Innocent Steps (DVD (DTS Version) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3

Of course, the practices start off as purely professional, but as Chae Rin begins to dedicate herself to the art of dancing, a connection between the newlyweds begins to take shape. Chae Rin's youthful exuberance and folksy way of speaking eventually charms Young Sae's hardened heart. There's even an amusing subplot about two immigration officers seeking to expose the couple's secret, while eventually rooting for the two to stay together. However, all that funny business comes to a close about an hour into the proceedings. Oddly enough, things take a dark turn in the film's final act when Young Sae's old nemesis returns to turn his world upside down. It turns out that things aren't quite what they seem. As a result, the couple gets broken apart, and Young Sae suffers a devastating loss. Can there possibly be a happy ending for these two?

Well, yes. Innocent Steps is a romantic comedy after all. However, the lack of a more traditional rousing ending makes the film a mixed bag to say the least. Although it may seem strange to suggest it, this is the one case in which the story would have benefited from actually sticking with genre conventions. From the very beginning, the type of relationships and conflicts depicted in the film seem to fall in line with the typical romance. Although it's commendable that the filmmakers decided to break from tradition toward the story's end, it's important to realize that formulas work for a reason. For Innocent Steps to depart from that tried-and-true method after about an hour of fantastic build-up ends up subverting expectations in a way that the audience will neither understand nor appreciate. It just doesn't make sense for a film that is so clearly a romantic fantasy to suddenly become gritty and realistic. Who wants to see a romance in which bad deeds go unpunished, and the good people must simply make do with their circumstances? Even if love prevails, it does not conquer all. And thus, what you have in the end is something that's a comedy in neither the contemporary nor Shakespearean sense.

Even so, much of the film is a joy to watch in no small part due to the performance of Moon Geun Young. Her character is cute, to be sure, but not in a saccharine sweet kind of way. Her performance creates a curious balance between youthful exuberance and a kind of restrained maturity, especially in her more serious scenes with co-star Park Geon Hyeong. Yes, the initial portions of the film are formulaic and predictable, but the chemistry between the two leads wins out. The film's final act does detract from the experience, but the goodwill the film has earned in the early goings carries all the way through to the finale. Even with all the darkness, there's quite a bit of light at the end. As they say, all's well that ends well. It's just too bad Innocent Steps didn't end a little better.

By Calvin McMillin