City Hunter (2011) - Review

My comeback review is a very well known Korean drama, City Hunter. If you asked me how I can not have watched it before, you would be right. But as it always happens with me, I full my hard drives (yes plural) with all the dramas I want to watch and some are forgotten in some dark corner. This past few months I am trying a massive hard drive clean up and I have rediscovered some of the dramas I wanted to watch for the longest time.

What is this about:

In 1983, 21 South Korean military operatives are sent into North Korea on a secret mission. After completing their mission, they are executed by their own side by a government cover-up. The sole survivor, Lee Jin Pyo, takes his best friend’s son and raise him as his own to take revenge on the men responsible. Some twenty years later Lee Yoon Seong returns to Korea with one goal in mind: to find and bring down the five men responsible for the murder of his father. While bringing these men down, he also brings justice and he is given the nickname “City Hunter”.

My review:

It is considered one of the most popular kdramas and rightfully so. It had a combination of things, directing, writing, acting, and that extra x factor that makes everything click together and I think it is a very nice choice if you want to introduce kdramas to someone who like adventure/romance. It is very Korean, but at the same time it has a more international appeal, I think, due to the very skilled directing.

Yoon Seong aka City Hunter

Yoon Seong (Lee Min Ho) is more on the cleaner side of heroes/vigilantes. He has a weak arrogant persona in the day and a more heroic in the night, reminding a bit of Clark Kent/Superman, Bruce Wayne/Batman, a trope I simply love. The reason why this hero grew to me was his reason for not killing his enemies. He wanted to bring these people to justice so that their families will know the truth and won’t want to retaliate. Would this character benefit from a better actor? Probably yes. But I have to say that this is one of the best Lee Min Ho’s performances, maybe the best. The role had so many layers, from playful kid, to dutiful son that wants his father’s approval, to a hero, and he made the effort to embrace all of it. Really I miss the rawness Lee Min Ho showed in his acting here.  

Jin Pyo smiling at his best friend before hell broke loose

The other important character (and maybe more important that the city hunter himself) is Jin Pyo (Km Sang Joon). He was the emotional and intellectual force of this show. His story is tragic, one of the most tragic ones I have seen in dramas, and has scared him deeply to the point of no return. He treats Yoon Seong only as a tool to revenge, even though he supposedly raised him as his son. He wants the men responsible for the death of his comrades dead and he will do anything to achieve that, even break poor Yoon Seong’s heart. 

Yoon Seong’s relationship with his mother (Yoon Ye Hee) is a rocky one. Jin Pyo stole her little baby so he can train him as a human weapon and she is left alone to deal with the consequences. When Yoon Seong returns to Korea, he is with the impression that she didn’t want him, so it took him a while to know the truth and to deal with his own feelings. 

Nana (Park Min Young), the female lead, has her own heartbreaking story. But the reason why I love her is that she is honest with her feelings and has her own sense of right and wrong. She doesn’t convince me as a bodyguard, but her personality is so winning that I am not going to let it bother me that much. 

Prosecutor Yeong Ju (Lee Joon Hyuk) is the epitome of passionate advocate of law and justice. He wants to believe in the system and tries his best to work with it to bring the bad people to justice. But he is not a crystal white prosecutor. He has his own secrets that play significant role to why he behaves the way he does. One could say that he is the other side of the coin when it comes to City Hunter. While City Hunter uses not so legal ways to find evidence, Yeong Ju uses what City Hunter gives him to enforce the law. Their core beliefs are the same and, if they could get past their differences, they could be a team to be reckoned with. Also, I loved the intensity the actor brought to his character and I honestly can’t picture anyone else in his shoes.

City Hunter literally delivered the corrupted politician in a box

But all these talented actors could be wasted if the writing was not so good. But it is good. It is very good. Besides the strong multidimensional characters, what impressed me was the handling of revenge. In these types of dramas, usually there is a bid bad that our hero tries to overthrow and after twelve-fourteen episodes we have the resolution which can sometimes be anticlimactic. After so many hours of watching, was he beaten only in like twenty minutes? Here the writer used a group of five people as the bad guys, so the hero beats them one by one in the course of the drama. This resulted in a sense of progress, he is not trying to outsmart one guy for sixteen episodes, but five of them, one at a time. Also, it led to the bad guys being delivered to the prosecutor in sometimes funny ways. 

It had some beautifully shot scenes in Thailand

Last but not least, the directing made all of these work. The director was sure about what story he wanted to say and how to say. He did have a problem with effective cliffhangers in the first part of the drama, but he improved. He delivered one of the strongest first episodes in dramaland and an equally strong final episode, which is not an easy accomplishment. The final five minutes or so are a bit choppy, though, but I won’t fault the directing due to live shooting. Of course, the director had an expensive production behind him to support his vision and it really shows in the first two episodes.

One of my favorite scenes in the whole drama

Why you should watch:

• A revenge drama done right.

• Great writing. The writer created a full world with multidimensional characters.

• The revenge is not centered on one person, but five, thus creating progression and climax.

• It starts out strong and it finishes out strong – this is not always the case and should not be treated as guaranteed.

• Lee Min Ho delivers a raw performance, maybe his best. His hero is also very well written.

• We have the father of the decade in the face of Jin Pyo – excellent performance by Kim Sang Joon.

• Strong confident direction that delivers not only intellectually and emotionally but also visually.

Why not to watch:

• Well, if you are not into this type of dramas.

Final verdict:

10/10. One of the best dramas in revenge/action genre. I even recommended it even to those who don’t like that much the genre or Korean dramas in general.

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Friends The great legacy (2013) - Review

The sequel to the classic movie “Friend” from back 2001 took 12 years to come. I think it worked for the best, because the director was conscious about the things he wanted to say and how to portray them.

What is this about:

Directed and written by Kwak Kyung Taek. Star Yu Oh Seong, Kim Woo Bin, Joo Jin Mo.
17 years after the end of the previous movie, Lee Joon Suk (Yu Oh Seong) is released from the prison and he faces a different world from what he remembered. In prison he meets Choi Sung Hoon (Kim Woo Bin), son of one his high school friends and they form a father-son bond. Together they will try to change the status quo in the current leadership of the gang.

My review:

I think the best equivalent to this sequel is Godfather II. Like Coppola, Kwak Kyung-taek changed the focus from the four teenage friends of the first movie and their coming of age tale to Lee Joon Suk’s tale of regret and redemption. With the introduction of Choi Sung Hoon, he created parallels between different generations of gangsters.

Lee Joon Suk (Yu Oh Seong) is a born leader. He comes out of prison, sees that he is replaced by Eun Gi and starts to plan how to take back the leadership. But at the same time he is filled with guilt and regret about the last movie’s events and wants somehow to redeem himself. This is where Sung Hoon (Kim Woo Bin) enters, reminding him of himself and his bestfriends. Yu Oh Seong is a wonderful actor and, like a good wine, he became even better with time. He managed to express so much emotion and complexity with his eyes, face expressions and body language, without overacting. Kudos.

Choi Sung Hoon (Kim Woo Bin) is a rebellious and troublemaker young man. He has his reasons for his violence, namely a lack of proper father figure. In Joon Suk he finds the closest to a father and he formed a heartwarming relationship (kinda) with him. As much as I like Kim Woo Bin, he posed more often than he acted in this movie. Honestly, I expected more intensity from him.

Friends 2 is Kwak Kyung Taek’s work as much as the first one was. Yes, it is more polished, better camera work, higher quality image. But it still has its director’s unique style of storytelling and world building. What I found interesting was the parallel between Joon Suk and Sung Hoon. The first represents the old school gangster, who builds families and loyalty means more to him than money, while the second is newer generation that thinks everything can be bought with money. Different views, different eras.  What stayed the same is how gangster life is presented. Many times we see on the silver and small screen gangsters being glorified and shown as really cool guys. Here, they are tragic figures that cannot break free from the circle of violence.

Why you should watch:

• One of the best gangster movies.

• The unique directing of Kwak Kyung Taek.

• Very good performances from most of the actors – Yu Oh Seong is excellent as Lee Joon Suk.

• Well choreographed fight scenes.

• Those who liked Godfather II might enjoy it.

Why not to watch:

• If you don’t like gangster movies.

• The direction is not for everyone.

• It has a lot of violence and mention of sex and drugs.

Final verdict:

8/10. A thoughtful sequel to the classic that doesn’t recycle the success of the previous, but delivers its own theme. Yu Oh Seong carries the movie on his shoulders masterfully and deserves your time watching this movie.

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A company man (2012) - Review

A gritty movie with the always amazing So Ji Sub? Yes, this movie is as good as it sounds.

What is this about:

Directed by Im Sang Yoon. Written by Im Sang Yoon. Star So Ji Sub, Lee Mi Yeon, Kwak Do Won, Kim Dong Jun.
Hyeong Do (So Ji Sub) is an employer for a metal fabrication company, that is a hit man. He is regarded as one of the best and will be promoted, until he meet a single mother (Lee Mi Yeon) and starts to question many things about his life.

My review:

I love So Ji Sub. I first encountered him in the movie “Always” (I think I will rewatch this for the millionth time) and then in the drama “Master’s sun” (I want to rewatch this too), and it took me some time to realize it was the same actor. He really transforms into his role, and this movie is no exception.

Hyeong Do (So Ji Sub) sees like a typical employer of a big company, wearing impeccable suits and coming to his work every day. But he works as a hitman and “clears out” the competition. There is not much information about his character. We don’t learn about his past, his family, if he has anyone he cares about. The dialogs between him and the other characters don’t give much. But So Ji Sub did an amazing job crafting this character. He looks timid, not very social, he doesn’t talk much, like a sympathetic, even sensitive, guy who has a little difficulty expressing himself. But in reality he is like a time bomb, takes everything in, and eventually he will blow up.

There are many other characters that play important role, but if I were to talk about them, I would probably give a few plot twists. Let’s just say that most of them have a more important role than what they appear to be at first. That’s what is so nice about the movie.

The direction is sleek and meticulous. The fight scenes are very well choreographed, showing the brutality of this profession without getting too graphic. The non-fight scenes are accompanied with well chosen music score that gives an extra rhythm and the feeling that something more is coming – which it does. One thing that confused me was the transition between present and past. Up until a point in the movie I was really confused if the scene I was watching was happening now or it was a flashback and I had to wait for the next scene to understand what was going on. But that is a good thing, too. The director expects your attention and tells his story accordingly. Also, there is a little black humor here and there. Like stepping out bloodied and hit, but still correcting his tie.

Why you should watch:

• So Ji Sub in a gritty thriller.

• Excellent directing with sleek use of the camera.

• Nicely choreographed fight scenes.

• Clever scenario that wants your attention.

• Very good performances from all the actors and actresses.

Why not to watch:

• If action thrillers are not your style.

• There is a lot of violence.

• The transition between present and past might confuse you.

Final verdict:

9/10. A gritty action thriller with excellent performances and directing and many plot twists. Highly recommended. 

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Temptation of wolves (2004) - Review

“Temptation of wolves” or “Romance of their own” is a teenage movie that was a huge success when it was first shown and catapulted its stars into stardom, especially Kang Dong Won. It is full of clichés, but I enjoyed immensely.

What is this about:

Directed by Kim Tae-kyun. Star Jo Han-sun, Kang Dong-won, Lee Chung-ah.
A young country girl Han Kyung (Lee Chung Ah) comes to Seoul after her father’s death and gets involved in a love triangle with two of the most popular guys. (Source Wikipedia)

My review:

This is a teen movie based on the internet novel written by a teenage girl. If you take that in mind, that this is not going to be an innovative movie, groundbreaking or anything, I think it is enjoyable.

The heroine, Han Kyung (Lee Chung Ah), is very standard female lead. She is plain and naïve, she comes into an unknown place, fish out of the water, she is being bullied by other girls, her so-called best friend dates her high school crush, and, yet, somehow, she gets the attention and interest of the two hottest guys. This is fanfiction, so don’t dwell on that.

Hae Won (Jo Han-sun) is the rich bad boy. These three words describe his character (or lack of) precisely. I honestly do not know what else to say, there isn’t anything, except that the actor is very charming and easy on the eyes.

Tea Sung (Kang Dong-won) is the sweet rebellious guy that tends to be more like a second lead, but not exactly. Again, there isn’t much here, just that the actor is very charming and I can understand how he became a star after this movie.

I will not say much about the story because there are twists – you can see them early on – and it is half the fan to see them unfold. The acting is …. Obviously the actors didn’t have much experience back then. Even though it seems that I am bashing it, I really enjoyed this movie. And my enjoying it relies heavily – solely – to the director. The director gave a youthful energy, a feel that these are teenagers with all their overflowing energy, even though their actions are not the ones of teenagers. From the music he chose and carefully put – very characteristic of the early ‘00s – and the grayish tones of the clothes and lightning, it shows that he put effort and paid attention to the details.

Why you should watch:

• Youthful, teenage movie.

• Nice, effective directing.

• Charming leads.

Why not to watch:

• Clichés, oh so many clichés.

• Acting could have been better, much better.

• Paper-thin characters.

• The story doesn’t make much sense, especially in the end.

Final verdict:

7/10. Probably would have rated it below 5, if not for the skilled director. This is more of a guilty pleasure, that you know don’t like it, but you enjoy it nevertheless.

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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.

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Hot young bloods (2013) - Review

“Hot young bloods” or “Blood boiling youth” is a movie I had in my hard drive for years and for some reason had forgotten about. As usual, I didn’t have a clear idea what this is about, but I had heard really good reviews, don’t remember where, it’s been years, and the reviews were right.

What is this about:

Directed by Lee Yeon Woo. Star Park Bo Yeong, Lee Jong Suk. This is a story of two teenagers at the last year of high school at a rural area of South Korea during the 80’s.

My review:

From the first five minutes I understood what the title was about. It really is about the young generation in the 80’s, whose blood was boiling and they were ready to fight at any excuse. This behavior is a direct result of the political state at South Korea at that time, with all that tension being reflected to the teenagers as anger.

Joong Gil (Lee Jong Suk) is the Casanova of the class, presumably the one with the most experience and better moves. He keeps score of the girls he kisses, aiming to kiss every girl. He succeeds not because he is that good, frankly he is quite the dork, but because his targets are just as naïve as he is. I loved the characterization by Lee Jong Suk. It was his little moves and expressions that brought his character to life. Even though I think he overacted towards the end, it made sense since he was supposed to be teenager and he couldn’t control his emotions.

 Young Sook (Park Bo Yeong) is the leader of the girls at their school and she acts as a formidable gangster boss. I would find her role funny if Bo Yeong wasn’t so scary. When she decides that she wants Joong Gil, it is unclear to Joong Gil and the viewers whether she has an ulterior motive or she truly likes him. Her attempts to warm him towards herself are … well, she has her own unique charm, sort of.

The highlight, though, for me is the representation of the eighties. Everything is so well placed that you can smell the eighties. And the music! The music is so on point, it has that distinct flair. Also, the beautiful scenery and the golden tones created the sense of an endless summer.

The tone of this movie distinguish it from other romantic comedies, making it stand out. It’s not too laugh-out-loud comedy, and it’s not that romantic either. And it makes poignant remarks about teenage violence as their only way to express the tension they feel around them.

Why you should watch:

• A romantic comedy that isn’t too ridiculous or romance-centered, but makes thoughtful remarks.

• Very good acting from all the actors, especially the two leads.

• Excellent representation of the 80’s.

• It shines in the little moments.

Why not to watch:

• It’s not strictly comedy and it’s not romance-centered.

Final verdict:

8.5/10. This is highly recommended and I enjoyed it very much, even though it didn’t capture my heart.

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The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008) - Review

I went to this movie knowing nothing except that it was described as “kimchi western”. I wanted something different and if it resembled anything to the original classic, then I would definitely have a great time. And I did.

What is his about:

Directed by Kim Jae Woon. Star Lee Byunng Hun, Song Kang Ho, Jung Woo Sung). In the desert of Manchuria in 1939, a bandit, Park Chang Yi (Lee Byung Hun), is hired to retrieve a treasure map from a Japanese officer traveling by train. Meanwhile a thief, Yoon Tae Goo (Song Kang Ho), steals the map and a bounty hunter, Park Do Won (Jung Woo Sung), is hired by the independence army to capture Park Chang Yi and take the map.

My review:

 I have rarely been so pleasantly surprised by a movie. Usually I have this intuition that I’ll like this movie or I won’t like it as much, and most of the times I prove myself right. Here I was more neutral, I had no idea what to expect, so my enjoyment was enhanced by how surprised I was to like it. It had humor, it had excitement, it had thrills, it had twists. I think it got me in the first minutes, when the Spanish guitar starting playing.

It ain't a western if there isn't a train in the middle of the desert with a hawk looming over it.

The direction is very sleek and very stylish. The film pays homage and gets its inspiration from the great classic “The good, the bad and the ugly”, but the director gives it a unique character. One moment we have classic western scenes, with the train speeding through a desert, the horse chase, and then we have something completely different, like rice cakes and Korean ghost markets. This is what worked so well for me, that I didn’t focus too much on the similarities, but enjoyed them in combination with characteristically Korean scenes.

The actors obviously enjoyed their roles, not only the three leads, but also the side characters. There is so much fun energy coming from their acting, you can’t help but enjoy their acting. The Weird is the funniest of them all. His face expressions are worth the movie. The Good gave a bit of Clint Eastwood vibes – probably that was the intention. And the Bad doesn’t need anyone to tell us who he is, the bad boy haircut says it all. 

The Good

The Bad

And the Weird

And, of course, I have to comment the excellent stunt work and the beautiful choreography of the action sequences. The work done here is amazing, both from the actors and the stunt men. The fight scenes occasionally reminded me of comic books, maybe because they were so stylish and sleek.

But, for me, the best thing was the music. It made everything so much funnier and exciting, it gave rhythm and tempo. The soundtrack had various influences, from the Spanish guitar themes giving homage to spaghetti western, to traditional Korean and Chinese music. And somehow all this blended together, quite well. The stand out scene was toward the end when a Manchurian group of bandits, the Bad’s group of bandits, the Japanese army and the Good chase the map and the song “Please don’t let me be misunderstood” from “Kill Bill” plays on the background, you can’t get more epic than this.

However, I understand why this movie wouldn’t appeal to everyone. The combination of western and Korean chase movie might rub some people on the wrong side, with all the different and, perhaps, opposite elements cramped together. Also, the story is not the core the movie, in fact I don’t think it had all that much dialogue, the main focus is the action, so someone could get bored.  Last but not least, this is not a masterpiece like the original.

Why you should watch:

• Humor, action (lots of it), excitement, twist – everything you could ever hope from an adventure.

• A fresh homage to a classic movie.

• Great performances from all the actors.

• Sleek and stylish is the name of the director.

• The soundtrack is one of the highlights.

Why not to watch:

• If action is not your genre.

• The fusion of spaghetti western and Korean chase movie might seem odd.

• It has lots of violence.

Final verdict:

9.5/10. Amazing and utterly enjoyable adventure movie. Highly recommended. And, do watch the trailer, it is one of the rare cases where the trailer is actually accurate to what the movie is like. 

watch the trailer:

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Friend (2001) - Review

Image from google

“Friend” is another classic Korean film from 2001. It is semi-autobiographic showing the director’s experience with his friends and it is one of the highest grossing Korean movies of all time. I decided to watch this because the storyline reminded me a lot of “Sandglass”.

What is this about:

This movie depicts the lives of four friends: Joon Suk, the son of a gangster, Dung Soo, son of an undertaker , Jung Ho, the school clown and Sang Taek, the narator the story. It starts from 1976, when they were children, continues to 1981 where they are just before adulthood and eventually when they are adults and have chosen different paths.

My review:

This is not an easy film. It doesn’t take you from the hand and tells you this is that. Far from it. It requires from you to pay attention, close attention to what is going on on your screen.

Sang Taek

Although based on the description and the first thirty minutes I thought this was about these four friends, but in the end it is about the two of them, Joon Suk and Dung Soo, who end up in opposing gangster organizations, and the inability of the other two to stop the inevitable. And it was emotional, made even more so by the simplicity, I don’t know if that is the right word, of how their emotions were expressed. Because in real life we don’t confront each other in big dramatic scenes, most of the time we leave many things unsaid, usually the most important ones. Just like in this movie.

Dung Soo

 Jung Ho and Sang Taek are very much us. When we see the disaster unfold before our eyes, we do nothing, not because we don’t want to, but because certain things are beyond our control and we can’t take responsibility for other people’s decisions, even if they are our friends.

Sang Taek and Soon Suk

It is obvious that the director poured his soul in this film. The characterization is so close to real life and the way he told his story mimicked life. You can’t see the purpose of it all until the very end. So, if for the three quarters of the film you wonder where does this lead to, you can’t see a connection to the pieces of their lives, have patience and wait until the last thirty or twenty minutes.

The performances are stellar from everyone. Even for the minor roles the actors were carefully selected. Especially the four leads brought to life interesting flawed humans that you feel for.

However … this could be a masterpiece, but for me failed for one single reason. I was left confused even after the movie ended. I had to search on google to see what I was missing – apparently quite a few. And after I read the information I appreciated the nuances of this film even more. But I would like not to have to look it up, to answer these questions on my own by the end. Perhaps it is not the director’s fault, perhaps he subtitles I used weren’t the best and many things were lost in translation.

Why you should watch:

• One of the best Korean movies.

• Exceptional direction and performances.

• Complex story with layers and layers of details.

• If you like gangster movies.

Why not to watch:

• If you don’t like ganster movies.

• It has a fair amount of violence and it shows use of drugs and sex.

• Maybe it is too complex story.

Final verdict:

9.5/10. Very close to being a masterpiece. I certainly would watch it again – and with different subtitles – and I highly recommend it.

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The Classic (2002) - Review

Since I started with some classic Korean dramas (Sandglass, Autumn in my heart), I thought to continue with a classic Korean movie, “The classic”. Hehe. It is one of the most well known Korean movies, probably you know it too, and it was a hit back in the day. Many of its scenes are iconic and still used as a reference by many filmmakers, as well as its soundtrack. It surely deserves all the praise because it is a heartfelt movie.

What is this about:

A young student, Ji Hae (Song Ye Jin), is writing emails to help her friend pursue her love interest (Jo In Seung), but she is interested in him too. Meanwhile, she finds her mother’s diary and love letters and so her mother’s story and hers unfolds.

My review:

I think it is one of those movies that the less you know about the story the better. Not that it is based on complex story and plot twists, though it has its share, it’s just that the emotion drives the story. So if you want to feel it in its fullest I’d say you don’t have to read any synopses.

This movie has a plethora of elements that have worked very well together, from direction and writing to the performances.

The actress is uminous in the movie.

All the characters are made human and sympathetic, except Ji Hae’s friend who was a jealous irritating girl that needed to be slapped. So, aside that small irritation, everyone had little things that they did and were so characteristic of them, showing that they weren’t just stereotypes serving the story, but three dimensional characters. Although the leads in the flashbacks were more heartbreaking, the ones in the present were also vulnerable and emotional.

The iconic rain scene.

The direction is stunning with beautiful shots filled with emotions. The use of landscape made it part of the story. The director wisely used sometimes the romance, sometimes the humor and sometimes the drama in order to progress the story smoothly and with this interchange of feelings kept the viewer always present.

So beautiful scenery.

Also, the music has been used very successfully and sticks with you. In most scenes the soundtrack consists of classical music, but it has contemporary songs that suit the modern couple very well.

In case I haven't convienced you by now.

The production values are evidently high on this movie. From the colour palette, to the cinematography to the representation of the 70s and 80s, it is apparent that there was much work behind all these.

Why you should watch:

•    One of the best Korean movies and a well deserved classic.
•    Very good directing and top notch production.
•    Excellent performances from the actors.
•    Memorable soundtrack with a mix of classical and contemporary pieces.
•    Romance and friendship are the cores of the story.

Why not to watch:

•    If romantic movies are not your type.

Final verdict:

10/10. One of the best romantic movies I have ever seen. This movie ought to be in every romantic’s movie list. It’s one of these cases where everything has worked out so well and the end result is even better. Highly recommended.

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