CYRANO AGENCY: THE DATING GURU DVD (2010)

SYNOPSIS: The Cyrano Agency consists of four people from a theater troupe who offers a unique cupid service for lovelorn clients. The company intricately devises and implements schemes, custom tailored to match the interests of their intended target, for the ultimate goal of obtaining romance for their client. The boss and mastermind behind the agency is Byung-Hoon (Eom Tae-Woong). Things take a strange twist at the Cyrano Agency when a new client named Sang-Yong (Daniel Choi) enters their office. Sang-Yong is a straight-laced financial trader who is rather inept with personal relationships. He has fallen for a free spirited woman named Hee-Joong (Lee Min-Jung) and seeks out the Cyrano Agency's help. The boss for the Cyrano Agency, Byung-Hoon, then notices that Hee-Joong is his ex-girlfriend with whom he has really never gotten over...

MOVIE REVIEW:

Those of us who are single will know that we could sometimes use a little help in the dating department- and in fact, those of us who are attached can probably recall that time when we were single and needed said help as well. Director Kim Hyun-seok’s breezy rom-com “Cyrano Agency: The Dating Guru” works on this very premise, centred as it is on the idea of a dating agency whose help you can enlist to fall in love with the one you have a crush on.

In the film’s extended opening, we see just how the quartet of stage actors led by Byung Hoon (Uhm Tae-Woong) behind the agency help a hapless soccer enthusiast fall in love with a girl who works at a Starbucks-like coffee joint. Every gesture and every word perfectly calculated, it isn’t hard to see why the girl wouldn’t fall in love with the guy- after all, if life is a stage, wouldn’t we naturally wish for the most romantic kind of love affair to happen to us? And of course, a little atmosphere (e.g. rainy evenings) wouldn’t hurt either.

Trafficking in the same kind of glossy high-concept entertainment that Hollywood is fond of, Hyun-seok has fashioned a highly entertaining if ultimately shallow rom-com that works on a pure wish-fulfilment level. That is even if its central story seems keen to explore the very ethical questions of inventing a whole new persona just to fool someone to fall in love with you. Hyun-seok, who also wrote the screenplay, however sidesteps these difficult questions in favour of more tried-and-tested rom-com formulas.

So while the Agency’s next case is that of a successful fund manager Sang-yong (Daniel Choi) whose target Hee-jeong (Lee Min-Jung) just happens to be an old flame of Byung Hoon, the movie instead focuses its attention on Byung Hoon’s dilemma between putting his personal feelings aside or using them as an opportunity to win back Hee-jeong’s affections. It’s no secret what the movie’s inclinations are, and more discerning viewers could certainly take offense with its rather one-sided sympathies for Byung Hoon to rekindle his love for Hee-jeong.

Yet it is to Hyun-seok’s credit that he manages to conjure enough romantic and comedic distractions to divert your attention away from the tricky questions it avoids answering. Indeed, Sang-yong’s first encounter with Hee-jeong which left him starstruck is undoubtedly amusing, and one of the plans to dress him up as Che Guevara and stand up against the boring preacher at his and Hee-jeong’s Sunday church service in an attempt to get her attention is laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Though the much funnier first half does eventually give way to a less fleet-footed later half, there is enough chemistry among the cast to hold your attention throughout the film. Tae-woong has great screen charisma as the dashing Byung-hoon, but he is almost upstaged by Daniel’s goofy and utterly endearing portrayal of the clueless lover who has a penchant for ad-libbing and improvising off the script. Min-jung has an almost ethereal beauty about her, which works naturally to her advantage in convincing you how both Byung-hoon and Sang-yong would go gaga over her.

And thanks to their enchanting performances, even the contrived denouement can’t derail this from being one of the more entertaining Korean rom-coms of late- though there is the distinct feel that this was made for an audience with a palette for sleek Hollywood products. Nevertheless, Hyun-seok’s confident direction, together with some inspired gags, combines to make this a delightfully charming date movie that both guy and girl alike can enjoy. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Just the trailer and a Music Video.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The Dolby Digital audio is pristine and boasts a surprisingly strong bass. Pity though that the picture is presented in 4x3 standard TV format, and is less sharp than you would expect from a quality DVD. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Gabriel Chong 

Posted on 28 June 2011