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My Life As McDull (Korean Version)
Animation
Hong Kong's best-loved pig is the star of the hilariously funny biography-style animation My Life As McDull. For all those who consider the Hong Kong reflected in movies such as the Infernal Affairs trilogy as a bit too grim, this 2001 hit movie, which was even a match for Miyazaki Hayao's Spirited Away, should come as a positive surprise. It follows the various life stages of piglet McDull who views the world through rose-tinted glasses. Anything but a successful person, McDull may stand as a representative of the ordinary Hong Kong citizen, living in a small apartment and clinging on to small dreams. However, what makes this naively cute protagonist stand out is the fact that he always... [read more]
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Saving My Hubby (DVD) (Single Disc) (Korea Version)
Bae Du Na
| Kim Tae Woo
Right away, Saving My Hubby has one major thing going for it: the film stars the ever-versatile and ever-charismatic Bae Du Na in the leading role. Bae plays Geum-Soon, a star volleyball player whose career has derailed thanks to a shoulder injury, and is now settling into domestic life with both a husband (Kim Tae Woo) and an infant to look after. Sadly, her husband really needs looking after. He gets sucked into a nighttime scam, and is bamboozled into thinking he owes a massive nightclub bill. Without the resources, it's up to Geum-Soon to come and bail him out, or his life is forfeit! With the in-laws arriving the next morning at 5 a.m., Geum-Soon has no choice but to venture into the... [read more]
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S Diary (DVD) (Special Edition) (Korea Version)
Kim Sun Ah (Actor)
| Gong Yoo (Actor)
| Kim Su Ro (Actor)
| Kwon Jong Kwan (Director)
Coming somewhere between My Lovely Sam-Soon and Wet Dreams, both in terms of chronology and character, S Diary is a showcase for the many charms of Kim Sun Ah. The "S" in the title stands for "sex", but that seems to be for attention grabbing more than anything as sex, though certainly a part of the protagonist's relationships, is not the focus of the film. S Diary takes a heartfelt and humorously good-natured look at modern relationships - how they start, how they end, and how they're remembered - through the experiences of Kim Sun Ah's strong-minded bumbling heroine Jini, something of a pre-cursor to Kim Sam Soon. S Diary is basically the antithesis of the romantic comedy: the breakup... [read more]
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I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK (DVD) (Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Rain (Jung Ji Hoon)
| Lim Soo Jung
| Park Chan Wook
| Oh Dal Soo
Acclaimed director Park Chan Wook, box office darling Lim Soo Jung, and Asian superstar Rain collaborating in that most prolific and profitable of genres, the Korean romantic comedy - what could be more golden? From the very beginning, I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK had so much attention, anticipation, and pedigree attached, it seemed destined to be either a great success or an even greater disappointment. And sure enough, the film was labeled a flop after meeting with modest box office reception. Prior to seeing the film, I could cite a long list of possible reasons for its stumble - bloated expectations, publicity backlash, commercial arthouse syndrome, Rain's larger-than-life popularity is a... [read more]
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Like a Virgin Limited Edition
Kusanagi Tsuyoshi
| Baek Yoon Shik
| Cho Yi Jin
| Ryu Deok Hwan
Teen Transgender Inspirational Sports ComedyRookie directors Lee Hae Joon and Lee Hae Young and newcomer Ryu Deok Hwan deliver one of the most pleasant surprises of recent memory, rightfully picking up quite a few awards for their uncanny comedy. Like a Virgin gets points straight away for rolling together a story combination I have yet to see. Teenager Dong Gu (Ryu Deok Hwan) is working hard to save up money - for a sex change. He wants to be just like his idol Madonna, but he's a long ways off from the necessary money. He takes up ssireum (traditional Korean wrestling) in hopes of winning prize money, and turns out to be quite gifted in the sport. But as family problems come to head, Dong Gu finds his confidence and chances for... [read more]
May 15, 2007 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
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Ad Lib Night Limited Edition
Kim Young Min
| Han Hyo Ju
| Lee Yoon Ki (Director)
Impressively low-key and engaging, Ad Lib Night is a low-budget indie with a simpler-than-expected story and a higher-than-expected payoff. The film opens directly, almost suddenly, with a group of young men approaching a young woman (Han Hyo Yu), believing that she is someone else. The girl bears a close resemblance to a childhood friend who ran away from home years ago. After the misunderstanding is cleared up, she agrees to pose as their acquaintance in order to fulfill the final wishes of the missing girl's dying father. She follows the guys to her would-be father's suburban home - not a very wise move it would seem, but it's legit - where she is greeted by a house of mourning friends... [read more]
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Il Mare (Hong Kong Version)
Jeon Ji Hyun (Actor)
| Lee Jung Jae (Actor)
Travelling Through Time in TranquilityThe success of Korean director Lee Hyun Seung's 2000 movie Il Mare, starring Jeon Ji Hyun and Lee Jung Jae, paved the way for a Hollywood remake The Lake House six years later. I point out this fact just to prove the quality and attraction of the original, without any intention to compare the two - let's leave that to the critics. A film dealing with time travelling (in this case, only the protagonists' letters instead of the characters themselves) often contains flaws in logic. But Il Mare has done quite a good job, basically without logical loopholes. Switching between two different points (1997 and 1999) on the timeline, the narrative creates a conformable pace (I understand those who are... [read more]
April 13, 2007 Picked By Siu Heng See all this editor's picks
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Operation Makeover Limited Edition
Ko So Young
| Lee Bum Soo
| Kim Jung Min
| Yoo Gun
No matter which way you look at it, Operation Makeover is lightweight fare, but I enjoyed every minute of it. This time-travel coming-of-age romantic comedy is fun, entertaining, and surprisingly sensitive. Despite the fanciful premise, the story remains grounded and never resorts to the over-the-top histrionics and loud mugging that doom many Korean comedies. Instead, both the laughs and the tears feel genuine, and the film manages to be heartfelt without being cloying. In keeping with the recent Korean rom-com trend, our heroine Jeong Ju (Ko So Young) is a 30-year-old woman with no marriage or career prospects and plenty of pent-up bitterness. She blames the current state of affairs on her... [read more]
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The Host (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Song Kang Ho (Actor)
| Bae Du Na (Actor)
| Park Hae Il (Actor)
| Bong Joon Ho (Director)
I have never been a big fan of monster movies, so the Japanese Ultra Series and the Hollywood blockbuster Jurrasic Park, despite their huge popularity, aren't my cup of tea. At first I thought the Korean record-breaking box office hit The Host would be just another sensational monster flick that provides only visual excitement. But it proved me wrong with its satirical comments on the United States' intervention over Korean affairs, on top of the amazing visual effects and tension-filled narration. Please don't expect any political correctness here. Just like opinions are divided over the US invasion of Iraq, The Host certainly displeases a certain group of audience by criticizing US... [read more]
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3-iron
Lee Seung Yeon
| Kim Ki Duk (Director)
Kim Ki Duk is quite a genius. After a few films characterized by their violence and/or erotics, he came up with a film that was on surface clam and quiet - I mean, literally quiet - but radiated a vibrant creativity in exploring his usual motif of love and desire. 3-Iron, made in 2004, fascinated me with its playfulness in articulating a ironically reversed logic between conversation and communication. Communication requires no talking, while speaking doesn't necessarily communicate. Simple as this might seem, Kim Ki Duk has the talent to translate such a lesson into a witty visual piece that is as much entertaining as inspiring. The character played by Jae Hee (who won the Best New Artist... [read more]
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Righteous Ties Limited Edition DTS
Jung Jun Ho
| Jung Jae Young
| Jang Jin (Director)
It doesn't happen nearly often enough, but once in a while I come across a work that reminds me why I love film. Directed by the always interesting Jang Jin, Righteous Ties is a high-strung, long-winded, hardboiled, noir action melodrama that would make Johnnie To weep. Well, I nearly weeped anyways. Loyal gangster Chi Sung (Jung Jae Young) goes to prison for the organization, but while he's behind bars his boss betrays him. With the help of new and old friends, Chi Sung plots various prison breaks that go humorously awry. A positively spectacular fluke, however, brings down the prison walls, allowing Chi Sung and company to go free. He has some old scores to settle with the boss, but first... [read more]
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A Cruel Attendance (AKA: Educating Kidnappers)
Kim Su Ro
| Lee Seon Gyun
| Kim Young Min
It's been a while since I've been so pleasantly surprised by a film, admittedly because I had next to no expectations coming into the film. A Cruel Attendance starts off in fairly familiar Korean comedy territory, basically frenzied and middle-aged. Kim Su Ro plays Dong Cheol, a debt-ridden salaryman scrapping to meet the interest deadline and keep a plucky face for the family. Every month, he sprints into the bank at the last minute to barely make his payment, along with his soon-to-be-partner played by Lee Seon Gyun. As misery loves company, the two become friends of sorts, and their unfortunate situation makes for some amusingly poker-faced comedy as they exhaust their financing options.... [read more]
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Aachi & Ssipak
Yim Chang Jung
| Shin Hae Chul
| Ryoo Seung Bum
| Hyun Young
Though most definitely not on the level of My Beautiful Girl Mari and Wonderful Days, Aachi & Ssipak represents a wholly different kind of breakthrough for Korean animation. Comically violent, unabashedly crude, and hilariously profane, this film is not one for the kids. But for those not turned off by some indecent exposure and, literally, toilet humor, Aachi & Ssipak is an incredibly fun ride, easily one of the most entertaining films of 2006. All the people who think that our natural resources will last forever should watch Aachi & Ssipak for a very uncomfortable backup plan. In the Kool-Aid-colored world of the future, natural resources have run dry and society is sustained by fecal... [read more]
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JSA (Joint Security Area) (DTS Version) (HK Version)
Lee Byung Hun (Actor)
| Lee Young Ae (Actor)
| Song Kang Ho (Actor)
| Park Chan Wook (Director)
Before delusional cyborgs and angry people seeking revenge, director Park Chan Wook announced his entry into the ranks of the region's greats in 2000 with Joint Security Area, a tightly wrought, politically charged story set on the North Korean border. To put things understatedly, North Korea is a common theme in South Korean films. From action thrillers to politically incorrect comedies, South Korean filmmakers spend quite a bit of time re-imagining their northern counterparts, obsessing over hypothetical political developments, and trying to make sense of the complicated roller coaster relationship on the peninsula. JSA opens with both sides of the border caught in a dicey political... [read more]
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Chungking Express + Fallen Angels DTS (Korean Version)
Leon Lai
| Faye Wong
| Tony Leung Chiu Wai
| Charlie Yeung
When talking about Chungking Express and Fallen Angels, words cannot properly describe the enchanting work Wong Kar Wai has accomplished. I could spend paragraphs talking about what makes these films as wonderful as they are, but to do so would probably preach only to the converted. For the non-converted, here are the Cliff's Notes: Wong Kar Wai is currently Hong Kong's international filmmaker du jour. He's a man who now gets more funding from France than from Hong Kong, and if you've seen his films, you can plainly see why. Wong Kar Wai uses top commercial names like Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung and more, but his films are pop-art poetry in motion, using image,... [read more]
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Alone in Love (English Subtitled) (SBS TV Series)
Gam Woo Sung
| Son Ye Jin
| Gong Hyung Jin
| Oh Yoon Ah
If you're yet to give Korean dramas a try, or looking for more than the same old tricks, Alone in Love is a worthwhile excursion. No terminal illness. No amnesia. No long-lost relatives. No co-habitation. No older-sister younger-brother romance. No brother-sister romance. No fated-since-childhood romance. No contract romance. No European locales. No rags to riches. No evil stepsisters. With all the Korean drama cliches stripped away, Alone in Love starts out in a simple yet starkly unfamiliar territory - after the love, after the "happily ever after". Gam Woo Sung and Son Ye Jin portray a divorced couple who continue to meet and bicker as old friends years after their separation. Despite... [read more]
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