So Far, "The Sun Is Also a Star" is Far and Away the Best Romance of the Year

The opening scene of 1993's Menace II Society helped to highlight the divide (cinematically, at least) between South Korean store owners and their African American customers in whose neighborhoods those stores were located. In 1991, real-life 15-year-old, African American Latasha Harlins was fatally shot in the back by 51-year-old, South Korean-born convenience store owner Soon Ja Du in the latter's shop located in Los Angeles. Following a voluntary manslaughter conviction, Du was sentenced to five years of probation, 400 hours of community service and a $500 fine. 

Twenty-six years later, The Sun Is Also a Star brings the two ethnic communities together in spectacular fashion. The day before Jamaican-immigrant Natasha Kingsley is scheduled to be deported with the rest of her family, New York City-born Daniel Bae notices her admiring the painted constellations on the ceiling of Grand Central Station but is unsure of how to approach her. When Natasha's so preoccupied with her music to notice the car speeding toward her at a crosswalk, he gets his chance; there may be no better icebreaker than saving someone's life.

After an awkward silence, Natasha notices Daniel's notebook, prompting him to confess that his secret passion is writing poetry This revelation leads to a discussion about his favorite subject matter: love. Seemingly pragmatic Natasha is a non-believer; her lack of faith is disturbing to Daniel, who insists that he can win her heart if given a single day to in which to woo her. Though she doesn't have 24 hours to give, Natasha, clearly intrigued, agrees to hear him out for one hour.

What follows is a series of events that Natasha labels coincidences but Daniel views as fate which allow the two to spend more time together, and more importantly, get to know each other. The film convincingly shows them transforming from complete strangers to a loving couple in the space of a day. It also humanizes the experiences and challenges faced by undocumented immigrants. Maybe Sun should've been released in February, as it's a much more appropriate Valentine's release than this year's unwatchable Isn't It Romantic?