To All The Boys: P.S I Still Love You - Opening

 FILM OPENING ANALYSIS

To All The Boys: P.S I Still Love You

- 2020 - 

Introduction

Genre: Romance

Director: Michael Fimognari

Distributed by: Netflix

Original: Based on the novel  by Jenny Han (2015)

Source of all pictures: Pinterest

    "To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You" is a typical romance-comedy movie targeted towards teenagers and those genuinely interested in young, innocent love stories. The movie is supposed to be a sequel to "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" which involves most of the development from our two main character's "fake dating scenario" to their cultivating real romantic emotions towards one another. This second movie is more focused on their story as a high school couple devotedly in love, facing hardships and together conquering them all. It can be said that the two represent the dreamy, fantasized-worthy kind of love which the young generation wishes to experience. 

 

Source: https://cineb.rs/watch-movie/watch-to-all-the-boys-ps-i-still-love-you-free-60184.5425447 

    We are first met with the iconic intro of Netflix as the film's exclusive distributor, followed by openings of other parties presumably investors and/or production companies (ACE; Awesomeness Films). Then, the intro to the soundtrack of "Then He Kissed Me" by the Crystals starts playing, which is a recognizable track from the 1960s era of pop music, although there were no images or shots shown just yet. And so, before any footage appeared on screen, we could already expect an upbeat, and bright feel to the film, which could also be called the J-cut. 

Following this, Lara Jean Covey is introduced to the audience standing in front of her mirror dancing and lipsyncing to the song, with close-up shots of her face expressing joy and excitement. The bright pink shirt that Lara was wearing gave a strong first impression. As the color is the result of a combination of the passionate shade of red with the purity of white, pink connotes tenderness, sweetness, and nurture, somewhat hinting at the genre of the film. Overall, the setting of Lara's room can be described as colorful and incredibly vibrant, mirroring the youthful and enthusiastic energy that Lara conveys and also subtly hints at a 1980s vibe. For instance, there was a vivid pink blanket, and blue-painted walls which heightened the contrast between them and her yellow and red furniture (bookcase, chair,   desk). She subsequently changed into multiple dresses, each of different distinctive primary colors which makes it easier for the audience to detect the jump cuts in between. 

   I later found out that this was entirely an intertextual pop culture reference to the movie "Adventures In Babysitting" released in the 1980s, which explains the slight indication of such style from her room. Therefore, it can be decoded that Lara has a great appreciation for older, longer-existed films and television. 

Source of pictures from "Adventures In Babysitting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sycqHLvfh_Y

    Moreover, there were many decorations visible taped above Lara's table which included childhood drawings, photos of what could possibly be of her as a baby, or polaroids capturing memories with friends. This connotes that Lara Jean's personality is emotionally driven, someone who cherishes the past and present. In addition, the character was also portrayed as Asian-American, or more specifically, Lara Jean had Korean heritage passed down by her mother. Despite not having that detail highlighted in the opening sequence, the movie successfully represented the minor community of Asian - Americans in a romance film. This could potentially make viewers who are a part of the category feel seen and acknowledged. 

Long shots and medium shots were prioritized to show Covey's movements, such as throwing her hands in the air, spinning around across the room, or taking steps as if she were following a jazz routine. This further sustenance the assumption that she is delighted about something that may have happened or is going to happen, which raises enigma codes, creating confusion and interest. Another display of enigma was when an insert shot was used as Lara Jean picked up a framed photo of a mysterious guy and kissed it. This provokes the curiosity of viewers and encourages them to keep watching to find out his identity. 

An abrupt cut appeared as we were introduced to a new character. From the way her lines are delivered, combined with ridiculously-looking facial expressions, it could be decoded that her character has a big role in providing laughter or is the comic relief. 

   

A complete switch in the atmosphere is witnessed as the camera tracks Lara Jean's pace down the stairs, dressed in red along with a gradually building up background music. We now know that she was getting ready for a date with her boyfriend through the conversation with Kitty (her younger sister) earlier, so the color red in this scene clearly connotes love, romance, and passion. The lighting became more low-key, with a slight hint of yellow of warmth creating a cozy, night-time-like impression.

The non-diegetic voice-over of Covey shows that she is deeply and passionately in love, "People say fairy tales aren't real, but sometimes, happily ever after is real." An eye-line match cut made another character known to the audience. A man who is more mature looking, with grayish hair and simpler items of clothing, it is likely he was the father of the family. However, no mother figure was seen in the frame, raising the enigma code once again.

Finally, as the door opened, the guy from the photo on Lara's bed stand came into view meaning he was the boyfriend all along. The music also came into a big drop, highlighting his entrance.