SYNOPSIS:
Based on a true story. Suk-jung (HWANG Jung-min, "A Bittersweet
Life") a simple country fellow, falls instantly in love
with the beautiful Eun-ha (JEON Do-youn, "Untold Scandal")when
he sees her working at a local coffee shop. Even when Suk-jung
realises that Eun-ha provides more service to the male customers
than just coffee, heasks Eun-ha for her hand in marriage.
Eun-ha who doesn't believe in love at first, slowly starts
to open up to Suk-jung's sincerity. Just when they start to
live happily as man and wife, Eun-ha's dark past comes back
to haunt them. Unable to handle the guilt of her past, Eun-ha
leaves Suk-jung. But he resolves to win her back even after
discovering she is HIV-positive.
MOVIE
REVIEW
Sometimes,
we wonder whether there has been any research done on Korean
weepies. You know; those Korean dramas which are bound to
make any sentimental human being reach out for a tissue paper
or two while watching them? Why do they always make people
cry when viewers already know what to expect? Why do they
always make people go “awww…” when the genre
has been presented on screen repeatedly?
After
viewing this 121-minute movie, we can only come to a conclusion
that human beings have a strange liking to feel miserable
about their lives, or about others’ lives, for that
matter. While most weepies count on pretty faces to carry
the show, this one surprisingly does not. And the results?
It works just as well, if not, better.
The story
chronicles the love between a country bumpkin (played by Hwang
Jung-min, who is not your typical Korean hunk) and a street-smart
call-girl (played by Jeon Do-youn, who struts her stuff beautifully
in the movie). He is a simple ranch owner who wishes to get
married to her, despite her work nature. They fall in love
and get married within the first hour of the movie.
Now, for
the essential ingredient of weepies – The Twist. Like
all other “Twists”, this one is nothing you would
not expect. The girl’s dirty past catches up with her
and to make things worse, she is tested HIV-positive. Will
true love prevail in the face of death? Will the couple overcome
all odds and find salvation in each other?
No matter
how the movie ends, you know you are in for a good weep. The
winning formula here is the director’s ability to pace
the movie steadily. In the first hour, we get lovey-dovey
scenes of the two leads. In the second hour, it switches gear
and makes you feel that life can be such a cruel thing at
times. You will not be surprised with this somewhat unoriginal
plot (which happens to be based on a true story in Korea),
but you will still find yourself rooting for the two of them.
Hwang
is an amazing watch – witness his transformation from
an earnest dimwit to an angst-ridden man, before breaking
down emotionally before his brutal fate. Jeon is also a joy
to watch, given her pixie-like looks. She exudes an innocent
and seductive personality which will make boys smile from
ear to ear.
What is
a good weepie without some scenic backdrops? Falling snowflakes,
beautiful white petals and the carefree mood of the countryside
will please viewers who like their movies to look pretty.
Although
this is only director Park Jin-pyo’s third movie, you
know he will be back very soon. The demand for romance dramas
is there, so why not supply it, especially if you can do it
well?
SPECIAL FEATURES
Only
a two-and-a-half minute trailer which sums up the plot of
the movie is included in this Code 3 DVD.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The
movie is presented in Korean Dolby Digital 2.0 and the visual
transfer is fine, so your weepie experience would not be marred
by the DVD’s audio or visual technical aspects.
MOVIE
RATING:
 
OVERALL
DVD RATING :
Review
by John Li
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