Curtain Call (2022) - Series Review: "One Great Act"

Lies are always harmful. I was always hurt when people lied to me. I'm not angry with them because I, too, lie from time to time, but it's for the better and to avoid major problems. Being honest can sometimes backfire because people misinterpret you. Whether you were lying or being honest, the best thing to do is to consider the feelings of others, always for their benefit.

Image from Forbes

"Curtain Call" demonstrates how lies for the betterment and goodness of a person can result in a happy ending. Curtain call is a previously concluded KBS2 series that follows an actor named Yoo Jae-Hoon, who is played by Kang Ha-Neul that was asked to act as the grandson of the chairwoman of the Nakwon Hotel. Sung Dong-Il played the Chairwoman's assistant or butler, Jung Sang Cheol, who approached Jae-Hoon in the theater and asked him to play as Ri Moon-Seung, the Chairwoman's grandson.

The grandson was forced to abandon in North Korea. To cut a long story short, the Chairwoman was from North Korea, and when they fled with their family, her husband and son were left behind because so many people were pushing each other to get on deck. When she was in South Korea, she started a small inn for travelers and was able to turn it into a large hotel called the Nakwon Hotel.

Jung Sang-Cheol tried to find the Chairwoman's real grandson because the Chairwoman was already dying from an illness, but because the grandson turn to be someone they didn't expect and might make the Chairwoman regretful in her last few months, he devised a plan to make Jae-Hoon act. And so the act of trying to pretend began. They were able to convince everyone in the house that he was the real deal.

Lies, like any other story, will be revealed in the middle. It would be boring if they were successful in their act, but I appreciated what the other grandchildren did when they found out the truth. They did not make it public because they are concerned about the Chairwoman's well-being. Both Park Se-Joon and Park Se-Yeon discovered the truth, but they chose to keep it quiet because they care for their grandmother.

The entire story was excellent. It was a family story, with the mother's longing and the grandson's regret, the siblings arguing about what to do with the hotel, and so much more. However, they were eventually able to demonstrate that blood is thicker than water. The siblings' rivalry was not particularly heated; it was simply a battle over whether or not to sell the hotel. Finally, the show demonstrates the family's love, which I was hoping to see. No one left, was hurt, or became bitter; instead, everyone became happy.

The cast was excellent. Every single one of them did an outstanding job in their respective roles. Kang Ha-Neul, the male lead, is without a doubt the person I admire the most in this series. He was extremely talented at his craft, despite having a more mature face than any other Korean actor. I can see in his acting that he gave his all to every role that was given to him.

One thing I notice is that there are some parts where the cinematography is too conventional, or the set is too simple. I've always thought that the cinematography in Korean drama series was similar to that of movies, with good shots and camera angles. But in this series, I think the cinematography was downgraded. But it doesn;t made it to the point that it was bad; it was just a little more normal than usual. I'm not sure if it's just me. I frequently get this vibe from KBS2 drama series.

Image from Curtain Call

Image from Curtain Call

I like the idea of the story, which is for the betterment of the chairwoman's final days. The fact that the real one arrived as well was a good twist, and I also like how the chairwoman noticed that he might be a fake, which was revealed in the 15th episode. It was quite shocking, but it was also somewhat reassuring that it would not be a very sad ending.

On the whole, the plot of the story was the best part of the series. Everything from the beginning to the end was excellent. It was a great act, full of heart. Would I suggest it? Yes of course, I would. I'd give it an 8.5 out of 10, with 10 being the highest. Broadly speaking, I believe there is still room for improvement, but it was satisfactory. So, how about you? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on this drama series.