The Romance

Take two genres, action crime drama, and romance, to tried and true genres, and mash them together. Typically, at least with U.S. movies, action movies contain little depth, character development, or plot really, it just moves quickly enough to the next over the top action scene. I'm generalizing a bit here, but this is probably about right. Movies tend to either be more on the serious side (less over the top action), or more on the action side (less serious film elements).

Koreans have a knack for good romance stories, I have seen a whole string of them, The Romance, is terrible in this department. I'll give you a hint for when a "romance" scene is coming up in this movie, the hero of the story, will get a constipated face and stare off numbingly at the girl. Then the tango music plays. This = Love Scene.

Character development? Not really, everything is flushed into a series of tango music/slow mo/clichéd rituals that will leave quite bored. The action scenes come in suddenly and are a bit awkward, as usual most characters cry too much for too many things. The ending is well... expected really, especially if you've been watching plenty of Korean cinema. This falls way below the "average" mark for film, it is a poor movie, with laughable style, and a mish mosh of clichés and trite dialogue. Stick with Public Enemy/Bittersweet Life for crime drama, and A Moment to Remember / The Classic for romance.

This movie provoked my curiosity when I first knew the cast, and when I saw it was a surprise for me just by the appearance of the protagonist of two of my favorite movies: Kim Ji-su of Yeoja Jeon-hae (aka This Charming Girl) and Jang Hyeong-seong of Git (aka Feathers in the Wind). I must say this wasn't the worst Korean movie ever made but has it's own defects. Is all about a beaten married woman dating in secret with a troublesome cop, tango, guns, romance (not so much), tragedy, and very-very-very much Koreans. Cinema of Korea is world's finest, on my personal view. This movie shown great actors, both of the just mentioned, but not an original plot, neither any original film-making, so it's just a Sunday's night movie to see it with your girl or boy, and be more entertained kissing her/him than watching it. I'm a sincere admirer of Kim Ji-su (This Charming Girl), this movie wasn't such a proof of her talent, but the illumination suited her very well, so I think she must do this kind of movies to obtain a major role in any other masterpiece of all those that Korean cinema provides. Just a curiosity is the appearance of Jang Hyeong-seong, who is very well related with tango loving movies (Git, was about a loser filmmaker and a tango-lover girl). If you want to see good Korean movies, check out the filmography of Kim Ki-duk or Park Chan-wook, maybe Song Il-gon if you like slow and artful movies, but if you want to see a movie well accompanied, then I fully recommend it.

It's obviously not a movie made for everyone, just look at the previous comments if you don't know what i mean. I personally found it really great. This isn't like the usual Korean movies in anyway, perhaps that's many people don't like it.

Seung-wook Moon has managed to put together a wonderful work of art. The background music as someone complained about, gives the film a great feeling of its own and is very well done in my opinion. Besides Kim Ji Soo is absolutely gorgeous!!! I would say it's worth watching just for her ;)

If you like films like Daisy, Bittersweet Life and the likes, then you will definitely love this one. However, if you prefer movies that are similar to Korean dramas is style and story then it's definitely not for you. 8/10!!

I have been watching Korean dramas and movies for over 20 years and I have watched Romance at least dozen times. Everything in this movie is top notch. Alcholic divorced cop who won't bend to rotten society and woman who caged herself in physicaly abusive marriage to wielding power of same corrupted society to help her family,begin affair and all their outlook shifts. Now they dream of escaping to Argentina and living lowly happy life far away from all injustice. Movie is equally critique on corruption as is Love story. Characters are tired and damaged and once they find each other world around them cease to exist. Seemingly mismatched but once comparing scars making each other better and stronger. Music is heartbreaking as is story itself...Cinematography, unforgettable. I will never forget transition between two lovers in moment of suffering,he beaten and overdosed-destined to die,she tied to hospital bed-crying pumped with drugs to be sacrificed for political marriage. And third act-ode to 80's Hong Kong Cinema and classic love stories...Romance is all what we forget about movies trying too much to please others.