I Will Make You Mine is such a lightweight, casual affair that it is in danger of being blown away by a mild breeze. Of course, there is something to be said about a film with such low stakes that it can instantly destress all audience members. But, like a feather floating in the air, it won’t leave a particularly strong lasting impression.
Goh (Goh Nakamura) returns to his hometown, as Erika’s (Ayako Fujitani), the mother of his daughter Sachiko (Ayami Riley Tomine), father has passed away. This throws the current lives of two other ladies – Rachel (Lynn Chen) and Yea-Ming (Yea-Ming Chen) – into sharp relief. Rachel’s husband cheated on her, so now she is pining for the one that got away. She remembers how much fun she and Goh’s prom date was and is excited to reconnect with him.
“Goh returns to his hometown, as Erika’s…father has passed away. This throws the current lives of two other ladies…into sharp relief.”
Yea-Ming works a few jobs, mostly to stay afloat as she works on her music. A few years ago, she and Goh bonded over their music, and she hopes that creative spark will re-emerge when they meet up again. So, Goh now must navigate his past, so that he, and the ladies most important to him, can truly know what they want for their future.
The biggest problem with I Will Make You Mine is that the stakes are so low, it is impossible to become entirely invested. Yes, the audience feels terrible that Erika’s dad has died. But, beyond that, she’s kind of a blank slate. While she and her husband are in therapy, Rachel is so low energy about his infidelity that it almost feels like an afterthought to make it a proper conclusion of this trilogy. Yea-Ming’s story has the most weight to it, but because the film crams so much in 88-minutes, it does not have enough room to fully breathe.
"…a lightweight, casual affair that it is in danger of being blown away by a mild breeze."
