feels lost, sometimes doubting whether he should continue with his music career.
After his busking performance, Beom-soo initiates a casual conversation with a fan. He has noticed Hyun-woo attending several of his performances in the past. Hyun-woo is a friendly guy who admits to enjoying Beom-soo's music. The two men continue their pleasant conversation at Hyun-woo's café, which he runs with his sister.
Although their next encounter is slightly awkward, Beom-soo breaks the ice and they exchange contact information. Beom-soo and Hyun-woo begin hanging out with each other more often. They establish a cute friendship that blossoms into a budding romance, a secret relationship that Beom-soo's producer would surely disapprove if she knew.
As If You Whisper Cast
Characters
Beom-soo Kim Jin Tae (김진태) Kim Jin Tae YouTube
Beom-soo is a struggling musician. He has a rocky relationship with his producer Hee-jin, who doesn't believe Beom-soo has star potential. As his career reaches a plateau, Beom-soo cheers up whenever he interacts with his fan Hyun-woo.
Hyun-woo Kim Soo Ah (김수아) Kim Soo Ah Instagram
Hyun-woo is one of Beom-soo's dedicated fans. He enjoys Beom-soo's singing and attends all of busking performances. Hyun-woo is an average joe with a pleasant personality. He works at his sister's café, running errands and making deliveries.
Supporting Cast
Hee-jin
Sound engineer
As If You Whisper Review
Review
Movie Review Score: 7.1
As If You Whisper begins with a simple plot about an aspiring musician who falls in love. There's a surprising twist in the middle, which adds complexity to the relationship dynamics. The film ends satisfyingly with a positive message. Overall, the viewers are taken through a gentle journey with lovely music & sweet romance along the way. However, the momentum isn't completely smooth, stumbling at a few rocky bumps in the narrative.
As If You Whisper suffers from flaws that aren't significantly detrimental, but they add up to detract from the film's quality. A few scenes feel clunky or lack clarity, like the writing could have been sharper and more coherent. The character development is also inadequate for Hyun-woo, who remains too enigmatic as a love interest. We don't learn enough about him, wasting the actor's efforts (Kim Soo Ah) to bring nuance to his role. Beom-soo gets all the focus, whereas Hyun-woo is like an undecipherable blank canvas.
The romance in As If You Whisper is alright. The leads have some cute exchanges together, so I kinda buy them as a couple. However, I wish there's more emphasis placed on establishing their relationship, which feels rushed. These characters fall in love too abruptly, so we miss building up their rapport that makes BL compelling to watch. Their spark isn't totally missing, but it needs additional content to ignite a more passionate fire. As much as I enjoy the upbeat musical montages, they can't substitute actual scenes where the characters talk or flirt.
This movie has an extraordinary climax when Beom-soo performs his signature song on stage. The cinematographic work is magical, featuring a five-minute long take without any cuts. The scene begins with Beom-soo on stage, as the camera pulls away to reveal the gorgeous location. Panning across the audience, the camera zooms into an intimate close-up of Hyun-woo's emotional expression. I'm amazed by the elegant and elevated artistry, accompanied by beautifully tender music. What an inspired moment, especially since it's filmed on a modest budget.
As If You Whisper is almost a good BL film, coming close to impressive in a few special parts. I also enjoy the decisive ending, which has a predictable yet suitable conclusion for this down-to-earth romance. However, its storytelling lacks polish and the plot feels too mundane. Plus, the underdeveloped relationship and characters leave me desiring more. With various pros and cons, As If You Whisper ends up being a pretty average product. It's not a half-bad attempt for a 45-minute short movie, but there are noticeable areas of improvement.
Story review
Okay story
As If You Whisper focuses on Beom-soo, an unknown singer who feels disillusioned about the lack of success in his career. The story of a struggling musician is not anything new, but it's a serviceable plot for a simple 45-minute short movie. Beom-soo & Hyun-woo's love story plays out straightforwardly until a surprising twist in the middle of the narrative. We discover that Hyun-woo is a ~fake fan~, paid by Beom-soo's producer to attend all his music shows.
I guess the producer hired this ringer as moral support, since it can be discouraging for Beom-soo to perform with nobody watching him. However, Hyun-woo actually fell in love with Beom-soo and called off the paid arrangement. To be honest, I was caught off-guard by this unexpected plot twist. Hyun-woo convinced me he was an average joe, so the element of surprise made a predictable story more exciting for me.
However, this storyline isn't executed well, diminishing its impact. Hyun-woo is so undeveloped that his motives seem confusing and unclear. By the end of the film, I had more questions about him than answers. I wished As If You Whisper had shown us more of his perspective, giving us more insights into his character. The story focuses too much on Beom-soo's music career and not enough on Hyun-woo as a love interest. The lack of character development keeps me from enjoying As If You Whisper as much as I should have.
Romance review
Okay romance
As If You Whisper has a serviceable romance for a 45-minute short film. Beom-soo and Hyun-woo don't have the most riveting love story ever, but they're cute and convincing enough on a superficial level. When they first meet, there's a raw awkwardness to their interactions that I kinda enjoy. I also like the short musical montage that depicts their bonding afterwards.
With that said, I wish we spent more time on establishing their relationship. Their few scenes together don't explore their connection too deeply. As a result, they're only an okay couple for me and I don't feel particularly attached to them. A few more scenes emphasizing on their attraction would make a world of difference.
Acting review
Good acting
Although the writing isn't up to par, the actor (Kim Soo Ah) tries his best to bring some complexity to Hyun-woo's character. I thought he does a decent job, making up for some emotional nuance missing from the script.
The highlight is when he listens to Beom-soo's song near the end. As the camera focuses on his expression, it is an impressive showcase of him acting solely with his eyes. Maybe you'll interpret his reaction differently. For me, I see a mixture of vulnerability, sensitivity, and remorse on his face. He looks like someone genuinely touched by the song, as his boyfriend declares his love for him in public.
Interestingly, As If You Whisper doesn't include a scene that shows Beom-soo and Hyun-woo making up afterwards. We don't need the exposition because Hyun-woo already conveys his feelings for Beom-soo so clearly. That's a sign of great acting when you can fill in the gaps of the narrative with just your expression.
Ending review
Happy ending
As If You Whisper has a happy ending where Beom-soo and Hyun-woo end up together. After Beom-soo's sensational performance, Hyun-woo uploads the footage online and his boyfriend becomes a viral hit. The video's popularity convinces Beom-soo's producer to give him a chance at releasing a single. It's supposed to be everything Beom-soo has dreamed of to get his music career started.
However, Beom-soo turns down this opportunity defiantly. He doesn't want to work with his producer anymore, citing her homophobia as the main reason. Beom-states states he doesn't care about the gay rumours, and his relationship with Hyun-woo shouldn't be judged as a weakness. Instead, he chooses his relationship with Hyun-woo over his chance at a music career. In the final scene, we see Beom-soo and Hyun-woo holding hands as they walk together in public. It's a sign of them displaying their relationship, bravely and proudly.
I like the positive message behind the As If You Whisper ending. Yeah, it's predictable, but I appreciate that Beom-soo takes a firm stance between his career and his relationship. He doesn't hesitate or negotiate the offer. Deep down, Beom-soo knows he wants to be with his boyfriend, even at the expense of his career. I would've lost respect for his character if he continues to work with his crappy producer after the way she treats him. Beom-soo made the right decision, showing courage, integrity, and a strong backbone. I admire him for picking love over work!
As If You Whisper Information
Links
- Gagaoolala As If You Whisper Gagaoolala
- Letterboxd As If You Whisper Letterboxd
- MyDramaList As If You Whisper MyDramaList
- Vimeo As If You Whisper Vimeo
- Website As If You Whisper website
- YouTube As If You Whisper YouTube
STRONGBERRY
STRONGBERRY is a Korean BL studio that made Long Time No See (2017), Some More (2018), As If You Whisper (2019), Secret Roommate (2020), Sweet Curse (2021), Choco Milk Shake (2022), among many LGBT series and short films. The studio is also known as MATCHBOX.