'Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo' (a.k.a. 'My Sassy Girl') is one of the most unconventional love stories I have witnessed in recent cinema. The storytelling is of the most sincere. There's no pretension. The comedy, drama and romance are very well balanced. There is no sex, not even a kiss, no one says 'I love you' and yet it turns out to be one of the most 'romantic' cinematic experience.
'Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo' moves at a smooth pace. Jae-young Kwak's screenplay and direction are fantastic. The dialogues are smart and the characters are richly developed and unique. The female protagonist's character remains enigmatic right until the end. Her name isn't even mentioned during the entire film. We see everything from Gyun-woo's point of view and Jae-young Kwak gives detailed insight of the characters and their relationships. There are so many beautiful moments in the film but I won't give out any spoilers. In addition, with the use of a lovely gentle soundtrack and cinematography, he beautifully demonstrates the wonderful locations. Even though I loved the way the Korean culture was portrayed, the story is pretty universal.
Newcomer Tae-hyun Cha leads the entire film. His performance is completely natural that it doesn't even feel that he was acting, let alone the fact that he was only new to films. His expressions, spontaneity, reactions and chemistry with co-stars are spot on. He is superb with the comedy and subtle in the dramatic scenes. Gianna Jun holds her own and does a fine job.
Overall, 'Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo' is a very well crafted film. It's a heartwarming poetic romantic adventure from start to finish. I know this sounds a bit corny but I'll say that it's a film that's close to my heart.
