What Is A Millionaire's First Love Worth?

When all the money in the world
ain't enough...

Lyn says:

The old adage of not being able to judge a book by its cover can likewise be applied to movies in saying that one cannot judge a movie by its title.

I had reservations about this movie, even up to the point of being reluctant to even watch it, since I thought the title was just preposterous. How different can first love be for us human beings – whether we are old or young, powerful or weak or even rich or poor? And that is exactly what title implied, that A Millionaire’s First Love is so different that they just had to make an entire movie about it.

Though all my misgivings about this movie washed away as it played and I got absorbed in the story.

Kang Jae-kyung (Hyun Bin) is the leading man, portraying the role of subject Millionaire, while Choi Eun-whan (Lee Yeon-hee), is his First Love. When the two characters initially meet, there was an air of utter disdain for one another. But as the story unfolds the two characters continue onto indifference, concern, and care and then ultimately love. The climax of the story is wherein the two have internal struggle in deciding whether they are pursue their love for one another at the consequence of causing Choi Eun-whan’s untimely death.

Overall, the story was quite touching, but for me it was the simple dialogue that brought me to tears. This movie will definitely go down in my recommend list as being a movie well worth watching.

Tissue rating: 4 out of 5 tissues


MJ says:

Watching cocky rich kid Jae-kyung for the first twenty minutes of the movie, I wondered how redemption for his character would be possible. (Of course, I knew it was inevitable, as inevitable as the premature death or handicap of a beloved character in these Korean romantic dramas, but let’s pretend I didn’t.) He seemed nothing short of arrogant, spiteful, and frankly, a little stupid.

Really? You’d prefer to be a grown man who doesn’t graduate from high school? I thought. His thought process was appalling. Say what you want about higher education, but c’mon.

When soft-spoken but strong-willed Eun-whan entered the picture, I knew she was someone special. Gas attendant, teacher’s pet, high school musical producer, good Samaritan, and super-cute to boot. If anyone would be capable of changing Jae-kyung’s heart, it was this Supergirl.

But there’s a catch: Eun-whan has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Perhaps it’s just the nurse in me, but I’m getting teary-eyed just thinking about it.

Jae-kyung’s redemption from overall douchebag to swoon-worthy boyfriend (and only part douchebag) was so instantaneous that it hardly felt gratifying. But no matter, the only things that mattered were their love for each other in a race against time…

And my race to find another box of tissues…

What else can I say. While this movie is far from perfect, A Millionaire’s First Love is money well spent.

Tissue Rating: 4 out of 5 tissues


Ken Ø says:

The first half of the movie mainly focuses on your stereotypical rich kid Kang Jae-kyung. He’s got the fast cars, lives in a hotel and has super annoying friends. But then his grandfather dies and in order to inherit his grandfather’s fortune he needs to transfer to rural high school and graduate. Makes perfect sense, but for some reason, he’s determined not to graduate high school. Of course he goes out to the school situated in a small village filled with quirky characters. The high school has about 6 students in total and apparently the only thing they need to do to graduate is put on a play. 

Somehow in the midst of all this nonsense there’s a really touching, sweet and yes, sad story. It involves Choi Eun-whan, a cute girl who made a couple odd appearances earlier in the movie. Turns out she and rich boy have a past. It also turns out she’s going to die. Now we have something. Without giving too much away, their past is revealed as the clock ticks down on Choi Eun-whan’s life. She makes several trips to a hospital and we get the sense she can kick the bucket at any moment. There are some very touching scenes between them and several sad moments as they grow closer and remember their past connection. However, I couldn’t help wonder why they kept treating this girl in a rural hospital when I’m sure there are some super top-notch hospitals in Seoul. I’m no doctor, but it sounded like what she had could be treated. Oh well, I guess if she doesn’t die in the end it’s not very sad. 

For me, it didn’t generate any waterworks, but it was sad. My overall rating (tissue meter) reflects this sadness quotient rather than a literal need for tissues. 


Tissue Rating: 3 out of 5 tissues