Psychological thriller, Notes from the Last Row (Netflix) features a truly stellar ensemble cast. The show’s impressive line-up includes Choi Min Sik, Choi Hyun Wook, Kim Yoon Jin, Huh Joon Ho and Jin Kyung. Talk about your embarrassment of riches.
However, this proves to be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it is always such a joy to watch these actors. A curse because their presence raises expectations that the drama’s story cannot quite reach.
Notes from the Last Row is a psychological drama that follows literature professor, Heo Mun Oh (Choi Min Sik), after he crosses paths with Lee Kang (Choi Hyun Wook), a student who, with a little nurturing, may possess real writing talent.
With this premise, the drama explores the creative process, the act of collaboration and the importance of communication. It also examines voyeurism, the dangers of seeing only what you want to see and the ethics inherent in artistic inspiration. What responsibility do we have for the stories we tell?
These elements are compelling and thought-provoking. Unfortunately, Notes from the Last Row hangs them on the bones of a mystery that doesn’t really stand up. If you think about the plot for even a few minutes, it falls apart. Meanwhile, all of the characters seem unreliable and so, from episode one, we are braced for the show’s inevitable twists and turns. We may not foresee every narrative move, but Notes from the Last Row still feels predictable.
The show is based on a Spanish play called El Chico de la última fila (The Boy In The Last Row) by Juan Mayorga. It was adapted by Jang Myung Woo. I haven’t seen or as yet been able to access an English translation of Mayorga’s play but I have read reviews and analysis pieces about it – largely because I was curious about the differences between the play and the drama (and why the show did not work for me).
Many of the key plot points and themes remain in Jang Myung Woo's adaptation. However, Notes from the Last Row introduces more contrivances and story (aka twist fuel). I think this is where the problem lies. There is too much that doesn’t make sense in a story that, in my view, would have been more powerful with a simpler narrative.
Notes from the Last Row is in no way a “bad” drama. Directed by Kim Gyu Tae (The Trunk, Our Blues), it has a prestige feel and is entertaining (particularly if you lower your expectations ever so slightly). In addition, at six episodes, the show doesn’t outstay its welcome.
Meanwhile, the drama’s performances are a joy. The show certainly knew what it was doing when it cast Choi Min Sik in the lead role. Playing an insecure, jaded man with an inferiority complex and serious anger issues, he is never less than captivating. At times Choi Min Sik’s expressions reminded me of his performances in Old Boy and I Saw The Devil (*shudder*).
No pressure, then, for Choi Hyun Wook who has the unenviable task of acting alongside Choi Min Sik. He is, of course, more than up for the challenge. I just wish that the drama had developed his character further. Indeed, there were moments in Notes from the Last Row when I wished that the story had been told, at least in part, from his point of view (like, for example, in The Talented Mr Ripley).
I also wanted more from Jin Kyung. Playing Cho Hyeon Suk, Heo Mun Oh’s wife, she is the only character to whom I felt any real emotional connection. Jin Kyung’s performance is superb However, Cho Hyeon Suk is also never fully developed. (I fear that her impressive portrayal may be overshadowed by a certain scene with Choi Hyun Wook later in the drama.)
More than Lee Kang, I would have loved for the story to have been told from Cho Hyeon Suk’s perspective. I was invested in and cared about this character. Focusing on Heo Mun Oh to the extent that the drama does is a problem because he is so unremittingly self absorbed and unpleasant that you don’t (or I didn’t) really care what happens to him.
As a result, Notes from the Last Row, while watchable, feels like a missed opportunity.
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