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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Make a Woman Cry" Episode 15

Deok-in's struggle with her birth mother continues. It's a bit of a heartbreaking situation, because "Make a Woman Cry" is delving into the reality of what these reunions usually mean for people. There's no magical moment of understanding- just this lingering sense of regret that this was how life turned out because for whatever reason, a mother was not able to be a mother. Even though Deok-in and her mother are mostly on the same page in the ambiguity department, that doesn't make their meetings any less awkward.

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The mutual lies are the most uncomfortable part of that scene, because both women obviously mean well. Technically speaking Deok-in doesn't lie at all- it's just that this really is not the time to be discussing her own personal problems. We don't know to what extent Deok-in's mother is lying but that doesn't really matter. The older woman, too, is mainly concerned about not making Deok-in feel bad about the situation. It's a sweet gesture, circumstances notwithstanding.

Anyway, on to the main storyline. I wasn't terribly impressed by the " scandal " involving Deok-in and Jin-woo. And I appreciate that they aren't bothered by it either. What's really interesting is that Jin-woo knows he should feel bad about it- but apparently a life lived with his family has mostly dulled Jin-woo to the impact of petty gossip. All Jin-woo has to do is think about his late wife and all of a sudden any other problem he could have seems insignificant.

From the rich family's perspective, this actually ends up coming off a lot better than might be expected. Jin-woo being apparently the only sympathetic character in the household, everyone else struggles to try and be a bit more helpful. It's a telling contrast to how they treated Jin-hee's concerns. Technically it's the exact same situation- but because Jin-woo acts maturely, rather than as a spoiled brat, everyone is actually reasonably interested in resolving the issue.

All in all this was a pretty decent episode. The only very mild complaint I could have is the way the sad music played when Hyo-jeong showed up. Yes, her situation isn't enviable, but be that as it may her problems are relatively minor. "Make a Woman Cry" is at its best best when the story has a good sense of perspective- when the characters themselves appreciate the difference between solvable problems (Jin-woo) and unsolvable problems (Deok-in). It makes their struggles quite easy to empathize with.

Review by William Schwartz

"Make a Woman Cry" is directed by Kim Geun-hong and Park Sang-hoon-III, written by Ha Cheong-ok and features Kim Jung-eun, Song Chang-eui, Lee Soon-jae, Ha Hee-ra, Oh Dae-gyu and Lee Tae-ran.

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