Hello Ghost

I am not a movie buff I just like watching films in any language as long as they fit my criteria. I don't usually go for horror, action or thrillers. I really like sci-fi, fantasy and romantic comedy. And this film ticks a lot of boxes for me. Being in my mid sixties I have got past being an adrenalin junkie and have had enough of crash- bang-wallop films and ones that attempt to give me a heart attack. I want films that make me feel warm and cuddly and put a wistful smile on my face. How Korea keep making films like this to such high standards of photography storyline and character development is beyond me. Hollywood is so predictable and boring that they are bottom of my list when checking out new releases, if they do by accident make an original film instead of a remake of some other countries they don't change the formula until all the other studios have made their version of the same or very similar film all of them crap by comparison. This film is straight into my list of all time favourites. It opens with a young man sitting in a sparsely furnished room shovelling handfuls of pills into his mouth when the phone rings......... He ends up with four ghosts as companions - an old man who has lost a camera another who has been looking for a car, a woman who can't stop crying and a small boy. They are all quirky and endearing and we begin to care about them as their stories unfold before us.........

What a surprise ending! Fantastic! Whoever makes this into an English language film had better protect it against too much overt corn along the way. It must have real dignity and integrity as a film! Good luck to all concerned! This could be an enormous success for English language audiences if the people who do the adaptation don't give into sappiness. I would kill to get the job of adapting it. I'd love to write AND direct. I know just who to cast and who to hire for the DP. I'm in love with this picture--the idea and it's potential for American markets and English language audiences around the world. Boy oh boy, what a find! All the best!

Whew, talk about an unexpected surprise! Cha tae-hyun (of My Sassy Girl fame) seems to be involved in a never-ending list of box office hits, from the aforementioned title to the more recent My Speedy Scandal. With Hello Ghost, he can add another one to his belt.

Marketed and billed as sort of a screwball comedy involving ghosts, the movie is surprisingly light on comedy and more heavy on scenes of a more touching nature.

The movie tells the story of a suicidal man (played by Cha) who is a complete failure in life, with no family to speak of and no friends to comfort him. Following a close brush with death, he starts to see 4 ghosts who can inhabit his body at will. A woman who is always crying, an old pervert, a middle aged smoking taxi driver, and a young boy with a penchant for sweets.

The movie goes through the expected motions of each ghost practically instilling him with a different value and newfound appreciation for life, HOWEVER, it is the climax of the movie that ties EVERYTHING together in a way that will not only make you think back and go "ahhh, that makes more sense now" but also, will create an a flood of never-ending tears and sobs (...at least on my part).

Give this movie a chance and stick with it to the end, you'll be glad (or sad, depending) you did.

Did you ever feel like breaking down? Did you ever feel like you were all alone in this world? Think again…

Sang-Man, played by Cha Tae-Hyun, is one who felt so alone that he thought lightly of his own life and tried to commit suicide umpteen times. However, he has never succeeded and each time he fails, he finds himself is back to his meaningless and mundane life. He had always been alone, ever since he was an orphan from a young age. However the most recent suicide attempt ends up to be an important turning point in his life.

To Sang-Man's horror (pun intended), he sees four ghosts after escaping death. They are clingy, following him wherever he goes. Each ghost has a distinct personality, and take turns to possess Sang-Man to achieve their desires, be it binge drinking or smoking or eating lots of sweets and tidbits. This high standard of characterization sets a good foundation for Cha subsequently. Cha has done an incredible job in bringing out distinct and specific traits of the ghosts, convincingly 'possessed'. Cha has been known for his flair in acting, especially in comedies, since My Sassy Girl (2001), and the more recent Speedy Scandal (aka Scandal Makers; 2008). Likewise, his performance in Hello Ghost is just as humorous and impressive. His presence has definitely increased the entertainment value of the film exponentially. The social awkwardness experienced by Sang-Man and the ridiculous scenarios that he is stuck in are so comedic that it makes one laugh out loud uncontrollably. On the other hand, the actor has showed his maturity in acting as well as competence when the character requires him to display the non-comedic side.

The plot of the movie is rather simple, uncluttered and easy to follow. However, one may find that the movie gets a little lengthy mid-way, having unnecessary details that make no sense, such as the psychic that he goes to for 'divine help'. Expectedly, the themes of family and love are especially prominent in this movie. Indeed family and love are a foolproof formula for films aimed to tug people's heartstrings. The film has achieved its affective motives, and combined with the comedic elements, the movie is overall pretty well balanced and a feel-good for the audiences.

The movie is surprisingly meaningful. At its core, Sang-Man is just like you and me, a person born into this world, constantly seeking for identify and affection. However in this blind pursuit, one tends to forget what and who is truly important and always shields us from the mean mean world. Finally when the realization happens, it will bring one to his critical point, and then emerge an even stronger person!

P.S.: Even American filmmaker Chris Columbus has set his eyes on this movie and purchased the remake rights. But first, catch the original!

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Sang-man (Tae-hyun Cha) is an adult orphan, with no job, no friends and no life. So it's not surprising that he's seeking to end his life, only he's really bad at it and every time he tries to kill himself, he ends up in the hospital. On the most recent occasion, he finds some strange characters in the hospital with him – an Old Man (Moon-su Lee), a chain smoker (Chang-Seok Ko), a crying woman (Young-nam Jang) and a kid (Bo-geun Cheon); it isn't long before he realizes that they are all ghosts who, for some reason, have decided to stick to him like glue. An old fortune-teller (Ho-seok Kong) tells him they will only depart after he has fulfilled their wishes, and that he cannot take his own life until the ghosts are gone. Meanwhile, Jung Yun-Soo (Kang Hye-Won) is working at a hospice where the dying patients include a young child, a pregnant woman and an old man, her father. She must make her peace with them, and with their circumstances, and her life is made much more complicated when Sang-man meets her and falls in love....

This is a wonderful film, the first directed by Young-Tak Kim; it's funny, it's charming, and it's poignant, all without being in the least bit sappy. The revelations about the lives of the ghosts, about Yun-Soo's treatment of and by her father, and the denouement were all exciting and touching; I'm pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the house by the end. Tae-hyun Cha is delightful in the lead, but my favourite was Chang-Seok Ko as the chain smoker, a fat man with a sometimes sorrowful countenance but an absolutely stellar smile. My favourite film of FantAsia 2011 so far, and highly recommended if it comes to your town!