Saedeu mubi

Nobody could ever accuse director Kwon Jong-Gwon of false advertising in the title of this film. But even with the advance warning, the viewer is scarcely prepared for the tragic emotional impact of the movie. After the initial credits rolled, I found myself mentally girding my emotions for what I anticipated to be two hours of barely held-back tears and defensively crossed arms. But after the first twenty minutes of the film, I began to question my expectations and even wonder whether the title was merely hyperbole.

The film is a medley of four stories, each independent and integral to setting the general mood of happiness and hopefulness that permeates that first three quarters of the movie. There is the brave firefighter, played by Jung Woo-Sung, who is in love with a sign language interpreter (Lim Su-jeung) who desperately wants him to find a less dangerous job. The sister of the interpreter (Shin Min-Ah) is a deaf mute who develops a crush on a handsome young painter (Lee Ki-Woo) in the park where she works as a costumed character. The last two stories follow a young son (Yeo Jin-Goo) whose mother (Yeom Jung-Ah) is dying of cancer and a near-do-well young man (Cha Tae-Hyun) who hatches a creative plan to earn money and win back his girlfriend.

All of the stories combine a good dose of humor with their romantic plots. The viewer is taken on a pleasant stroll through the lives of the central characters, developing sympathy and really relating to the romantic successes and mishaps of the rather motley cast. By midway through the film, the anticipation of any deep sorrow is completely gone, but at the same time the title still looms over the ending. I found myself actively hoping that each character would be able to resolve his problems but still knowing that something had to go wrong before long.

It is the intensity and utter devastation of the ultimate crises that pick the viewer up and fling him against the wall. There is an expectation that the film will be balanced; the "sadness" will be of an amount commensurate with a romantic comedy. It is in this aspect that Kwon Jong-Gwon brilliantly executes his bait and switch; without any warning other than the title itself and whatever "clues" the suspicious mind might have inferred based on the title, the film suddenly goes from sunny skies to hurricane intensity. Not one dream is left unshattered and not one character's expectations are fulfilled.

Having said all that, I really enjoyed this film. Jong-Gwon's artistic expertise is evident in the details of the movie; many of the shots are gorgeously composed, and the colors throughout are vibrant and stimulating. And I also view the movie as almost an "experiment in emotion"—the stories are all simple and basic, but it shows that in the hands of a great director the audience can be brought into the story to such extent that the final betrayal feels almost personal. I feel that this is the mark of a "successful" film, because most viewers are so cynical and "worldly" when it comes to cinema that they often fail to suspend disbelief in emotional terms. This movie causes us to do so, and the result is that we are forced to question our own expectations—must romantic comedies or any other genre follow the typically prescribed formula?

As the title states, you will be sad by the end, and probably cry your little eyes out like I did. But the difference between this movie and any other weepy chick flick out there is that you feel for these characters...you root for them. The movie plays like a comedy drama for the first 2/3 which almost makes you forget the movie is indeed titled "Sad Movie" It is one of the most heartbreaking, wonderful movies I've seen in awhile, even if it is a little over the top. And I mean come on, if you are going to choose to watch a movie with this title, you know you want to cry...and this one will give you what you want...10/10 stars.

Many of my top favorite Korean stars are in Sad Movie (2005) and every few years I have to dust off my old DVD and re-watch this gem. The story covers 4 couples (including one mother and son) and how they inadvertently interact with one another. Each couple experiences sadness and tragedy and you will be swept up into their stories and forget that time exists outside of watching this beautiful movie. Why can't Hollywood make such sublimely lovely films like this one, filled with the arts of sympathy and inspiration, sadness and recovery? This film is essentially timeless. It doesn't matter if it's "old", it's perfect for any time period. Discover this treasure for yourself. Enjoy!

Watching Sad Movie is a emotional rolling coaster journey. The first 2/3 part of the movie is in fact funny and witty. The character building is clever, i should say. Their relationship with their partners is convincing too.

The film actually is dealing with the theme of communication. The eight characters in the movie are more or less unable to communicate with their loved one. The honest and a bit stupid fireman, a jobless youngster, a mother and the deaf gal form four separate, yet related plot lines of the movie. The movie is moving along the plot line of how these characters's blocks of communication are being solved.

The development is smooth, full of witty moments, and plot lines help each other to maintain a overall light atmosphere of the first 2/3 of the movie.

But when the movie runs to the latter 1/3 part. it turns into a sad mood. It will definitely make you cry as i did. Although some twists may seem a bit over-sentimental, but it is still effective.It's like when you are questioning or even complaining it's too sentimental, you are crying indeed. A very funny cinematic experience.

Overall, it's one of the best Korean romance movie so far.

Well, this drama has a very simple basic premise: it tells love stories of four couples with their own paths. Though it initially seems everything is OK, finally all their stories come into sad endings, just as the title indicates, 'Sad Movie'. I've been admiring Korean dramas for their fresh and original ideas, and this drama is no exception. Though some finds similarity with western movie (especially for its multiple storyline), it has been quite successful to develop its own distinctive feature, strong idea. Most casts are well-known actors (at least in Korea and Asia), and it surely delivers, they add significant points for this drama with their nearly flawless acting. And one more: great music, especially for emphasizing the 'sadness' factor in the last part.

So, why don't I give it a 10? The reason is, there should have been more scenes. After finish watching this movie, you may wonder if there are missing scenes. Indeed the storyline is well developed and rather easy to follow, but quite possibly, you need to see this drama more than once (or read the spoilers) to perfectly understand the whole plot, for instance: 'how could she become XXXX' or 'how suddenly he XXXX' (I don't want to give spoilers, so I just write XXXX). This drama would be perfect if produced in a mini series (like Winter Sonata), but since it was produced as a single-episode drama (through noticeably plays longer than average single episode) some scenes were forced to be deleted, or never shot, where it could leave you clueless for a bit... And with all due respects to Korean cinema, and without decreasing my admiration for their brilliant ideas as I stated above, this is one problem I've found in most Korean movies I've seen: great ideas and storyline, but often lack proper (and often important) scenes to qualify for perfection.

Simply said, if you like Korean (or in general, Asian) romantic drama and you don't mind the not-so-good ending, give this one a shot. Despite its flaws, it's still worth watching. Not the best Korean movie I've seen so far, but it still deserves two thumbs up. It will not waste your time and money. And even if you have to watch it over and over again, to fully understand the plot, like I've said, you will enjoy doing it. Trust me.