My tutor friend (2003) - Review

After finishing my master thesis I finally have more time to watch Asian dramas and movies. So, I am watching old classics, dramas and movies, that didn’t have the time to watch before. One of them is “My tutor friend”, a Korean movie from 2003.

What is this about:

Directed by Kim Kyeong-hyeong. Written by Park Yeon-seon. Star Kim Ha-neul, Kwon Sang-woo. 
A college student, Su Wan, is hired to teach a 21-year-old rich boy, Ji Hoon, to finally finish high school. The problem is that he doesn’t want to study, plus he is the school gangster.

My review:

This was a hit back when was first released on the cinemas and it is easy to see why. Based on internet stories of a college student teaching a high schooler of the same age, this film feels like a live-action anime. It has laugh-out-loud moments and slap stick humor.

Su Wan (Kim Ha-neul) is poor sophomore college student that works as a teacher to help her mother who works selling chicken. While she wants to act tough, she can’t always and ends up being mistreated by others. She is funny and her reactions are priceless. There is no heavy characterization, but her character is cute and the one you root for.

Ji Hoon (Kwon Sang-woo) is a spoiled rich boy, son of a gangster, that doesn’t want to finish high school, he doesn’t like studying in general. Because he is afraid of his father, he accepts to take lessons with Su Wan, making Su Wan’s life miserable in the process. He is a stereotype, but the actor is charismatic enough to make him funny.

The directing is very anime-like, with cuts that feel they came right from a comic book and choreographed fight scenes. The tome of the movie is light, keeping it consistent till the end and avoiding unnecessary melodrama. The actors are very suitable for their roles and play them with enough charisma. 

The only drawback is that it tries to put as much content as possible. This is a flaw common in adaptations, where they try to every memorable scene from the source material, but in their efforts, they make the scenes feel rushed and not connected.

Why you should watch:

• Funny anime-like movie, with slapstick humor and little romance.

• Enjoyable leads.

• Nice directing, elevates the fun.

• Easy-breezy watch, nothing too serious.

• Nicely choreographed fight scenes.

Why not to watch:

• If you want more romance this might disappoint you.

• It has enough violence – it is about school gangster, after all.

• The writing feels rushed and somewhat chopped.

Final review:

7/10. A comedy that brings the laughs with a bit of romance.