“I’m trying to let you go. What do I know? You left me with all of your things. What will this bring?”
Where is the line between love and infatuation? Merriam-Webster defines infatuation as “strong and unreasoning attachment” whereas love is said to be “affection based on admiration, personal ties, or common interests.” In navigating the treacherous waters of love, people often have trouble drawing healthy lines between the two, confusing momentary passions for strong bonds steeped in what’s real. Infatuation sometimes comes from us looking outward to solve internal struggles; paving over a past heartbreak or filling in something missing in our lives with an idealized version of someone we’re attracted to. It is through these ordeals that one often learns much about themselves and what ails them. The debut directorial feature of actress Lynn Chen explores this phenomenon through the lives of three women.
I Will Make You Mine transports us to Los Angeles amidst the intertwining lives of Goh Nakamura (Goh Nakamura), Yea-Ming Chen (Yea-Ming Chen), Rachel (Lynn Chen), and Erika (Ayako Fujitani). Separated couple Goh and Erika have returned to LA to bury Erika’s father, allowing Yea-Ming and Rachel to reconnect with their old friend Goh. As the old friends meet up, old romantic feelings are rekindled and the four must figure out how to navigate their desires with their realities.
While watching I Will Make You Mine, it struck me that it is essentially a film about dreams. Those we once had then lost and those dreams that are still ahead of us; whose light shines just out of reach, calling to us until we’re able to reach them and transport to a tomorrow that’s better than our today. The three women whose lives we follow in the film each represents a kind of fantasy through their desire for Goh. In Yea-Ming’s case, her pursuit of the musician is one of the typical idealized love when we first pursue a romantic interest; a hope for what could be. Erika’s relationship with Goh on the other hand represents the opposite side of the spectrum; a long-term relationship that has lost the romanticized luster once complacency and familiarity set in and flaws in a partner become more apparent. Rachel rounds out this spectrum of love with her longing for Goh representing holding onto what was, an addiction to memories in lieu of facing the here and now and her problems within her marriage to cheating husband Josh (Mike Faiola).
One key scene finds Rachel drunk in Goh’s motel room, reminiscing on a night in high school when she wanted him to take advantage of her, subtly letting him know that they were currently starring in a sequel to that night long ago. And it is after this moment that the emotional tumult Rachel is experiencing becomes clear. By immediately going from the rejection in Goh’s motel room back home to Josh, we see that Rachel’s sudden pining for Goh, her lustful longing, is just an attempt at using sex in an effort to feel; to feel coveted, to feel something euphoric or pleasing in place of her sadness and pain at the slowly deteriorating marriage she finds herself trapped in. Rachel’s own confusion in working through her feelings with Goh complicate Yea-Ming’s own pursuit of him, calling her to question her pining for him. Through the experiences of Rachel and Yea-Ming we see that dreams regarding romance can quickly become idealized fantasies that while perfect within your imagination, ignores the existing reality that makes them poor choices. For Rachel, the gaping hole she felt as a result of Josh’s constant betrayals was not going to be fulfilled by rekindling a flame long gone with Goh that no longer existed. Attempting to open those old doors whose time had passed was in reality just a way to keep her from confronting what needed to be faced head on. For Yea-Ming, her desire for a new connection caused her to overlook the glaring signs that what she desired was not good for her and what she truly wanted; what appeared to glitter was not golden. In exploring these aspects of love and relationships, I Will Make You Mine ends up being a quality love story that is relatable to many.
The first thing that stands out about I Will Make You Mine is the fantastic score from Goh Nakamura and the original songs provided by Nakamura and Yea-Ming and the Rumours. The film features the best original songs in a film since 2016’s Sing Street. Like how they introduced and established the three female characters Rachel, Erika, and Yea-Ming. Quick summations of their lives and mindsets. Great execution of the unspoken conversation between Goh and Rachel in the motel room when she makes a pass at him. You can feel the tension and are hung up on every word spoken between the two, despite it happening only through their eyes with the ambient sounds of the television buttressing the silence. The film also contains moments of levity that provide the perfect balance in tone, I was particularly amused by the LA Instagram obsessed girls who climbed a table in order to get the perfect shot of lunch while seated next to Erika and Rachel. Lynn Chen’s directorial choice of black and white photography was an inspired one and co-directors of photography Bill Otto and Carl Nenzén Lovén execute her vision well.
I Will Make You Mine is the quintessential charming indie film that uses its plot and characters to take a peek into a slice of viewers’ lives. Director Lynn Chen is impressive in her debut, crafting a story examining some of love’s follies with just enough moments of levity to keep it well balanced. The first-time director also manages to pull off impressive double duty as an actor, offering an impressive performance as Rachel in the films most layered role. Goh Nakamura is serviceable in his performance in the film, but shines in his natural musical role as the film’s co-composer along with Yea-Ming Chen. In totality, I Will Make You Mine is hopefully a sign of what we have to look forward to in Lynn Chen’s future behind the camera.
Image: Gray Hat
