This is a movie that has a little bit of something for everyone. At least to the Korean audiences or people that know of Korean lifestyle and cultures. But it just won't appeal to every audiences. It's basically about the life of few high schooler's during the 1980's without it having a set direction. It does somewhat come together near the end. But it's a movie that shows what Korean countryside high schoolers dealt with during the 1980's. And it has a love triangle going on which is the core of the story (which I think a lot of Korean audiences like, since it's a formula that isn't getting old seeing how majority of the Korean dramas are like that), a bit of high school rivalry and bullying going on. It really isn't a gripping movie or anything like that and the story is actually quite slow since there isn't really a set direction. But audiences that want to see high school relationships and how they deal with dysfunctional families might enjoy or at least appreciate this flick. I gotta admit there was few parts that I thought had some emotion and heart to it. And I thought the smooth and clean cinematography of the countryside was refreshing to watch, especially the intro. When it comes to the cast, they were alright. Except the female lead who I thought was a miscast, mainly because I just couldn't buy her being a leader of a high school gang or this tough girl. Lee Jong-Suk plays Joong-Gil who is this sleazy playboy that tries to be flirtatious with every female classmate. Now I am not a fan of Lee Jong-Suk, but I was impressed with his performance in this. I am not sure if it's because he was playing a bit of himself like Justin Timberlake to "The Social Network". But the way he portrayed his character was extremely believable to the mannerisms, to the way he says his dialogues to the movements. Overall, it's a worthwhile watch if you want to see a relationship driven movie. But like I said, it probably isn't for everyone.
6.8/10
