Sad Movie

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.

It's been some time since I've watched a movie with a relative huge ensemble cast (think the last was Crash), and little did I expect this Korean romance movie to boost the same too, with fine acting, good comedy and lots of love demonstrated in various ways.

There are 4 separate stories in this film, and it's difficult for me to judge which of them is superior than the other. Each looked into its niche area, and have ample screen time to develop its story, though the characters do get intertwined in one another's story with little conscious interaction.

The first concerns a firefighter and his girlfriend, who works in a TV station as a news translator for the mute. She's waiting for him to propose, focused on the rationale that given his dangerous job, she likes the idea of him having to think of her, to hesitate for a while before jumping into danger. He, on the other hand, is waiting for that perfect opportunity, setting and all, before popping the question. Initially I thought that this was the most stable of the relationships, until they hit a brick wall in their communications, and as usual, misunderstanding ensues.

Breaking down of communications also happen between the firefighter and his soon-to-be sister-in-law, but that provided some of the best comedic situations in the movie. She's mute, and had her life saved by him (but he fell for the sister, so don't ask). She works as a Snow White doll in a theme park, and gets infatuated with a painter who frequents the same park. However, she's slightly disfigured on her face, and hides behind the Snow White caricature all the time. I found this to be something that I could relate to, being shy, yet bold when hiding behind a mask. Given by the audience's reaction, this piece probably is the most popular with its identifiable theme of infatuation, and the cutesy way in which it got played out.

The third story is about a mother-son relationship. The mother, being a career woman, hardly gets to interact with her child, and the son misses his mother badly. Until an illness confines her to the hospital bed, and they start to bond as mother-son would, given plenty of communication opportunities. However, as the story unfolds, it's also the most predictable of the lot. It's touching, but not as touching as the mother-son relationship in the Japanese movie Be With You last year.

The last story, and perhaps the saddest of all, is between a boy and a girl who've broken up. The girl's stuck in a dead end job and yearns to be rescued by an economically stable guy, but the guy's she's in love with (or used to be) is perpetually stuck in unemployment. When they broke up, the circumstances under which it was told to him, brought him an entrepreneurial opportunity. He tries to woo back his love, and I felt that the ending for this segment was the best in the way it developed, with the fine cinematography of reflection and rain.

The soundtrack is kept simple, with the theme song played over and over again in various situations. But somehow it's strange, that the same song, when played, seemed able to evoke the different emotions the situation wants from you. And that I'd tip my hat off to.

Halfway through, I thought that it would make a nice Valentine's movie, with its bountiful picturesque and heartwarming moments. But by its ending, even though events played out is typical of a weepy, I'd still recommend it for this season of love, for the plain message of not taking a significant other, a loved one, for granted. Tell them "I Love You", now.

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?

When i started watching this film i wondered to myself what part of it should be so sad. The atmosphere was very lighthearted; no problems in sight. But man, i was so extremely wrong.

The reason why i give this movie a 10/10 is because it accomplished to succeed in many aspects. First of all it was very well shot; lightning, camera ... really beautiful. And then there is the the smooth and touching music, which has very nice themes. The essential aspects are the story (or better stories) and characters. Especially the characters are really strong here. The cast did an amazing job in making you feel what they feel. And it was really elegant how this movie was directed. You will never feel a disruption or something similar; very fluent until the very, very sad ending.

I guess people, who like Korean dramas in general will love it. And if you are a first-timer watching Korean dramas: watch it! This is a very nice example here.

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.