Directed by first-time helmer Moyoung Jin, “My Love, Don’t Cross That River” is a quiet documentary that intimately explores 15 months in the relationship of 98-year-old Byong-man Jo and his 89-year-old wife, Gye-Yeul Kang. A tender romance, told with humor and genuine affection, the film was a massive hit in its native South Korea, making over $34 million, a record for independent films there. Crossing over to American shores, it’ll likely do far smaller numbers, but should similarly win over anyone who’s lucky enough to experience the enduring love of Jo and Kang.
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“My Love, Don’t Cross That River” plays like an engaging primer for how to make a marriage – and romance – last. Together for 75 years, Jo and Kang have a partnership typified by playful mischief, adoration and thoughtfulness. “You rascal,” Kang says as they engage in a leaf fight in their yard. There’s clear delight in both life and each other, as fall turns to winter and their leaf fight turns into one with snow in the arsenal. They take care in complimenting each other, with Kang telling Jo, “You look even more handsome, hubby.” He buttons her clothing for her, and she scratches his back. Known as the “100-year old lovebirds,” they often wear matching clothing and sleep holding hands. While the movie is largely devoted to their present, the couple reminisces about the three quarters of a century they’ve spent together.
Throughout the documentary, Jo frequently coughs or struggles to breathe, and Kang begins to prepare for life without the man she married when she was 14. Family visits escalate into shouting matches between grown-up children, while Jo and Kang still mourn the six children who have preceded them in death decades ago. But through both physical and familial troubles, the couple laughs and cries together. A small spat between them around hanging a mirror will feel familiar to anyone who has tried to assemble furniture from IKEA with their partner.
“My Love, Don’t Cross That River” is the first feature for director Jin, and he is also credited as its director of photography. It’s a contemplative freshman film, full of uninterrupted shots and an emphasis on the landscape surrounding Jo and Kang’s home in rural South Korea. His camera observes the couple, their two dogs and their extended family, and Kang occasionally interacts with the filmmaker when she shares her thoughts and fears for their future. In fitting with his subjects, it’s not flashily directed, but Jin captures the quiet beauty of both the couple and their environment. At just 86 minutes, this is a wisp of a film, despite its sometimes weighty subjects, centering on dual themes of love and aging.
For most of its first half, this gentle documentary feels like a gift with one delightful domestic scene bleeding into the next as the seasons change for Jo and Kang. With all the joy that comes in the moments before it, the inevitable ending is a particularly painful punch in the gut. It finishes with a shot that seems to go on forever, letting the audience steep in the sadness on screen. But despite the final moments, this is a sweet charmer that leaves the viewer thinking more about the couple’s happier times together than the fate that awaits them. “My Love, Don’t Cross That River” serves as a testament that romantic love can endure, particularly when it is nurtured by people who care deeply for one another and don’t hesitate to show that feeling with every breath. [B+]