Pahrangjueuibo

Jae-young Kwak's previous film 'Yeopgijeogin geunyeo' (aka 'My Sassy Girl') is one of my all time favourite romantic comedies. With 'Parang-juuibo' (aka 'My Girl and I') he tells an intense love story of two teenagers. This film very much reminded me of 'Love Story' but the director interprets it in his own unique and sincere way. Set against the spectacular and beautiful Korean landscape, with stunning cinematography and a lively background score, it's indeed a treat to watch. The director pays attention to detail, makes use of symbolism and tackles issues such as life, death, afterlife without derailing from the main story. Just like 'Love Story', 'Parang-juuibo' has some excellent dialogue that speak volumes with just a few words. While many have tagged the film as a sobfest, there's just so much more to this film than mere emotional manipulation and the director deserves immense credit for his honesty and authenticity in presentation. Clearly he's put a lot of heart into it. Tae-hyun Cha is more restrained here and gives a wonderfully intense performance that reflects his growth as an actor. The beautiful Hye-kyo Song too does an outstanding job with her balanced performance. The supporting cast make their presence felt. The entire cast and crew have done a superb job in making this magnificent little movie. Whether people will like it or not there is something the viewer will take away with them that will stay long after the closing credits have rolled and this is reason enough for anyone to watch a movie.