It's no secret that Korean romantic comedies of late have been in sad phase. Right after MY SASSY GIRL broke out in 2001, every romcom seems to imitate that incredible pic in various degree (the latest one, 100 DAYS WITH MR. ARROGANT, is a total crap). What makes it wrong is that Kwak Ja-young, SASSY's writer-director, tries to imitate his own masterpiece with this mediocre & overlong effort, complete with the Sassy Girl herself, Jeon Ji-hyun. And it is inevitable that people would compare both pics.
The story is about a brave-in-borderline-crazy female police officer who in the line of duty bonds with a weaker male teacher. They fall in love, but fate has it that they have to separate.
The 1st part of the movie is funny, but not as hilarious as SASSY. The 2nd part is full-on drama. The last part, well, I'm not sure where the last part actually begins. It has too many endings, too many climaxes to really work.
However, Kwak's subtle touch is there and the "dancing in the rain" send-up is funny. But this doesn't justify its 124-minute running time.
Jeon, probably the most gifted young actress in the world today, is back with her sassy persona, which is great, actually. And the lead actor, Jang Hyuk is game too. But he's no Cha Tae-hyun (SASSY's lead actor), either. And the chemistry's not there.
Oh, talking about SASSY, if you're one of the movie's fans, don't miss the final minute of the movie. I wouldn't know what your reaction would be, but it'll surely make you smile. To me, it (and the two leads' performance) almost save the movie. Almost.
**1/2 out of ****
The story is about a brave-in-borderline-crazy female police officer who in the line of duty bonds with a weaker male teacher. They fall in love, but fate has it that they have to separate.
The 1st part of the movie is funny, but not as hilarious as SASSY. The 2nd part is full-on drama. The last part, well, I'm not sure where the last part actually begins. It has too many endings, too many climaxes to really work.
However, Kwak's subtle touch is there and the "dancing in the rain" send-up is funny. But this doesn't justify its 124-minute running time.
Jeon, probably the most gifted young actress in the world today, is back with her sassy persona, which is great, actually. And the lead actor, Jang Hyuk is game too. But he's no Cha Tae-hyun (SASSY's lead actor), either. And the chemistry's not there.
Oh, talking about SASSY, if you're one of the movie's fans, don't miss the final minute of the movie. I wouldn't know what your reaction would be, but it'll surely make you smile. To me, it (and the two leads' performance) almost save the movie. Almost.
**1/2 out of ****