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AndyChrono
Reviews
Yeopgijeogin geunyeo (2001)
If you see one foreign language film in your lifetime, see this one.
It's a shame that this film's Home Video covers portray such a silly looking image that belies the true nature of this outstanding film. Don't be turned off by those covers or the fact that it's a foreign language film! This is an outstanding film by any measure. It combines the kind of detail, twists, and acting prowess normally seen in art-house pics with a kind of pop culture accessibility. That's really just a way of saying that pretty much everyone can find thing(s) to love about this film.
Gyeon-woo is a hopeless student with no direction in his life. One day he saves a drunk girl in the subway and after an unfortunate incident ends up dragging her to a motel. From there they hit it off but their relationship is far from normal. She tries to find her ex-boyfriend in him. He recognizes her hidden pain and tries to help, occasional enduring her abuses. This continues until the two find that they've fallen for each other.
I realize such a brief summary makes the film sound like any other romantic comedy out there, but I assure you there's a ton of depth to be found. There's lots of tiny details that you might think of as trivial the first time around, but by the end you'll be wanting to watch the film again just to find all the easter eggs.
The two leads play their role to absolute perfection. Cha Tae-hyun does a wonderful job as Gyeon-woo in portraying the hopeless kid who matures in front of us. He adds just a bit of over-the-top sauce to his character which just makes him even more hilarious but not to the point where it strains believability. As for the Girl? Jun Ji-Hyun takes a very complicated (sometimes downright violent) character and makes her as endearing as any Audrey Hepburn character you can think of. She slips flawlessly between a wide array of emotions from anger to sorrow to regret to joy and so on. None of it is overacted or stiff. Her performance is... perfect for lack of a better word. This film turned her into one of Asia's biggest stars and it's pretty easy to see why.
At over 2 hours in length, it might seem overly long for a romantic comedy, but I assure you that those 2 hours fly by very quickly. The pacing is just right and no scenes are wasted. The soundtrack is ever-present but not distracting; it does a great job of enhancing the film.
Ultimately, if you see one foreign language film in your lifetime, see this one.
Nae yeojachingureul sogae habnida (2004)
Promising film that falls flat in the second half
This film is essentially two films spliced into one. The first half is more or less like My Sassy Girl with the girl abusing the guy while the two get involved romantically. I must say that although it's definitely a repeat of that successful formula, I personally found it every bit as funny and enjoyable as MSG. Watch especially for the part in the Police Station with the "big-shot" dad.
The second half of this film is where things fall flat. The first problem is that there's simply too many "buys" that the viewer is forced to try and believe such as:
-The car chase scene (actually not that unbelievable and JJH definitely looks hot in this one) -The suicide scene (huge stretch) -The hostage scene where the baddie empties the whole clip at her and misses completely (huge stretch) -Girl gets shot in what looks like the heart judging by the location of the blood stain and survives... (highly unlikely)
Maybe having just one of these things happen would be okay. Having all of the above occur just drives the film to a rather absurd level. The second problem is that the "goodbye" scene among others like the "wind blowing" scenes are drawn out too long and with rather clichéd dialogue. This combined with the absurdity of other scenes makes for a rather poor second half. Some may dislike the ending but I personally had no problem with it.
The two leads both do a fine job with the material that they were given. JJH is definitely one of the best young actresses in the world and I look forward to seeing more from her. I can say that if you are a fan of JJH, you should definitely check this out. If you liked MSG, you should also give this one a go. There are lots of references to MSG that a fan can look for. If you're used to Korean melodrama you could do a lot worse than this film. However newcomers to Korean films would probably want to watch MSG over this one. Your average viewer will probably find it somewhat enjoyable largely due to the first half.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Fun, Entertaining, and Delightful Movie
I've never felt so good after watching a movie than I did after watching this. Yeah, I've seen many classics that were also good movies. But there's something about this one. Whether its the characters, story, or whatever. I can't pinpoint it exactly but I enjoyed every minute of this. Audrey Hepburn was fantastic and George Peppard was just as good. They make a great onscreen pair. Whenever I find the time, I'm watching this again.
The Mummy (1999)
The best movie I've seen this year!!!
Those of you out there that haven't seen this movie, do so now. This is the best combination of genres i've seen since The Cutting Edge successfully put together Sports, Comedy, and Love. With some magnificent special effects, and great action, i'd say this is the best movie that i've seen this year. See it now before Star Wars comes out.
The reason i love this movie is because the plot lines just take you down a river, right when you feel you can't take lectures anymore, the movie hits you with great action or a scene of pure special effects to get you into it again. Brendon Frasier is great as Rick O' Connell. The end is great when Rick, Jonathan, and that guard kick but on the undead. Go see this movie!!!!
The Cutting Edge (1992)
Best Mix of Genre You will Ever See In A Movie!!!
Let me start by saying that this thing has got it all. The actors do a great job and this film introduced me to Moira Kelly. I'm like a big fan now. This is a very funny movie and the first time I saw it, I was on the floor laughing like hell. You gotta buy this movie or at least rent it. I watch this thing almost every day.