How To Use Guys With Secret Tips Korean Movie Quick Recap (2013)

Even if I enjoyed the amusing and lively editing, I didn’t like how predictable and unruly the characters were in this story.  For some weird reasons, I have seen most of Lee Si Young’s romcoms, and while undoubtedly she has a knack in comic-romance timing, I can’t feel her connection with the leading man, and not because he’s not that good-looking *giggles but because his projected persona was not that appealing to weave a cold Romeo with side arrogance issues.

So Lee Si Young played the role of Choi Bo-na, an unappealing girl who struggled to make the male population notice and adore her.  She is often times overlooked because of how basically she dressed and carried herself.  When she was left behind the production team she was working with packed up, she had an epiphany of a video shop where an ajussi introduced a video manual on how she can attract boys.  Bewildered and not buying the whole idea, she got sidetracked by ajussi’s sale pitch when he threw in a remark that something dark will happen to her if she won’t purchase it.  So she went home holding the “Instruction on how to Charm Men” video and was not really meaning to see it.  But then she found herself watching the video non-sense and actually learning a thing or two from it.  Soon the changes from her confidence were emerging and she even landed sharing sheets with a Hallyu star she at first had a bad encounter.  After their one night stand, the girl went keen in following the video manual and was able to draw the Hallyu star, Lee Jung Se, closer to her, but still the latter was still disregarding her because of his top star status so she devised a way to make him fall for her even more, and with hint of jealousy and not extending her attention to him, Jung-se found himself smitten by the Assistant’ director’s charm.

Just when everything is falling on the right places and just when both of them were acknowledging their presence in each other’s lives, the eventual conflict of the lead guy knowing about the manual she was following put a wall between them.  The growing and steadying fondness were almost halted but because the power of love can cure almost everything, they found the way back to each other’s arms.

This is the usual love movie, where viewers would already know what will happen in the story, and yet we stayed watching it hoping that at least it would draw some funk at least, but nothing happened.  I hate it when there’s a love misunderstanding and the people involved won’t give a chance to explain their sides.  In this modern time, where communication can be reached online and offline, if a relationship will be misunderstood, then there was no connection at all between the people claiming they were into each other. 

It was a sleek directing and editing, that’s what you will really notice about this film, considering that the plot was not a novelty, the director was able to make it so appealing because of how it was narrated.

I love the idea of how the lead couple “fell in love”, against their personality differences and going beyond their comfort zones, but I hated that they acted stupid on the course of falling in love.

I would give a fair rating on this film because I really found the editing cute and appetizing, but don’t account on a lingering effect, because you won’t find it. -jediprincess

Love 911 Quick KMovie Recap

When Go Mi-soo misdiagnosed a patient, her doctor’s license went in danger, and only if she can convince a fireman, Kang-il, who was assaulted by the patient’s husband’s victim to side with her to reveal the violent nature of the former can she be reprieved of the situation and improve her chance on her medical suspension. She tried ways to persuade Kang-il by using faith, seduction and even attempting to jump on a bridge to catch his attention but his distant self stayed firm.

Then Mi-soo volunteered for community service and joined the rescue team to inch herself closer to Kang-il. In one of their rescue operations, Mi-soo’s constant fainting left her unconscious in the building’s basement, and when Kang-il noticed it and went back to the site, as soos as he held her unconscious body, the after treatment of the gas leak proceeded, shutting the room and filling it up icy temperature. The previously bickering pair was left no choice but to rely on each other’s nakedness to battle hypothermia.

When they were rescued, Kang-il lightened up and started opening himself to Mi-soo. He also revealed to her the pain he still feels whenever the memory of his deceased wife surges. But just when they were leading into rescuing each other and falling in love in the process, Mi-soo’s impending license issue reached an almost no escaping point because the patient’s condition worsened. She tried swaying Kang-il but he remained unmoved about his initial decision. The patient’s husband locked and hung himself but was revived by Mi-soo, and even if it was hard for her to leave the profession she so wanted, she resigned from her job and sought forgiveness from the patient’s husband. She met up with Kang-il and inside a church, she declared her love for him. But since she knew that he was not fully healed of his dead wife’s memories, she decided she has to let him go. 

Kang-il went back to the station and they headed to another dangerous encounter as they tried to rescue a man stuck by a boulder in a collapsing building.  Kang-il’s careless hero attitude kicked in again and decided to stay by the victim’s side and try to lift him in the split chance they will have once they induce a rapture.  He was able to free the man but they got caught by the wall debris falling. Luckily they were rescued and as he groped back to consciousness, he had an epiphany of Mi-soo.  He woke up and plot-crazy-warranted stood up, ran and look for the girl he is now ready to love back. They met in an intersection and shared a sweet, loving kiss and they carried on with their saving lives along with the rescue team.

Most love stories tell an evident 100% love from its onset, that being said I liked how the adoration build up in this movie. It was not “impossible instant”, but “I know where you’ve been” kind of love. I liked that the man was wounded this time, and the woman did the chasing to make the man fall for her and to heal his broken heart. It was a reversal of romantic roles that exuded understanding and maturity in handling love replies. 

It was a very comforting movie to witness, and not much korean movie cliches too.  It was a balanced rom-com that presented a picture of how love begins when we intend it to happen. It was filled with humor, funny supporting cast, and a couple you will really root for to be together. 

The thing about love is that it “grows”… so it is not something to be forced but to be realized. LOVE 911 nailed this romantic reality. Sometimes all we need is someone who can make us believe that we are wrong in thinking that we haven’t moved on yet from the pain of a previous relationship. If we have been doing it all alone, and nothing has been happening, then maybe we have to let someone help us … maybe push us to work even more, or maybe take our hands to do it together. 

This was an engrossing love movie I’m so happy I picked to get back on board from a quick kmovie hibernation. -jediprincess

 

Hearty’s Heart and his loving Paws

Since ” A dog of flanders”, I have stayed away from dog movies because it put me on trauma when I was a young girl.  *giggles  When I got a little older and I thought I can face the world on my own, another dog movie threw me to tear binge – Hachiko Monogatari.  Since then, I have been searching for a man who will be as patient as Hachiko.  I have been waiting in vain because that won’t happen.  In between Myungwol the Spy and my tab space memory running out I decided to finish Hearty Paws to free some space and I made the right decision.  It brought me to tears as expected and I am really closed to being a certified Yoo Seung Ho stalker

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“Hearty Paws” tells about the story of Chan, Soyi and Hearty.  Chan and Soyi’s mother left them in their auntie’s care and went to the city to earn money but she never came back.  Since Soyi wanted a dog for her birthday, Chan stole a pup for his sister’s birthday gift.  Chan loved his sister so much and has been living a simple life with her and their dog.  He was willing to take all the hardships in life and was trying to be strong for his sister.

While playing in the snowfield reigned by Hearty, Chan excused himself to poop, and when hearty saw a kite, he got distracted and run after it, but the ice broke and a hole was created.  Soyi followed and when Chan realized what was happening, he ran after then but it was too late as Soyi fell in the hole and died.

Chan sought his mother’s location but he could not bring up to her the news of Soyi’s passing. He has also disregarded Hearty and left him when he went to Busan, little did he know that his dog followed him.  He joined a group of children handled by a thug because he has nowhere else to go, and later saw Hearty while he was being caught in front of a public locker stand where he kept Soyi’s favorite pink bag given by their mother.  Hearty was also included by the gang but he later earned the ire of the gang leader when he stood up to his friend.  The next day they were brought to a theme park while Hearty was pawned to the ferocious fighter dog of the gang leader.  He was left wounded and hurting in a trash lot.  The minions of gang leader hinted what happened to Hearty and in Chan’s anger he slammed Becky’s dog cage waking up the gang meany and the rest of the household.  He was almost thrown at Becky’s cage but his friend called the police to rescue him.

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Chan set forth to do what ever may come to him, but got hold up when gang leader chased after him and tried to abduct him.  Hearty came to rescue him and his cold heart warmed up with his dog’s sincerity, thus they went back to their dog-bromance.  When Chan got sick, Hearty looked after him, and when the police took him to look for his guardian, on Hearty’s barking, they were alerted that Chan was being kidnapped.  Crazy gang leader blaming Chan on his business decline and his pet dog’s demise tried to kill him, but trust Hearty to save his master.  Evil villain beat Hearty, and in his struggling sick self, Chan mustered his remaining strength to the dog that has given all of his life to him

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Hearty unfortunately suffered so much, and in the end Chan and him went back home.  Chan woke up and saw Hearty lying down on the gate trying to go somewhere.  Chan figured where he was meaning to go, and in the bus stop where he and Soyi used to stay to wait for him.  Hearty bid goodbye to his master. *sniff *sniff Another heartwarming movie you can share with your family, and if you are a dog lover like me, I can guarantee this as a nice watch.

KMovie quick peek: Closer To Heaven (2009)

CAST:  Ha Ji Won and Kim Myung Min

Closer to Heaven was a very painful and yet love-affirming romance between a dying man who wants to live, and a woman who makes a living when a person dies.  Ji-soo was twice divorced because of her job as a she-undertaker, the love that was deprived of her, she fully realized when she met Jong-woo who will eventually die because of Lou Gehrig’s disease. This was a lovestory that will make you realize how blessed you are in a relationship because there are those who really want to love one another all the days of their lives but they have to battle death for it.

 

This movie has had me made me feel so weak with my convictions when it comes to loving someone.  You see I’m always the practical type, if I survey the situation and I know for a fact that there’s no common ground to hit, I won’t consider dating someone.  But there went Ji-soo – she knew right there and then that the man was dying but she never cared of the future together but of what she was feeling.

 

On a viewer’s perspective, the eventual outcome is already expected, but the strength of this film, was how it narrated the progression of the “sickness conflict” while the lovers involved fought hard to rely on an impossible love even on the onset.

 

A perfectly portrayed and a moving story of understanding the pain that comes when loving someone and loving someone when you are in pain.  With solid acting from Kim Myung Min and Ha Ji Won, this will touch your heart and will make you cry. Quintessential yet saddening, poignant and affecting… ^_^

The Grand Heist (2012) Korean Movie Recap

I’ve been having a peg on heist movies these days, and in the past weeks Cha Tae Hyun oppa has been sweetly haunting me because of my following of Jeon Woo Chi and 1Night2days.  I’m sort of resuming my long recap for Kmovies, I know I have been neglecting kmovies lately so I’m really meaning to finish my pendings.  WordPress friends, I present you… THE GRAND HEIST.

CAST

Cha Tae Hyun  Oh Ji Ho  Min Hyo Rin  Lee Chae Young   Song Jong Ho

Lazy bummer Lee Doek Mu has been living with Mr. Yang while tending a book store in Joseon era.  He is a son of the Right Minister through a concubine that’s why he can’t hold a government position eventhough he has a brilliant mind.

He has been loving a woman secretly and in his pursuit to know her he followed her one day when she was rushing to where local ice were being distributed and pleaded with the head royal guard, Baek Dong Soo, who was also her brother to give some ice for the children she was taking care of.  But Dong-soo refused to provide ice freebies so Soo Ryun left sadly.

Wanting to be her knight in shining armor, Doek-Mu donned multiple mask and in a gaksital way stole a block of ice, but Dong-soo followed him and they engaged in an ice chase where Doek-mu eventually earned some wood whips from the palace guards. 

Later on Dong-soo visited the orphanage where her sister works and brought some ice, and he got surprised to learn that someone left some ice already for them.

 
Dong-soo deduced that it was Doek-mu who was then being treated by Mr. Yang through the help of a book about torture that he got from Netherlands, a place he so wanted to go.

 
At that time ICE was a very prized commodity that they even pay homage to the winter god to continue the frost supply.  The left minister led the local official villains engaged into a whine about the King after the winter offering, and his eyes darted to the Right Minister reminding special ice rangers to protect the ice. 

When Dong-soo got into the wrong side of the Left Minister, he was framed and got stripped off of his position, after an avalanche was striked while they were harvesting ice blocks.  He barely escaped but his team drowned beneath the sea of ice.

 

Meanwhile Mr. Yang just came back from his travel exploits and was bragging about the western life style and the women which made Doek-mu interested as Mr. Yang described in detail how the western women were so pretty, blond and big-breasted.  *pffft boys!

 
Dong-soo handled the securing of ice storage and distribution but Left Minister’s nephew illegally did ice mining and forcing slaves to work with them.  Dong-soo learned about the forced labor and wondered who the official was behind it.

 
On cue, the official trying to go against the King’s law about ice order met with his baddie minions and discussed how the Right Minister, Lee Sung-ho was controlling the price of ice making life hard for the noble men.  His nephew also reported about special ice guard Dong-soo blocking the ice forced labor.

 
The son of the Left Minister proposed a plan to his father about their current worries and off they go to execute their evil plans.

 
As the upcoming storm was brewing, Doek-mu listened to drunk Mr. Yang explaining to him the meaning of “OK” (this duo chemistry really cracked me up).

Little did these two know that they will be framed through possession of an illegal book copy for the part 2 evil plan of the Left Minister and his cronies.

 
So Dong-soo, Doek-mu and Mr. Yang were imprisoned. Doek-mu’s father visited him in the prison.  He told his father honestly that they never have that book.  Unbeknownst to him he was in the middle of a minister feud. 

The Right Minister was left no choice but to step down of his position to save his son’s life as Mr. Yang wasn’t able to bear the torture and died leaving the last words that he didn’t get to see the Netherlands. 

Doek-mu gathered his remains in the morning when they were release.  He saw his father being carried away by the royal guards.  Realizing the cost of his freedom he grieved deeply at the lost of his father and his teacher-bestfriend.

 
He went to Mr. Yang’s house while the meanies were celebrating their victory.  He woke up and saw a glimmer of light across the room and found a box where he saw letters from his father to his teacher-friend.
After tears, he vowed at his master’s tomb that he will get to the bottom of what forcedly happen to them.
 

So in four seasons Doek-mu burried himself to studying in preparation of his vengeance scheme.  To put into his action his plans, he has to enlist Dong-soo who was exiled because of the demise of his fellow special ice guards.  He joined him in his abs work-out by the sea and inquired about the ice distribution work around. 

He explained how ice has been a staple need that’s why it needed to be privatized.  Doek-mu quipped how the process affected the noble people who wanted to monopolize the business and hinted how upon his discharged from his position, the nephew of Left Minister Cho Myung-joo proposed a plan to venture into ice mining and got an exclusive right to unearthing ice by pinning on the ice accident that was headed by Dong-soo. 

He further explained how the son of Left Minister controlled the pricing of ice conjugating the ideas that Left Minister’s family and allies have been in command of the ice dealings in the country and has been causing troubles to the common people who can’t afford the price of the frost commodity. 

 
So then Doek-mu went to disclose his intentions of joining force to cut the root of the problem, Cho Myung-soo, their common enemy who was the mastermind of the ploys to have both of them be jailed through plotting evidence against them.  Furious of learning the truth about his unfair dismissal, Doek-mu Doek-mu appeased him of his brilliant payback idea but their conversation was distracted by Dong-soo’s sister who was also Doek-mu’s crush.

 

He was so delighted to see Soo Ryun and started calling Dong-soo brother-in-law.  Dong-soo annoyed of his guest shoved him away as Doek-mu was left no choice but to oblige.  He made him promised to see him after a month to hear out his plans, and against his will, he walked away.

 
After a month, while Doek-mu dreamily muttered intimate maiden moment in his mischievous half-awake self, he groped for water and choked on it when he saw the brother of the maiden he was thinking about staring at his vengeance blueprint.

 
He agreed to the proposed connivance on three conditions:  that no innocent people will get hurt, that there will be no stealing of country’s money involved and the last one was that he will call the shots.  Doek-mu happily agreed to his conditions and was surprised how he understood his plan so easily.  So then they set to their herculean task and their first stop was to meet their money man.

 

alias MONEYMAN

They laid out their plans to the money man who will be sheltering the ice that they will raid from Cho family’s storage. Moneyman was adamant to go with the idea thinking it was impossible to move that amount of ice to his ice storage.  But Doek-mu talked him through it convincing him that they were assembling a great team for the heist.

alias DEAFY

They hired a deaf explosive specialist who caused ruckus while Left Minister was talking earning him a forced resignation from his job.  They will also be joined by a con artist expert in camouflaging himself. 

alias CONMAN

alias TRANSPORTER

To move the items, a cargo transport specialist will do the trick and a famous tomb raider who took China by storm will make all the ice disappear. 

alias TOMB RAIDER  

The moneymaker finally agreed to finance their mission and hide the ice blocks and they sealed the agreement with an OK. *chuckles (i love the humor of this film).

 
Then they got to the meet and greet event to spark up their thieving quest.  They were joined by last minute female members Seol-hwa and Nani to strong disagreements of the participants, but when the girls ran down each of the member’s identities and mischief-makings, the ladies took their roles as informants.

alias SEOL-HWA

alias NANI  

Then they went to the business and discuss the biggest score of their lives.  Doek-mu and Dong-soo alternately explained their cards and path.  The king’s grandson will be celebrating a grand birthday ergo it will require plenty of ice because it’s midsummer. 

They will be stealing the ice from Cho family and the ice dealers.  Because Lord Cho will be in charge of the event they will demand for an exchange of money amounting to his total fortune.  He will be forced to give in the amount less his son will be exiled and if he demanded to meet them, the book of his illegal dealings will be drawn, and will make him lost everything.

To go through the plan, they have to steal the book from Lord Cho’s house and dig a tunnel to the storage.  The mounds from the dugged soil will appear like mountain tombs

 

Con-man will get the book of the evil dealings.  Dong-soo pledged his and Doek-mu’s money to them to the latter’s protest, but then he agreed after seeing the smiling faces of the gang.

 
So then the new-found-band-of-thieves went to their plan, and first up they searched for a hideout and the place where they will dig the tunnel.

 
The Operation Shawshank Redemption will carry on until the night before the celebration and to hide their ploy, the dirt load will be converted to burial mounds after a supposed plague that hit an area near Seokbinggo, Nani will share urban legend to the children about the plague and burial site.

 
Seol-hwa would keep an eye on Lord Cho’s movements as explosive expert would of course silent dynamites that are so hard to get the right mixture.

 

Clueless about his upcoming downfall, Lord Cho marvelled at his cronnies bribes to him and then suddenly switched to his vileness when the defense minister failed to find something that would cause trouble to Yi San, a strong contender to be the next King.

Conman used Lord Cho’s concubine to infiltrate his household. Evil Cho commanded his son to raise the cost of the ice and handed him the book of their evildoings… and then we see conman dressed as a slave done with his eavesdropping of the location of the book they needed.  

While Left Minister fumed at his useless-non-thinking minions, the thieves watched explosive expert dry run of the soundless bomb, but of course you cant count on a hard of hearing person to create the bomb they were requesting so they ended up covered with smoke after the explosion dry run. 

They continued with their excavation but they needed the blueprint to know exactly where the tunnel would lead.  Doek-mu realized fast the best person to infiltrate the palace and encouragingly tapped Dong-soo’s shoulder to do the deed.

 
But on Dong-soo’s break-in night he encountered an assassin so his ex-protect-the-palace instinct kicked in and chased after the swift rogue but lost him. 

At the head quarters conman was enticing the boys with his steamy encounter with Lord Cho’s concubine but while the boys were almost reaching the excitement, deaf explosive expert complained on how he’s not proceeding with the story.  *chuckles

 
Dong-soo arrived at the hide out in a gloomy face and told the gang about the assassin who was intending to kill Yi San.  Then Dong-soo sensed a disturbance in the force and they quickly attended to the eavesdropper who happened to be a little boy.

Nami did the mini inquisition but the little boy made an excuse that he was curious about the plague and was investigating about it. Yey! mini-sherlock.  10pts for gryffindor for your story and cheek.

The next day on the minister’s meeting there was an outburst on the attempted assassination to Yi San, but Lord Cho firmly shoved it as a propesterous idea.  Tomb-raider happily entered the hide out and demanded Dong-soo of the blueprint. 

The young boy they decided to just hostage suggested that they can use of old King Sado’s journals which were settled at a place where spartan monks were inhabiting. 

The roulette spotted mighty Dong-soo to lead the invasion.  Clearly outnumbered Dong-soo and Doek-mi relied on their feet as they ran away from the chasing monks.  They finally got the blueprint so Professor Dong-soo proceeded with Seobinggo 101 crash course.

He lectured the eight conjoined rooms of the ice storage but Doek-mu noticed a faint 9th room on the the plan, the boy hostage pointed out that the country’s architecture was very particar to #9, so the team has to make sure about their accidental discovery.

Seol-hwa and Dong-soo visited the person who can tell them about Room #9.  The all-knowing-bald-musician can only communicate with music so as Seol-hwa played the gayageum to impart their intentions, Doek-mu has to bear the all-knowing’s-daughter’s not so sweet kisses and fondling.  *pooroppa  As the height of the music conversation go on, and so was the lady’s excitement over Doek-mu, until he surrendered and they ended up thrown inside a well, but they scraped an information about Prince So-hyeon. 

Doek-mu conversed with Moneyman, and he explained how he was exiled in China for 8 years.  Doek-mu narrated how his assets were confiscated by the King except for his gold.  Now a eunuch accompanied the deposed Prince, and when the Prince died along with the gold, the Chinese eunuch also vanished.  Prince Sado (Yi San’s father) borrowed some money from a merchant and returned it before he died. 

And the merchant who was also Moneyman received the Chinese gold which could probably that of Prince Prince So-hyeon.  Doek-mu called a meeting and he convened what the 9th room probably hid – GOLD. 

So the gang got all excited except for kill-joy Dong-soo, Doek-mu agreed with including the gold as he claimed it was not the country’s asset.

 

Dong-soo battled with his ex-royal-guard instinct, and decided to leave the group.  Short with one man, Deafy got an idea with the explosives and signed up the boy captive to be his assistant-cum-protegee. 

He ordered him to fetch urine and cooked it in a big fire.  *eeeeew gross.period.
It became a powdery substance and after Deafy and Chatty boy went Einstein, they produced “dragon fire”.  They tested the firefly-inspired bomb and boom!  It was soundless. 

The group sat on a campfire as they watch the flame roasting the chicken. Nami mentioned how they were almost done and would have been nice if Dong-soo would come back.  Deafy wondered where he went so Chatty boy has to remind him he left.  All eyes darted at Doek-mu to try to win back Mighty Doek-mu who was then at Lord Cho’s house and has just thrown a knife to announce his presence.  Evil Lord warmly greeted him.

Dong-soo delivered a why-are-you-so-greedy? litany, but the villain Lord just shrugged about him being so overly patriotic and ordered his men to drag him out.  He wildly chased after him but was halted when Lord Cho’s son, shot him.  He almost got a second gunshot serving but transporter man and Dong-soo came rushing to rescue him.

They engaged in a feud about principles as Dong-soo blurted how he wanted to avenge his friends who died in the ice mine but he was coveting the country’s gold.  Doek-mu argued that after they get the ice and they don’t include the gold, it will be of great use for Lord Cho. 

 

Stubborn Dong-soo won’t budge and left Doek-mu moping with the lighted orb.
Doek-mu visited his father.  He felt so bad seeing how his father is having a hard life but the old Right Minister re-assured him that he will get by. 

Conman was still out of luck in locating the book as Cave raider meticulously survey the tunnel they created and was pounding the wall but the prodigal member came back to warn him not to push it anymore. 

They located the safe location to move the ice.  The reunited team sat on a table as Seol-hwa prepared some iced sweets, but of course Dong-soo’s bowl was extra special.

Then Moneyman entered the hideout, and it was funny how Deafy thought it was Conman under disguise.

He delivered the news that the old King passed away.  Lord Cho was in grumpy mood as the retard puppet prince he was wanting to get to the throne worried that Yi San will soon be enthroned.

 

So mastermind Doek-mu gathered the crew for a last minute change of plans.  They will instead heave the ice and gold the night before the enthronement ceremony.  Since it’s impossible to load the amount of blocks in 4days, Doek-mu explained that they will leave something for the celebration and will use the water canal to bridge it to the ferry where the rest of the ice blocks were waiting.

The hoistering, shoveling and water way plans looked feasible.  The ice will not be wasted because it will be thrown to the people watching the fireworks, and the explosives will push the ice to move. And with the ice shower, they will take that opportunity to seize the gold from the secret room.  Move over big bang theory geeks. *giggles

 

But then there’s one problem, tunnel raider doesn’t know how to swim so he cannot sever the water vein to trigger the movement of the ice.  So they needed a pro-diver who can stay long under water, and trust Doek-mu to think fast, and they all admiringly gaze at Soo-ryun to Dong-soo’s annoyance, making her the last member of the group.

Doek-mu won’t waste the chance to hit on Soo-ryun so on her practice drill, he gave her the light orb to her amazement.  And as she muttered how pretty and precious the orb, he was also thinking the same thing as he stared at her.

The gang were hefting ice when Lord Cho’s son entered the room, he refused sending ice for the celebration and pushed his guards away to take a nap. 

Tunnel-raider who has been releasing gas all throughout the movie, can’t pick a perfect timing and released another one.  The evil son heard it but dismissed the thought and resumed his lazying around.

2 days until the ceremony the men are flexing their muscles to hit the water vein as Conman was going crazy on finding the Lord Cho’s book of evildoings.  While his blood bled on his nose he hit jackpot and found what he was looking for.

The crew were so tired playing archaelogists and worried that they might not beat the deadline, but legendary tomb raider boasted that they were in good hands.

They were joined by Soo-ryun in her aeon-flux suit courtesy of future sis    in law Seol-hwa… and to complete the cast, smiling Conman appeared holding the evil evidence.

6 hours before the operation though, a complication arouse when Conman’s borrowed Lord Cho’s concubine spilled his snooping around the Master’s quarter and revealed to Lord Cho’s son the hideout of our thieves.   *hellhathnofurywhenyouleftawomanwantingmore

Evil son eavesdropped about the secret gold, and upon hearing the treasure, evil son got so engrossed.

An hour before midnight, Evil Lord presided over a meeting to cause ruckus for the election of the new King, evil son rushed to his side and whispered what he found out.

Soo-ryun stretched in preparation for her water adventure.  Tunnel-raider asked Dong-soo to go to the secret room, and when the clock striked 12, Soo-ryun unleashed the water vein trigger as Doek-mu released the bombs.

 

They almost didn’t survive it, but you know power of love always complement a feel good movie.  Tunnel-raider madly hearing the rushing water pressure used his bare hands as he panic on a possible drowning idea for him, and as the water and ice let out to the ferry and so was he.  *lol

 
Doek-mu, Dong-soo and Soo-ryun went to Room 9 and walked to the treasure.  Doek-mu opened the treasure chest and while they looked at the fortune, the evil father and sin and their assassin wielded a sword to them and was held captive. 

They were dragged to the tunnel to meet the after-life.  Dong-soo escaped his ropes and the trio tried to run away.  Doek-mu sent signal to begin the cave blowing but Deafy sensed some faulty connection.  He encouraged chatty boy to carry on his legacy and went inside to manually trigger the bomb.

 

The heisters met outside to face the sad truth that Deafy sacrificed himself.
And then they got captured again by Evil Lord’s right wing man, luckily Tunnel raider just got back from a trip with the ice and waters, Dong-soo freed himself from the rope and on cue Tunnel-raider threw his weapon, and Warrior Baek Dong-soo tackled the assassin and the rest went berserk fighting the enemies. 

They were leading the surge but the family’s slaves went to the rescue, and just as they were all cornered, Deafy came back from the ruins and threw an ultimate bomb that wiped out the baddies. 

But Evil Cho right and snatched Soo-ryun and to rescue his lady love, Doek-mu counted on his memory about the principles of pistol using. 

 

In slow motion and I really laughed at this scene, Doek-mu poised himself to target the enemy and finally end his vile existence.

 
The adorable thieves happily reunited but forgot Moneyman behind.  *chuckles

 
Yi San got enthroned and the evil gang got tortured.

And we all wonder what happened to our thieves?  12 hours before they execute their plan, they already saw the treasures but they were moved at Prince Sado’s letter to his son, Yi San. 

They decided not to take their share and helped build a better country with no system class and kindness in each of the citizen’s heart.

But of course they won’t end up empty handed, Conman’s lover to compensate for her mistake stole Lord Cho’s fortune for them to share with one another. *victorious

Then we see an epilogue of Doek-mu and Dong-soo as the former revealed how he planted the letter on the treasure and left it to fate whether the rest of the thieves would be moved to let go of their treasure share.  Eventually they did. 

The foursome couple set to their journey to Amsterdam as chatty boy grew up geeky Song Joong Ki. 

 

And that WordPress friends is the story of 11 quirky thieves who defied ice, gold and politics.  -jediprincess

COMMENTS:

Set in the era with so many technological limitations, The Grand Heist will mock at those heist films you have already seen.  Overflowing with humor and showcasing a smooth sailing story, this movie will leave a smile on your face after watching it.

Modern heist films normally brag about the tricks and the smarts they utilized to get their score, this production is no different but it was made even so much better.  It’s not a precious diamond or a pricey antiquated work of art in spotlight to be pinched but ICE.  Why ICE?  Because at that time it was a very indispensable commodity.  How a band of thieves execute their premeditated plan to procure a tantamount ice stock and transport it to another storage is for you to watch (or read on my blog).  *wink

This fusion period movie was well mixed and well done.  I promise you cuteness and humor.  I promised you it’s gonna be worth your time.

The Way Home (2002) quick movie musings

 

Once in a while you get to sit with a simple story about love that doesn’t involve romantic feelings, and you will feel so happy and moved after spending time watching it.

It was narrated in an easy to follow manner but it will really hit home and linger a heartwarming effect that will make you think of your grandmother or if you don’t have one like me you will regret not being able to know them.

Sang-woo (played by little boy Yoo Seung-ho) was left by his mother in an old village to settle some financial problems they have.  Raised in the city he was not accustomed with the plain living in the old village and was disrespectful and a brat with his old grandmother.  Little by little though he became closer to her and when his mother returned for him it sent me to 60 weeping seconds as I grew attached of their relationship.

On their way to his mother’s hometown, a young boy, Sangwoo, was annoyed with the loud chatter of old folks inside the bus, he entertained himself by playing his video game.  His mother temporarily left him in the care of his old grandmother who patiently understood the brat who cared only for himself and what he likes to do and will make him happy.

Used to modern day living Sang-woo spent his days playing video games but when it ran off battery he threw a tantrum after Halmoni (grandma) can’t provide him any money.  He stole his mother’s hairpin and tried to sell it to get a battery but all the battery stores in the small town didn’t sell the kind of battery his video game needed.

When all of his spam were eaten, he clinged on Halmoni’s promise of “fried chicken” and off Halmoni went to sell some of her home grown stuff to get her grandson what he wanted to eat.  Halmoni brought home live chicken ready to be boiled and cooked in ginger and salt, and to his disappointment, Sang-woo wailed and cried as he didn’t get what he expected, but hunger hit him by midnight and in the dead of night he munched Halmoni’s chicken special. 

The next morning when he woke up and Halmoni was still lying down, he worried she could be dead but was just in fact not feeling well after she got soaked in rain on his way home to get Sang-woo’s chicken.  When Halmoni felt better they went to the market to barter Halmoni’s veggies for money.  Sang-woo wanted to eat chocopie and Halmoni’s friend gave her some of it.  Their bus was set to go so Halmoni tried to give something for Sang-woo to carry but on his brat self mode again, he shoved the plastic back to her.

Sang-woo ate all the chocopies except for one and wondered why buses have arrived and left without his Halmoni, and then he finally saw her approaching and felt sorry realizing she had to walk for him to ride on the bus, and he even felt sorrier because he didn’t help carry the plastic to lighten her load.  He slipped the sole choco pie to Halmoni’s plastic and from then on he showed some good signs of being good to his loving grandmother.

Sang-woo was having a crush on a young girl so he needed a haircut, so Halmoni gave him a funny haircut.  After playing though with his crush he went home and got himself some bruises and fright after being chased by the village’s crazy cow. He noticed the video game Halmoni was trying to give him and when he opened it he saw some money, he realized then that he was trying to give him money for the battery.

He went home and Halmoni was there waiting for him, and he started crying and through his tears he tried to tell her what happened that day.  Halmoni lovingly took him and gave him a letter from his mother.  Knowing that his mother will soon come to get him, he taught her how to write in Hangul.  “I’m sick” and “I Miss You”.  But Halmoni was having a hard time learning it.  He also made sure to stock up her needles with threads for her to use when she is sewing.

Sang-woo’s mother arrived and while he fought off the sad feeling of leaving her, he got in the bus but then rushed to go back to Halmoni and gave her his favorite robot cards. 

He stared lovingly at his mother while the bus drove away and when Halmoni got home she looked at the back of the cards which Sang-woo transformed into  “I Miss You” and “I’m sick” post cards.

This is a perfect movie to watch with your grandmother if you have one.  So touching and heart-stirring in its simplicity and yet the emotion surge you will while watching it was so compelling and family bond affirming.  This is a story of a grandmother’s unconditional love to her grandson and whosoever watched it will certainly feel good after and restrospect a little if he’s being rude to his grandma.

This will be added to my favorite movie list.  ^_^

 

Bunt Korean Movie Quick Musings

I was beaming and smiling and was so amused while watching this endearing father-and-son movie.  A heartwarming film full of a father’s love to his good-natured but feeble-minded child and a friendship so sweet, it will make you reminisce your childhood memories.

Dong-gu has been the resident water boy of his class.  He loves doing it even if his classmates constantly make fun of him.  His being half-witted was discussed to his father by his teacher and the principal, but his father still refused to enroll him at a school for special children mainly because Dong-gu is used to following routines, and going to that school has been part of that routine.

Annoyed by Dong-gu’s being simple-minded, his class partner put a frog inside the water kettle, not realizing what has happened, his teacher scolded him and from then on, a water dispenser replaced Dong-gu’s favorite water kettle.

I didn’t realize I was already crying when Dong-gu confronted the water dispenser.  Angry at something who has taken out the only thing that is making him recognized by his classmates, he threw punches at it for hurting his young heart.

While little Dong-gu is having a hard time at school, his father was also facing a predicament because their house which was pawned when Dong-gu’s mother was sick 5 years ago will be taken away from them soon if they won’t be able to raise a money to claim it back.

Then one day, Dong-gu saw a baseball player holding a water kettle, his slow-witted brain processed a miraculous idea and found himself imposing as the new water boy of the baseball team.   When one of the players quitted his position, the coach made Dong-gu one of his players.  The next day Dong-gu attended his class wearing his baseball uniform, and were teased by his classmates who can’t believe that a no-brainer would understand the concept of baseball, but his class partner has had enough of their classmates making fun of Dong-gu, so he stood up for him and from then he threw away the hesitations of taking in a slow person as a friend, and started to be Dong-gu’s bestfriend.

While having the problems of securing the possession of their house, Dong-gu’s father was also suspected of having a cancer.  The coach was also on pressure because of their upcoming game and Dong-gu who can’t still hit the ball was almost cut out from the team if not for his best friend stepping in to take responsibility of coaching him. 

Dong-gu tends to close his eyes when the ball approaches so he can’t hit it, but then one day while he was playing with the raindrops, his best friend got an idea.

He taught him the concept of “BUNT” in baseball.  This is a baseball technique where the hitter taps the ball so it would roll a short distance and would advance the base runners.  They kept practicing it in the hopes that it will be of great use in their upcoming match.

Then came Dong-gu’s first baseball game…  It was a fairly played game, and as the players and coaches feel the pressure, our little Dong-gu was still clueless of what’s happening.  Their team was behind a point in the closing inning, and when the player before Dong-gu refused to hit because he was not feeling well, the coach begged him to just hit it one more time.  In the end, he didn’t hit the pitches which put the next batter, our Dong-gu on position.  Dong-gu failed to hit the first two pitches, and while his coach-best-friend encouraged him… and in slow-climaxing-moment, the last ball was pitched, and Dong-gu tapped the bat to it and ran as much as he can.  With base runners realizing what the little hero has done they were able to reach home base and emerged victorious over their competitors.

At the closing scenes, Dong-gu was seen walking and using the baseball bases as his guide to reach their new home.  His father was also cleared from cancer and the father and son lived happily ever after.

Bunt was certainly a gladdening and encouraging movie experience.  Full of inspiring and beautiful lessons about parenthood, friendship and believing in yourself.   Even the humor was edifying, and you will just find yourself immersed in the story, cheering for Dong-gu… cheering for everything that will make him happy.

dear Beautiful you, go ahead be beautiful, I’ll take Min Ho! ^_^

To The Beautiful You – this will be the 3rd adaptation of the Japanese shojo manga “Hana Kimi” and my favorite of ‘em all I say.. Well Koreans have this knack on doing their adaptation even better than the original.  I think Apple will agree on that. *chuckles

So given its quite familiar story, two adaptations Kdrama viewers can compare it with, I was just expecting how the following of the plot and turn of events will make me feel good, and I was not prepared it will hit me really good that my teenager self from 10 years ago assumed herself and was kicking her legs, giggling endlessly and hugging her pillow so tight in every surge of romantic scenes.

I was in constant tug-of-war between Eun-gyul and Tae-joon that I deviced a “who-abby-really-likes” scoresheet to break the sweet confusion.

Eun-gyul was your typical funny and thoughtful guy… the guy the writer would claim to be the main lead girl’s soulmate because it also breaks her heart that he will not be chosen.

Tae-joon, the distant-hot-you-can’t-help-but-drool-with descendant of Darcy and was a fictional fulfillment of every teenager girl’s dream boy.  He has had my love security blanket stripped while he showered me with romantic meteors in his smooth suave ways. 

Now the lead girl, Jae Hee whose stubborn hair has resurrected Helen of Troy in her body as cute boys lined up to win her heart subconsciously and knowingly. The typical vulnerable and warm lead girl who sometimes struggle with her understanding of the way things move around her.  She thrives on self-sacrificing but her being clueless spins most of the romance moments in the drama.

Any drama with a clingy girl who can’t grasp and digest that the boy he likes doesn’t like her always irritate me.  I just can’t stand girls who thrive with their insecurities in real life and even in kdramaland.

So the story simply goes like this… Jae-hee was a fan of a high-jump athlete Tae-joon.  He was the person who inspired her to come out of her shell when she was discriminated at school being a foreign student.  Tae-joon met an accident, lost his mother and lost his passion as an athlete so Jae-hee disguised herself as a boy to enter the same school Tae-joon was studying and imposed herself to be his resident encouragement-human-pill.

In a twist of cupid luck she ended up sharing the same dorm room with him and little by little she has crawled inside his lonely-angsty-secluded-self.

Jae-hee’s life in a male-infested school was such a refreshing dose of young love that you will find yourself reminiscing the first time you fell in love. Unbeknownst to Jae Hee, Tae-joon learned of her identity secret, and when he was able to define the strong fondness he felt towards her, a clingy-assuming-girlfriend, daddy issues and Eun Gyul’s one sided love would shake their teenager romance.

This is another teenage love drama at its best… no worries, just purely cuteness, sassiness and first love vibes. I will miss Eun-gyul’s social media shout-outs and weird mind wanderings, Jae-hee’s radiant smile and pure heart, and Tae-joon’s… well everything about him.  *giggles

Candid and totally charming, To the Beautiful You will promise you smiles and refreshing feel.  If you are looking for something serious or evil induced story, then you won’t find it here.  Everything about it was lightly done even the conflicts.  Simply laid, progressed smoothly and stopping at a happy ever-after note… this drama will be one of my favorite among the rom-coms this year.

 

M Korean Movie Quick Musings

I had a hard time digesting the movie. I can’t sway my grasshopper-ish attention span because the movie was so attention seeking. The crisp and avant-garde cinematography was jaw dropping and I’m all praises to the editing.

 A fiction writer Min-woo flounders with his job and a girl who kept visiting his imagination. It brought him to leave his sanity and caused rift to his real life marriage. In between the reality and his mentally indisposed self, it was revealed that the girl was his first love.

 

The story was not in a hurried pace, and yet I really mustered all the focus I can get to be immersed on it. It’s the kind of movie a film professor should have his students watch because of how superb it was done technically complementing an unconventional plot

 It’s a sad first love movie that was presented incorporating subconscious yearnings and realms of the imagination that kept our deepest longings.

 

What I loved about it was the conflict done in modern vibe and mind boggling way but never leaving the sweet and painful narrative of losing your first love… thinking you are over the memories… and finding yourself haunted and affected by it because you haven’t truly given up on it.

More Than Blue Korean Movie Quick Musings

More than blue less the falling in love and dying part made me yearn to have a boy bestfriend. A film so tender and heartfelt, it will give you that sweet regret feeling as you sleep. The dearest melancholic I-secretly-love-my-bestfriend-movie I have ever seen.
 
K and Cream were both orphans who decided to live together and become besties, but fate will eventually take K because he has leukemia. As he secretly love his bestfriend he wished that someone will take care of her when he’s gone. Unbeknownst to him Cream accidentally learned of his condition and in an effort to make him happy she fulfilled his dream of her getting married.
 
Kwon Sang Woo has given me two lovely films so far.
 
What I love about this movie is the transparency of the characters, it’s as if I’m staring at my neighbor’s life because they acted so naturally good and painfully remembering.
 
The sad ending was really sadder than sadness but how it concluded was clearly satisfying.

Blind Korean Movie Quick Musings

A fairly done thriller about a woman who became blinded after a car accident. She lost her brother and also failed to go back to the police academy. In an unfortunate twist of event she will be marked by a serial killer and will be able to survive and free herself of the long running guilt she felt after losing her brother in the accident.

 

Any movie with an adorable dog wins my heart over, and Seul-ki, the guide dog here made me cry.

 

It was a suspense filled movie that drew strength from the main character’s vulnerability.

 BEST KOREAN MOVIES

Sunny Korean Movie Quick Musings

This is one of the best friendship movies I’ve seen in my life.  It made me dig back memories I’ve shared with my high school girl friends.
 
A reflective film that will make you stop and think for a while to wonder and reminisce one of the best days of your life.
 
It made me cry and happy at the same time.
 
A dedicated mother and wife accidentally bumped with her dying high school friend and from there they relive the old times while looking for the rest of their circle of friendship.  Told in shifting time, the film beautifully captured the depth of friendship built with trust and respect.
 
This is a movie that will make you love your friends even more.  An appreciative story that tells how a friendship stays regardless of reasons and changes after all those times.

Always Korean Movie Quick Musings

I finally got the chance to spend an afternoon full of loving vibes.  I received lots of raves about this movie and I must agree to the warm response “Always” has received.  It made me miss the feeling of being in love, and I was left smiling, calmed and inspired as I immersed myself in a love story between two people who found love in their vulnerabilities.

Im Jung Hwa was saddled with temporary blindness after surviving from a car accident that killed her parents.  She works as a customer service representative over the phone and has lived her life in full swing optimism despite of her disability.

Jang Chul-min was a former boxer who after quitting the profession settled to being a merciless bounty hunter, but in one of his bounty mission he found motivation to start his life in good faith again. 

Little by little fondness grew between them, with a life he was never proud of and nothing much to offer, Chul-min mustered whatever he has and took responsibility of a blind woman’s heart.

“Always” broke the romantic dry spell I’ve been having for a while now.  It played with the cutesies, the sweetness, the laidback and the contentment feel of a love movie.

On a distracting note, and I mean it to be really utmost distracting… So Ji Sub in his rough, untidy look was a sight to behold, and the short showcase of his abs was a manna from heaven.

The last movie I liked was Postman to Heaven which was also a movie of Han Hyo Joo.  Playing a sweet, optimist blind Han Hyo-joo connected to her lead man so well that the blue ray screen emanating love swept the romantic side of me.

Seeing the love grew, saddled, steadied, lost and fulfilled was I think the reason why it created huge admiration.  It was an ever after not of a prince and a princess, but by two people whose hearts can love each other with their eyes closed.

Never-ending Story Quick Movie Musings

In tradition of the death bound conflict of Korean love story, this charming movie was able to balance the premise and have it set to both the lead couple’s having after life bargains.
 
Oh Song Kyung worked at a bank and has lived her life planned into the smallest details, but what she did not prepare for was a malady that came instantly in her life.  She met Kang Dong Joo who was her exact opposite.  He lives a spontaneous life and never failing to lose hope that he’ll win the lottery someday. The two met because both of them were diagnosed at the same hospital and soon they embark on a bucket list fulfillment that involves funeral preparations for Song Kyung and lottery station hunts for Dong Joo.

 
What this movie achieved was setting a sad note to a brighter perception. It was a film about death but the lively scenes and characters have pulled a different take on life’s passing. The love couple were adorable and swung an Edward-Bella pull worthy of your smile and sigh.
I love that it was so natural and that they first slept together inside a coffin and never ending to a traditional bed. 

A carefree movie I would definitely recommend.  This was a romance charmer that will raise mirth one moment and then tug your heart at another time.  Watching it made me not expect outcomes or predict what will happen because the conflict surged up when it commenced, but I was left watching them as they have a good time alongside the struggle with their inevitable death.
It was simply done but happily narrated, and that made it hit home in me.
Radiant and resonating, this is a must watch darling.  ^_^

Penny Pinchers Quick Movie Musings

I’m getting interesting love couple combination making my special day today worthy of slumping on my bed and making my heart and eyes happy.

 Hong-sil has an addiction to save money after bankruptcy hit her family causing her mother’s death and her father losing himself to gambling. If I get to adapt her saving strategy, I bet I will get a lot from it. So she lives a lonely life until she meets Ji-woong who struggled in getting himself a regular job. She taught him the trick of her trade and we get kmovieland’s first ever penny pincher couple.

 It was not a movie full of awesome love vibes but I was able to finish it without complaint. I think I liked it because the treatment of how their love was realized was because they trusted each other and they are both willing to sacrifice and appreciate each other’s worth.

You will find that “the boy did the impossible to make the girl happy” will now be always a resident element in a Korean romantic movie.

 A mixture of fun, friendship, forced cohabitation, saving money crash course, some cute no money involved dating ideas and a lead couple that were both fitting in their roles. Penny pincher is a stress reliever after a week’s work.

Dancing Queen Quick Movie Musings

I honestly didn’t enjoy watching this dream-finding-dream-realization movie.  When the movie ended, I just sighed and said “okay”.  It did well in the box office that’s why I was curious, and then curiousity killed me badly. haha
The lead couple were childhood neighbors and met again in college.  They got married and has been living a simple life but when opportunity to pick up their forgotten dreams opened, they seized it.  But then eventually they both hindered their dream decisions. Uhm Jung-hwa hid her joining a girl group while her husband was campaigning for the city mayor office, and when it was revealed it damaged her husband’s dream.

So the movie wants to impart that not all opportunities knock once, and if they knock again, we have to claim it.  It touched on the giving-up-dreams-because-of-marriage issues which the society normally overlooked especially on the woman’s side. It was inspiring and easily narrated.  For a woman, it pointed on how much you can give to stand beside your man when you have your own dreams he doesn’t realize.

It felt good, it looked nice but I was not drawn by it.

Architecture 101 Quick Movie Musings

Architecture 101 was another first-love movie… cute, sweet and nostalgic, but it failed to indulge me.

A woman traced her first love to make him fulfill his promise of making her dream house.  They met in college when the woman took an architecture introductory class.  Because they live in the same town, they do activities together relating to their class.  They were both unaware of each other’s love feeling, and they were able to confess their love when it was too late because the lost love cannot salvage the present they have now.
It was another sad first-love film, and I liked seeing the 2012 kdrama actors in a sort of reunion in this production.
The flashbacks kept me afloat as it drove love to melancholy.  So what do you do when you have another chance you have kept for a long while?  That’s the question this movie asked.

KLM101: crash course to the Best Korean Romance Movies

and that’s me being overly assumptive but I’m pretty sure these are initiating Korean romance movies you have to see first, but consider you’re forewarned because these love flicks might erase the existing favorites you have right now …

In response to one of my blog friend’s request of making the best 24 Korean love movies  and because I’m in a sleeping contest with Harper Lee’s book  I’m pausing now to pick the Best Korean Romance Movies my eyes have ever laid on.

This will be hard considering love is subjective and love has different faces, but I’ll select the movies based on their peculiar storyline, evolving characters and knockout directing and overall make.

So Aunt Aphrodite, in no particular order here it goes… please accept my love offering.

P.S  If your favorites are not on the list, charge it to personal preference or I might have not seen it yet.  ^_^

♥ My Sassy girl (2001) – THE GIRL WHO LEARNED TO LOVE AGAIN AND THE BOY WHO WILL DO EVERYTHING FOR LOVE.

Gyeon-woo would make your current BF right now in danger because most likely you will entertain that “I wish my BF can be a little like Gyeon-woo kind of thought”.

The initiating movie for first time watcher on the Korean movie land. This was released in 2001 and was based by a blog post written by Kim Hyo Sik. Director Kwak Jae Yong helmed the production.

If you haven’t watched this movie, then you haven’t watched a really good romance movie.  Needless to say, this is one of my favorite love films. Captivating, vibrant and worth watching… 

A perfect date movie that will leave you laughing and loving at the same time.

This is love tale of losing love, coping on the loss, helping yourself with whatever you can have to find love again.  Most girls undoubtedly can totally understand how the girl might have felt because of how emotional girls can be when dealing with heartaches. 

And I think most of us girls, can relate to the pain she was bearing all through out the movie. It’s hard to get over and start a new when your heart gets broken regardless of the reason why.  All of us want “Gyun-woo”, a not so perfect man but will be there for us no matter what.

A girl who has some past love issues was saved by a cheerful young man when she almost got caught by a train.  Fate played with them and the boy slowly became fond of her and decided that he would heal whatever that pain she has.  If I can marry someone like Gyeon-woo, I’ll be damn happy.

MY SASSY GIRL MOVIE RECAP

♥ Il Mare (2000) – THE PENPALS TURNED LOVERS BECAUSE OF A TIME TRAVELLING MAIL BOX.

Hollywood made a remake of this movie (The Lake house) but still I prefer how Koreans did it. A man and a woman engaged in a romance as they exchanged love letters and leaving it inside a mail box.  Time element executed perfectly. Addictive love story… Deeply touching and moving

IL Mare literally screamed soft and moving love story of time-crossed lovers.  It’s very simple, and yet well narrated that even my attention problem was won over by it.

It’s a nice watch on a lazy afternoon in the arms of someone you love. 

Love they say is magic and I say a sort of magical mail box which made a man and a woman fell in love regardless if they were living at different times was more than fireworks and raining rose petals.

IL MARE MOVIE RECAP

♥ Daisy (2006) – THE SECRET LOVER YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE

I like how Jun Ji Hyun reinvents herself as an actress, that’s why I love all her films.  Set in Netherlands, Ji Hyun played the role of a street painter that will become the love interest of a secret service agent and a professional hitman… Thrilling, lingering, and romantic elements were put in splendidly

This was narrated gorgeously in a three-way view point, there’s not a single kiss scene, but for some reasons it’s overflowing with love.  It was like the feeling when Pacey gave Joey a whole wall for her to paint.  If I’ll have a stalker like Park Yi, I’m sure I’ll fall for him.

Most movies that I’ve seen with time flashbacks were really good, but in Daisy it was extra special. 

It is unconditional secret one sided love at its best, and the shoot out scene where Park Yi reads Hye-young’s lips is one of my favorite scenes ever. 

And although the ever after was not achieved, this is one love story that really made me happy.  It was a love full of wonderful memories even before it started.

DAISY MOVIE RECAP

♥ Daddy Long Legs (2005) – THE MAN WHO LOVED A GIRL EVEN IN HIS FADING LIFE AND MEMORY

Ha Ji Won played a role of a radio scriptwriter who was always dreaming of meeting the guy who helped her pay her tuition in college. She accidentally bumped into emails that tells about a girl’s long time admiration over a guy. She finally had a chance to meet her daddy-long-legs and there she learned that it was his younger brother who asked him to do all the things for her. She also learned that it was her daddy-long -legs who wrote those emails, however he switched his gender when he was writing the emails. Daddy-long-legs lost all his memories including that of the girl’s because he was dying and he asked his brother to make the girl happy once he lost his memory. You’ll never get tired of watching it. Amazingly sweet and mesmerizing.

Daddy Long Legs is one of the sweetest movies I’ve seen so far.  It is laid back and serene.  The tricky identity switch can either fascinate you or pull a “make no sense” plot in your eyes.  In my case I like how it was laid. 

This feels like that “one summer walk” with your crush that you dearly keep in your heart. 

Eventhough the ending is sad, it is worth your afternoon break.

DADDY LONG LEGS MOVIE RECAP

♥ My Little Bride (2004) – THE LOVE THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE AND IT TOOK A WHILE FOR THEM TO REALIZE

An ordinary high school girl who worries about grades and has a crush on her school’s baseball team ace was forced to marry a guy out of her grandfather’s wish. Her being young and the hidden marriage made this movie so charming. Dandy, cheerful, playful… will let you remember that feel you have on the first person you ever had a crush on.

My Little Bride is a sweet tale of young love.  It reminds us that sometimes we may become blinded or too pre-occupied to notice a “love” that has been there all along.

We should not mistake thrills over true love.  This is a charmingly cute cradle snatching love story full of vibrancy and true love.

I don’t have a childhood sweetheart, books perhaps, but isn’t it amazing to be sharing the rest of your life with someone who has been there with you and who stayed without you demanding it.

MY LITTLE BRIDE MOVIE RECAP

♥ The Classic (2003) – THE SWEET LOVE AND  ROMANCE THAT WAS FULFILLED AT ANOTHER LIFETIME

Very nice, enthralling, amazingly unsurpassed romance… I can’t find words to dislike this movie, so just watch it. This is a love story that you will tell your grandchildren rather than “Romeo and Juliet”. 

A young woman accidentally bumped on her mother’s love story and she got deeply engaged with it.  The parallelism was well portrayed and there was just so much love in the air.

When I first saw this movie, I was deeply moved I named all my pet dog…  Sang-min.  *giggles  Until now, my pet is named Sang-min.  It was a time-transcending love at it’s best.  This made me love Director Kwak Jae-young much more.

“CHANCE is a GIFT for those who TRY”

THE CLASSIC MOVIE RECAP

♥ My Wife got Married (2008) - THE HUSBAND AND WIFE IN AN UNCONVENTIONAL COMMITMENT AND HEARTFELT LOVE

I was really amused at this movie. Son Ye Jin was a player who hates marriage until she met a guy who showed her that it’s possible to enjoy being committed. Then she kinda like the idea of marriage so she asked her husband if she can marry another guy and there goes a kind of marriage you won’t think would happen in real life… So playful and mischievously flirty.

Marriage is kind of an exhausting topic for me as all my friends have been praying for me to tie the knot and that’s maybe the reason why I can’t because the love angels are annoyed with the buckets of requests.  But this movie was one of a kind, it’s a kind of set up I would want wen I decide to be with someone forever, well not the unfaithfulness perse but the light and comfortable feel of being married.

Sexy but in place.  Buoyant and Bouncy.

♥ A Millionaires First Love (2006) – THE RICH REBEL WHO LOVED A GIRL AND MADE ME CRY

Hyun Bin was a millionaire’s heir but in order for him to have his fortune, his dead granny forced him to finish High School in the suburb. There he discovered the past that he erased in his mind, and the truth that money can’t save the life of the girl he loves.

Most of the Korean Romance movies have sad endings,but then again it didn’t make them less beautiful.  That scene when Binnie’s character was so amazed at the lead girl’s back as she cooks, was one of the sweetest scene I have seen in a KMovie.  This was a dying girl movie that defied all the dying girl movies out there because it was not forced and was so heartfelt.

Passionate and bewitching.  This is a love flick that will remind you how you shared the pain and wanted to take away someone’s pain because of love.

♥ 100 Days with Mr. Arrogant (2004) – THE ENSLAVEMENT AGREEMENT THAT BLOOMED INTO A BINDING LOVE

After dumping her boyfriend just before their 100 day anniversary, she met a college guy when she accidentally kicks a can that hit him in the face and caused him to scratch his Lexus. He demanded she paid him $3000 on the spot and wrote up an “Enslavement Agreement” for her in order to pay for the damage to his car.   She got into a nightmarish slave life for 100 days, cleaning his house, running his errands, doing his homework and cleaning his car. Ooops.. I almost told the whole story… Upbeat, enchanting and one of my favorites.

This is a movie brimming with feel-good vibes.  It is nothing spectacular but always fun and nice to watch.  A slave-master love story refreshing, engaging and worth remembering.

100 DAYS WITH MR. ARROGANT MOVIE RECAP

♥ Romance of their Own (2004) – THE SWEET LOVE STORY THAT WILL SURPRISINGLY LINGER IN YOUR HEART

Two hot guys fought for a sweet naive, girl.  (I swear you would want to trade places with the girl on this movie.) 

This is what a guy should watch to get some  snappy smooth moves for is girl.  My eyes were literally flashing hearts and my heart was fickle every 5 minutes because of the adorable male leads.

The twist of the story is quite surprising, and I’m warning you that you might cry.  Tender, passionate and love-affirming.

♥ Someone Special (2004) – THAT SOMEONE SPECIAL WE OFTEN CALLED “LOVE”

This is REALLY a nice watch… the movie you will force that special someone to watch with you before you decide to tie the knot… *giggles very witty, heartwarming, extraordinarily sweet, comfy and appealing.

This flick has one of the wittiest and funniest screenplay I’ve seen.  It was not complex and will keep teasing your heart in its entire duration.  It’s a movie were all pieces complements each other well from the story premise to how the characters played their role well to the amusing conflict and to the secret love and how it was returned back.  This is one of my hall-of-famers.

SOMEONE SPECIAL MOVIE RECAP

♥ A Moment To Remember (2004) – THE WORTH REMEMBERING LOVE OF A MAN TO THE WOMAN WHO CAN’T REMEMBER HIM

A couple striving to keep up their relationship against the struggle with the wife’s Alzheimer’s disease… A love story of a devoted husband who stayed with her wife even when she was slowly forgetting that he happened in her life.. Poignant, deeply moving, and I cried buckets of tears here.

This movie sent me to tear-land when I first saw it, and while recapping it my heart was still moved.  This is such a strong love story, the kind of love tale you’ll share your friend who has currently having inhibitions about love.  Considering the premise involved “sickness” as a conflict, I think what made this movie so strong is because of the superb performance of the lead couple.

One of the few movies, I dearly keep in my heart.

A MOMENT TO REMEMBER MOVIE RECAP

♥ Lovers Concerto (2002) – THE PAINFULLY SWEET LOVE TRIANGLE OF ‘EM ALL

Stellar acting and a gorgeously written script…  A deeply immersing love story…  Tied with friendship, secret adoration and almost love, this is a little charmer that will fill you up butterflies in your stomach.

I don’t know how to react to a love triangle were a friend of mine is involved.  A man should be worthy enough to make me join a tug of war, but then again how much I love my friend also matters.  This is one of those motion picture tat you can transfer to a book without losing its essence and beauty.

♥ 200 lbs Beauty (2006) – THE WEIGHT REDUCTION LOVE VENGEANCE CHICK FLICK

Brave, sunny and worth watching with your friends… A voice talent who has weight challenges worked hard to lose weight.  She became prettier and avenged her broken heart.  A love story full of courage and never failing to hope for what love can really offer.

If Mischievous Kiss gave hope to not so bright ladies that they have a chance to snatch a smart-prince-like-man, 200 LBS Beauty provided an encouragement4shared Personal Free Online File Storage – InnityIt was simple and not overly done and was an engrossing watch.

♥ Love Phobia (2006) – THE COUPLE WHO WILL MAKE YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST LOVE.

So I finally got the chance to watch this movie without interruptions.  Who wouldn’t fall for this darling?  I was so fond of the lead couples when they were children and loved them even more when they grew up.  So sweet, priceless and worth remembering. 

Watched it with my mom, and she loved it.  It’s a  charmingly woven love story.. and although it will make you cry in the end, I’m pretty sure it will be one of those love movies you will highly recommend.

♥ Heaven’s Postman (2009) – THE SUPERNATURAL LOVE MOVIE THAT WILL INSPIRE YOU TO TRUST LOVE AGAIN

A very pretty and serene love story of moving on from the pain of a broken heart.   It has a very simple storytelling but with completeness that will touch the side of your heart that was once broken, and that was able to bounce again because of not giving up to the idea of finding love.

When you watch a love story with supernatural element inflection, you have to prepare yourself not to expect that much, and that’s what I did. Actually it was vaguely presented and was injected fully later in the story, nevertheless I love how this movie was not complicated and effortlessly endearing.

Surely worth of your rest day movie time.

HEAVEN’S POSTMAN MOVIE RECAP

♥ Lost and Found (2008) – THE GIRL WHO TOOK TIME TO REALIZE THE LOVE SHE DESERVED

If you are looking for an endearing and vibrant rom-com movie night with your boyfriend, this darling will delight you.  It’s ever moving and no dull moment.  From the feisty main female lead, the cholatey sweet lead man and the oozingly hot second male lead, this is a kind of Christmas gift you’d promise you’ll open on Christmas day, but when no one is looking out, you’ll sneak to see what it is.

Ji-ho has liked Min-woo since High School.  As her luck ran out with her current job, she bumped with her crush again when she was hit by his car while chasing the snatcher who took her bag.  She took that chance to pretend that she can’t remember anything to fulfill her 10-year dream of spending time with her crush.

But her neighbor-friend-who-secretly-loves-her, Dong-shik spoiled her staying at Min-woo’s house and brought her home while she still firmly held on her supposed amnesia.

She finally got Min-woo’s attention but Dong-shik was also determined to win the girl he has loved all her life.

This is about realizing the right love for you and chasing the romance no matter how long it will take.

♥ Once in a Summer (2006) -  THE NOSTALGIC LOVE STORY THAT WILL MAKE YOU REMEMBER A FLEETING BUT UNFORGETTABLE ROMANCE

It is one of the sweetest “summer love” movie I’ve seen unfortunately though they didn’t get their ever after.  Lee Byung Hun translates to the man you won’t regret committing infidelity if you are currently in a relationship.  He’s just so manly in an I-want-to-throw-myself-in-your-arms-kind-of-way.  Su-Ae has such an expressive eyes and her blithe nature in this love movie complements the endearing character of Byung-hun oppa.

A felicity filled tale that will leave you fetching and at the same time agonizing.  It was a sweet melancholic movie of finding love and holding on to it even if it has long been gone.

ONCE IN A SUMMER MOVIE RECAP

♥ Innocent Steps (2005) – THE LOVE THAT GREW AND FOUGHT FOR YOU

This sweet dance movie was an emotion pond..  It made me feel warm, giddyish, frustrated, disappointed, annoyed, sad, appeased and then eventually blissful.
 
The fake marriage, dance moves and the simple yet sure love launched a well deserved love sigh from me.
 
P.S  I love the footprints practice dance floor.

♥ Never Ending Story (2012) - THE SUPPOSED TO BE DYING COUPLE WHO FOUND LOVE IN THE LEAST MOMENT THEY EXPECTED IT

In tradition of the death bound conflict of Korean love story, this charming movie was able to balance the premise and have it set to both the lead couple’s having after life bargains.

What this movie achieved was setting a sad note to a brighter perception. It was a film about death but the lively scenes and characters have pulled a different take on life’s passing. The love couple were adorable and swung an Edward-Bella pull worthy of your smile and sigh.
I love that it was so natural and that they first slept together inside a coffin and never ending to a traditional bed.  A carefree movie I would definitely recommend.  This was a romance charmer that will raise mirth one moment and then tug your heart at another time.  Watching it made me not expect outcomes or predict what will happen because the conflict surged up when it commenced, but I was left watching them as they have a good time alongside the struggle with their inevitable death.
It was simply done but happily narrated, and that made it hit home in me.
Radiant and resonating, this is a must watch darling.

♥ MORE THAN BLUE (2009) - THE BEST FRIENDS WHO SECRETLY LOVED EACH OTHER BUT FAILED TO CROSS THE ROMANCE LINE

More than blue less the falling in love and dying part made me yearn to have a boy bestfriend. A film so tender and heartfelt, it will give you that sweet regret feeling as you sleep. The dearest melancholic I-secretly-love-my-bestfriend-movie I have ever seen.

What I love about this movie is the transparency of the characters, it’s as if I’m staring at my neighbor’s life because they acted so naturally good and painfully remembering.

The sad ending was really sadder than sadness but how it concluded was clearly satisfying.

♥ A WEREWOLF BOY (2012) - THE LOVE THAT WAS NOT BOUND TO HAPPEN BUT FELT SO RIGHT

I initially feared that this movie could go overrated considering the familiar plot and stellar main leads but I’m so happy to have chanced upon a very beautiful, unconventional, heartwarming first love movie. The last time I felt it was with the film “The Classic” and I couldn’t be any happier witnessing a young love that was not bound to happen but felt so right.

The fantasy element surprisingly blended to the heartfelt connection of the main couple as the simplicity of the narrative and the conflict failed to stripped the amazing progression of this moving love tale that will surely tug your heart.

♥ ALWAYS (2012) – THE COUPLE WHO FOUND LOVE BECAUSE OF THEIR VULNERABILITIES

I received lots of raves about this movie and I must agree to the warm response “Always” has received.  It made me miss the feeling of being in love, and I was left smiling, calmed and inspired as I immersed myself in a love story between two people who found love in their vulnerabilities.

“Always” broke the romantic dry spell I’ve been having for a while now.  It played with the cutesies, the sweetness, the laidback and the contentment feel of a love movie.

On a distracting note, and I mean it to be really utmost distracting… So Ji Sub in his rough, untidy look was a sight to behold, and the short showcase of his abs was a manna from heaven.

Seeing the love grew, saddled, steadied, lost and fulfilled was I think the reason why it created huge admiration.  It was an ever after not of a prince and a princess, but by two people whose hearts can love each other with their eyes closed.

ANOTHER PS:  I have a few parked movies somewhere in my mind as I have to re-watch it to secure a spot on my favorites.

Also you can check my Korean movie vault here:

http://jediprincess.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/top-korean-romantic-films/

Pained Korean Movie Quick Musings (2011)

“PAINED” I thought would be a film full of bitterness and redemption based on its title, but it was not.  It was simply laid and full of heart.
 
Nam-soon has an inability to feel anything and it comes handy to his job as a debt collector where he occasionally engage in fist fights.  He got the condition after losing his family, the trauma left him numb as he exists.  In one of his collection job, he encounters Nam-hyun, a struggling street vendor of accessories.  He has left her homeless but in their next encounters they inevitably reached out and understood each other’s pain leading him to offer a room to where he lives.  He learned of her hemophilia illness, as she discovered his pain tolerance abnormality.  They soon find themselves in love and Nam-soon decided to give a shot to a different job but when Nam-hyun was admitted to the hospital, he gambled with life again to help her with the expenses, even if she made clear and decided that they have to go separate ways and asked him to be with a healthy person.

 
This is the first time I saw Kwon Sang Woo as an actor, he felt so human to me that I stayed the rest of the movie.
 
This was told with no frills attached and in its all natural beauty that I found it sad and yet bracing.

 
Falling in love and not feeling the bliss but knowing you are happy, and falling in love but you are scared to feel it for fear that it is always short lived were the driving moments of this movie.

 Realistic and emotion-filled, “Pained” will not give you the romantic vibes, but will question your belief on how far would you stake yourself for love.
 
P.S I googled Nam-soon’s condition,and I learned that it’s congenital, I have to dig deeper if it can really be derived from a traumatic experience.  As for hemophilia, it’s rare for a woman to carry it. Here’s why I love movies, subconsciously it fires up my inner self who loves to learn here and there.

Spellbound aka Chilling Romance Korean Movie Quick Musing (2011)

I bet they were just counting on Son Ye Jin and Lee Min Ki’s star power to pull this off.  Nothing much special about it, typical, and the movie just passes by.  I felt that the chemistry was there but the story was not.

 

Kang Yu-ri has literally an emotional scary baggage.  She sees dead people.  Her sixth sense ability has saddled her to be accustomed in living alone and avoiding human contact.  But things change when a street magician Ma Jo-goo entered her life, and soon enough they both are aware of the budding romance between them, but they have to defy a grumpy ghost who was Yu-ri’s ex bestfriend Joo-hee, but died in an accident they were both together.  Since then, she has haunted Yu-ri and was determined not to make her happy nor develop attachment to any people. 

Yu-ri lived in isolation because of it, and has managed to get just friends over the phone.  When Jo-goo and Yu-ri eventually admit that they were on a love web, Joo-hee caused havoc even in his practical magic shows culminating to Yu-ri giving the necklace of her friend which was under possession that has been the thing she needed to accept her unfortunate fate.  For fear of getting her loved one being hurt again, she decided to leave him, and in that one airport love declaration-I’m-begging-you-not-to-leave-me scene, I was able to forgive all the things lacking in the movie.

There was no climax, quasi-climax maybe, the only thing that kept it from being dragging were the ghost inserts, funny couple scenes and of course Lee Min Ki and Son Ye-jin.

I will say the talents were wasted, and if not for the screen presence of the lead couple, the viewer won’t stay afloat.  It was like a denouement all the time, the problem was there, but there was no “what now”?

You have an anti-casper hindering you from getting close or building relationship with someone, because of love is all around spell you chose to fight for it, both of you did, it’s just so normal.

The closure of Yu-ri from Joo-hee, who can’t accept after-life was so annoyingly done.  I just don’t like a necklace resolving the issue.  I mean the ghost was a bit all over, so it’s not proper to give a faint conclusion.  They should have made it simpler, believable and not jewelry related.  If have an unreasonable ghost friend who wants to meddle with my affairs, the shamanic thing to do is to throw a spirit of the glass, just kidding… I don’t know why a ghost will pull revenge because her friend was revived because she was first noticed by the medical man as she was wearing the borrowed necklace from her.  Does that enough to hold a grudge?  Go figure.  Dead people should know that sh*t happens.  *wink

The progress of love was awkward but I forgave it because of Jo-goo’s crying “please-don’t-leave-me-plea” and “I-don’t-care-about-your-ghost-friend-I-love-you-still-I’ll-get-used-to-it” declaration of love.

I’m sure you’ll grab another movie after, and when you doze off, there’s no trace in your memory that the movie happened.  It was enchanting when it’s on the light notes, but the conflict and the plot didn’t justify what could have been a something new romance.  Nevertheless, it’s still a must to watch if you’re a fan of both the lead actors, like me.

 

*Photos were gotten from Google images search results. 

PUNCH Korean Movie Recap (2011)

Dear Yoo Ah In,

I’ve been waiting for you all my life.

Love, abby

Do Wan Deuk grew up in a cabaret where his father with a hunchback disability works as a dancer.    Carrying the weight of living in a not so affluent life, his temperament is a bit lousy especially if it involves his father. 

The cabaret goes off beat through the years and eventually meets its closure.  When Wan-deuk learns that his father and his mentally challenged adopted uncle is in the market trying to trade some cabaret items, he rushes to their aid sensing they could be in danger and just as he thought, his father was dragged and ridiculed by, so his blood rushes to avenge the cruel situation he witnessed.  

At night, he got a scolding from his father for his brawny act and for his insisting to just stop studying so he can work and help pitch to the expenses.

Wan-deuk attends to a school where his most hated person teaches, Lee Dong Jo.   Aside from teaching duties which he doesn’t normally do, his sarcasm skills is exceptional you’ll surely learn a lot from it.  To add frustration to the injury, Dong-jo also happens to be their neighbor and for some reason he doesn’t understand, the devil-may-care-attitude of his teacher always picks on him whether it may be on class or in the neighborhood.

Wan-deuk goes home seeing his father and uncle preparing for a dance routine.  His father informs him that they will be on the road for a showcase so he has to behave while they are away.  He asks Dong-jo to check on him once in a while.  The handsome rascal has always been praying for the worst that can happen to his nemesis, and when he was asked by him to attend the church, he realized why his prayers are not answered.

After his regular foul-mouthed blabber to his students, he boringly calls Wan-deuk’s attention and asks him to come outside.  He reveals to him about his Filipina mother but not knowing how to react and where his teacher is trying to get to, he runs and mopes on his so called pitiful life.

He arrives home late and is awakened by Dong-jo’s knocks on the door.  He reprimands him of running away on things he doesn’t want to hear and understand as they sit in front of beer bottles.   Dong-jo explains that he met his mother at the church which helps foreign workers in the city and tells him of her intention of wanting to see her son.   But Wan-deuk wants his father’s consent first which made Dong-jo a little mad because Oedipus complex did not hit him at all to grant a simple wish from the woman who gave him his life.  

He seeks Divine intervention again and complains of giving such a lousy role model to him.  He also whines about his recently acquired birth secret which he doesn’t know how to deal with.  He warns Jesus on the Cross that he’ll seek Buddha if he won’t get any help to eradicate Dong-jo in his existence.  Now that made me smile…

Wan-deuk attempts to open a conversion about his mother with his father, but they got interrupted by a commotion between Dong-jo and their neighbor who vandalized their newly bought second hand van for the roadshows. 

The arrogant-bad-curly-haired neighbor rants on how the vehicle was blocking the door and how he can’t stand the presence of retards in front of him.  The magic word ignites Wan-deuk and he crossed the people trying to hold on to him and punches the man who insulted his family.

Dong-jo defends Wan-deuk’s epic punch on city hunter’s ajussi and reasons out the motivation why he threw a punch.  In the end, the neighbor let it go after his sister steps in and knocks the hidden common sense in his brain.

At school, the students are passing ero comic drawing starring Yoon-ha.  Her sexy manga launches fist fight among the boys as Wan-deuk watches them ramble.  When the rage subsides Yoon-ha tears the pages and throws it at the boy fancying her.

Yoon-ha approaches Wan-deuk while he walks home and asks him if they can talk.  He brings her to the church to her wondering.  He asks what does she want to talk about so she rants her observations of him always doing things alone.  She comments that since he normally doesn’t go to school, it’s okay for her to tell him things as he will forget it eventually.

Then she suddenly bursts crying as Wan-deuk gropes what to react.  She weeps and narrates to him that she used to go out with Jun-ho and that she caught him drawing those sexy anime pictures that’s why she broke up with him.  well at least he’s so creative “kisses and draws”… *giggles.  While she’s pouring her heart out, Wan-deuk can’t help but just stares at her chest and when she prays to Jesus for her ex-bf’s death, it made Wan-deuk sighs and insists that his prayer should be prioritized.

“You’ve got a full load, God.  But don’t forget I prayed first.”

Yoon-ha calms down and thanks him for listening.  At night, he fantasizes her as he stares at the ceiling of his room.

When his male hormones betrays him, he gets up to take a breather and sees his teacher peeping at ajussi’s sister while she’s doing karate movements.  He greets the neighbor cutting Dong-jo’s private viewing.  The next day at school when Dong-jo gives him an errand, he grins remembering his perv spying last night, but his smile turns sour when he shouts about him meeting his mother at the church.

He carefully surveys the church wishing he’s not gonna bump at his mother, and to his relief the Indian guy comes in to take the stuff he brought.  He runs when he sees a Filipina who turns out to be married to the Indian guy only to reach home and sees his real mother for the first time.

He asks her if she wants ramen and invites his long lost mother inside the house.  He painfully gapes at her mother’s back and worn out shoes, and at this moment it felt like the restrained emotions Wan-deuk is feeling finds a way out of the TV screen and hits my tear nerves.

They eat ramen as his mother feels sad that her son has been used to just eating ramen.  Mother washes the dishes as Wan-deuk secretly looks at her.  She departs and leaves a letter for him.

“I’m sorry.  I never forgot you.  I miss you very much.  I’m a bad person.  I’m so sorry.  I’m sorry I can’t be there with you.”

Wan-deuk fights for the tears brimming on her eyes, but I didn’t fight hard, my faulty tearducts made me cry.
His father monentarily stops what he’s doing when he mentions that a Filipina visits him and left her number.  His father pretends he’s not interested and gives him an errand.  Wan-deuk tries another conversation opening about his mother by asking why they separated.  Father finally gives in and explains that he let her go because she was not happy with his dancing at the cabaret.

WAN-DEUK:  That’s it?  So you let her go?

FATHER:  I hated how everyone there treated her like some servant.  Like she was there to do their dirty work.

Wan-deuk draws a deep sigh and walks to step out.  While he’s at the door his father telks him that even if his mother came from a poor country, she grew up well-educated.

He steps out and sees the man who orchestrated his fated meeting with the mother and runs to give his teacher a beating.  Dong-jo reacts snappily, heads home and locks the door. 

They converse behind the door and he asks him why he directs him to their house to which he replies that he never did that and just gave his own address and the information that they are neighbors and that they are not the only neighbors he has.  Wan-deuk then thanked his teacher as Dong-jo complains why he curses at him when he just want to be grateful.  He asks him to go home and throws a trash for him to settle.

At school in their art appreciation class, the teacher discusses Millet’s painting – The Cleaners.  She calls Wan-deuk’s attention about the painting.  He replies that the painting screams “What are you looking at?” which makes the whole class laughs.

 

“The woman at the far right, she’s leering and saying, “what are you looking at?”  They look like women find into marriage from poor countries so they needed to be strong to protect themselves.  The woman on the far right, she’s about to make a fist to fight the farm owner.  The one on the far left pretends to be working, but she’s gonna throw that hay at her opponent’s face.  The woman in the middle is a pro, because she’s gonna use a rock.  It’s a dirty trick but you fight to win, and those women they received good education in their own countries.

 

And that ladies and gentlemen is Art debonair Wan-deuk stripping his teacher’s role to explain the meaning of that obra maestra.

Wan-deuk visits the church and Hassan, the Indian guy brings him to the gym to try kick boxing.  He spars with an opponent from the gym, and when he corners his opponent he rampages and threw punch after punc h that the gym trainer shouts to halt the fight. 

He points out what he lacks as a fighter inside the ring.  He adds that he might win in street fights but not in the ring.  This motivates Wan-deuk to ask permission to his father if he can try kick boxing, but his father doesn’t want to allow it.  He insists on doing what he wants and hurts his father’s feelings by hinting that he can blend in the crowd not because of his dancing, but because people pities and make fun of his disability.  Father’s heart was broken and even Uncle Min-ku knows Wan-deuk’s disrespect so he slaps his face lightly.

 

Aboji mopes at how his hunchback made him so useless in front of rice wine and Dong-jo.  The teacher convinces him to just let his son do what he wants to do.  The sister of ajussi, Ho-jeong joins them in and drinks when she’s seemingly drunk.  She tells them her work as a martial arts writer, but they are interrupted when Wan-deuk comes to fetch his father. 

Dong-jo and Ho-jeong carry on with their teasing as the son piggy-back his drunk father muttering how his beloved son has grown up well now.

Wan-deuk goes back to the gym and starts training.  When he goes home his mother left some food for him to eat.  He tastes the food and mutters that the food was salty.

His training is taking a toll to his body causing him to sleep at school lazily creating another opportunity to lovingly ridicule him.  On that same day, Dong-jo is invited for a trip to the police station.

Wan-deuk and Yoon-ha visit their teacher.  He was surprised to see the best and the worst paying concern to him.  He evades Joon-ha on the reason why he’s being held up and shows a worried face when Wan-deuk says that the people in the church were not there.

They walk home and Wan-deuk suddenly mentions about love letters.  The smart Joob-ha picks up easily where he is heading and smiles at the thought that he wrote her one.  She asks him to give it to her, and reads it excitedly.  waaaa yoo ah in, I want a love letter too!

“Everything I see these days looks like you.  The clouds, the flowers, and even the moon.”

Joon-ha teases him and plays catch-me-and-your-letter-if-you-can with him.  You lucky girl! 

At home, father and uncle min ku see the food prepared by his estranged wife.  He smiles when uncle comments that it’s salty.

Wan-deuk brings Joon-ha to the gym, and the trainer finds a purpose for her to do which is to referee his sparring with her boyfriend.

Dong-jo is resurrected and goes straight to his waiting class whom he misses so much.  When the girls in front complains he smells, he shortly reminds them to study for the exams and heads to the shower.

Wan-deuk and his family go to check on Dong-jo and he explains to father why he was taken by the police.  Apparently, he reported a business man slaving unfairly the illegal immigrants in the city which he’s trying to help.  Wan-deuk asks about Hassan, and he replies that he was deported and adds that most illegal immigrants don’t know when their visa expires and some employers take advantage of them.

Wan-deuk realizes that the church is like their gathering place and when he retorts he thought it was a cult that’s why his prayers are not answered, Dong-jo asks him what he prayed for so he evades the question by saying he’s going home.

Wan-deuk continues with his training, his constant grocery catch session with his teacher, and cute moments with Joon-ha.  The kickboxing mentor notices he’s already ripe and announces that he’ll spar with a fighter soon.

Wan-deuk arrives home and senses another person in their house.  Equipped with his kickboxing skills he lands a punch on the intruder’s rib who happened to be Dong-jo.  He carries his injured teacher and summons all the help he can get from the Heavens.  He complains that he prays for him to die but not him doing it.  hahaha be careful what you wish for.

 
Dong-jo settles in the hospital, and when Wan-deuk pays a visit he encounters his father who turns out to be the rich man enslaving the illegal immigrants.  Dong-jo reported his father’s factory causing disappointment to his father.  Dong-jo sees Wan-deuk arriving and trying to give father and son moments with them but he calls him to come in. 

 
Father lectures the sociology teacher to stop helping foreigners and just focus on teaching.  His son retaliates by reminding him of his injustice of an old employee who cut off her finger while working but ended going home without proper compensation.  Father marches out in anger and frustration of having a son and enemy at the same time.

 
Wan-deuk wonders why he pretends to be poor when he came from a rich family.  He complains about how ironically their lives are different but the teacher made him realize that he should not hold grudges of his parents struggling life.  He tells him he’s acting pathetic blaming everyone but not himself.

Wan-deuk heads to leave as Dong-jo reminds him to be good to his mother which he counter reply with him not taking care of his father.  Dong-jo winces in discomfort and mutters how his favorite student always gets the last word.

Wan-deuk visits his mother and asks her if she wants to meet his father.  They go to the market where his father performs to his father’s shock.  His parents engage in a heated discussion involving Wan-deuk so he has no choice but to cut their who’s the best parent debate.

They head home and Wan-deuk enters a shoe store and ask for shoes for his mother.  awwww sweet  Mother is hesitant to try the shoe, and when her mother tries to get the change, the store keeper mutters how the two of them are together so Wan-deuk retorts that the woman is his MOTHER.  you’re up for running as the best son ever Wan-deuk!

While they wait for the train to come in, he asks his mother if she already knew her father’s disability before she came to Korea to become a bride.  His mother replies that she didn’t know and it didn’t matter because the goodness of the heart is important to her.

Mother thanks her son for the shoes and he responds by telling her the food she prepares for him is a bit salty and that he doesn’t eat like his father.  He also encourages her not to be so nervous everytime.

Mother whispers his name and tells him how she yearns to say his name.  She asks if it’s okay for her to embrace him, and he obliges making me no longer able to contain my tears anymore.  They hug each other making mother cry and Wan-deuk smiles.  Now that Yoo Ah In knows a few things about Filipino culture, I think we are soon gonna meet and get married.

Wan-deuk spars with a superb fighter who knocks him down but leaves him smiling after his defeat.  From then on he realized what a real fighter is about.  His coach applauds his performance informing him that he fought well against the third best in the district.

Yoon-ha worries if he’s feeling well, and the closeness of their distance dudn’t help Wan-deuk to cross the line and give her a kiss.  I want that kiss too.

Yoon-ha is bewildered of the kiss but Wan-deuk can only reply thay they have to go because Dong-jo might arrive.  On cue their teacher comes in and catches the two lovey doves sitting close to each other.

Wan-deuk tells him they kiss to his amusement.  He inquires what the teacher is doing there and learns that he’s actually a minister there.  Wan-deuk is perplex and is in the brink of questioning whether the place is a valid church so the teacher is lefy no choice but to convince him that it was.  He tells Yoon-ha that it’s never too late to come to her senses and not to hang out with him but the new almost lovers decide to leave him.  Dong-jo follows and asks his student what he did to win over a smart girl’s heart, but he won’t give in so he goes to Yoon-ha.

Wan-deuk’s father visits his estranged wife at her workplace and finally talk about what is best for all of them.  Meanwhile at the class Dong-jo lectures sends off hus students to their vacation and remind them that college is not the only college out there.  He declares to them that the world is waiting to teach them.

The class is dismissed and when his seatmate asks Wan-deuk if he wants to eat ramen, he makes his first friend connection and agrees.

Wan-deuk goes with his mother to the market to buy food for the new year celebration.  They feast on a dinner prepared by mother as ajussi does his usual complaining over the hard to chew chicken that was bought by mother because it’s what her husband likes.

Dong-jo slips a love letter to ajussi’s sister’s book while they eat.  Dong-jo asks about the viand he tastes, and father explains that it’s a Filipino food.  Ajussi of course didn’t like it and when he’s up to whine, Uncle Min Ku smilingly blabbers a bad word towards him.  Wan-deuk tries to cool him down and introduces his retarded uncle and Filipina mother as his family and with some stroke of intervention, he stayed nice and blurts that his good looks came from her mom.

Dong-jo brings out his proposal to aboji of a project he’s trying to launch.  To the benefit of the people who didn’t know what they are talking about, he explains that he’s setting up an art business, a dance school at church.

They drink, dance and had fun, and when the night wavers Dong-jo makes a move to sister.  She reads the love letter who turns out the same as what Wan-deuk gave Yoon-ha.  He approaches her says “iloveyou” and apologizes for being forward and drunk, but she holds his face and kisses him, he stops and kisses her back.

The cultural center is finally open for public, and the whole cast show us a glimpse of having the blessings of struggles and how our friends and family completes the life we decide to have.

 

COMMENTS:

When I learned of the teaser of punch I thought it was just a yoda-luke kind of sports movie, I didn’t know that it was sort of family film and that they also incorporated something close to my culture.  I’m from Manila, Philippines.  When I was studying in college I tutor Korean High School and Grade school students for my part time job, that’s why maybe I became closer to anything Korean-ish, it’s just secondary that the lead men are cute and the stories are so full of love that I became engaged and immersed to their culture, haha nah, it’s actually the primary…  When I was in elementary school I already knew that I live in a third world country, but I didn’t care that much because in my young mind, I was not exposed to the realities of life yet.

I am aware that women from poor countries sometimes have no choice but to marry for convenience, and I’m lucky I was able to get another option aside from that.  This movie is invoking, and I appreciate that they did not stoop down to immigrants, but instead emphasized on presenting the viewers what a strong person they are to live in a foreign land to survive.  

To put up the essence of the movie without giving any aspersions is something the filmmaker should be proud of.

The main actors Wan-deuk and Dong-jo set a new kind of bromance, that which bickers amusingly but accidentally brought out the best of one another.

This was a blithe tale of accepting who you are and what extent you can be by embracing the life you did not choose but fought hard to decide the best shot on it.

Once In A Summer Korean Movie Quick Review (2006)

It is one of the sweetest “summer love” movie I’ve seen unfortunately though they didn’t get their ever after.  Lee Byung Hun translates to the man you won’t regret committing infidelity if you are currently in a relationship.  He’s just so manly in an I-want-to-throw-myself-in-your-arms-kind-of-way.  Su-Ae has such an expressive eyes and her blithe nature in this love movie complements the endearing character of Byung-hun oppa.

A television staff was forced to promise she can feature a famous professor in their TV program to compensate for her abysmal performance.  The aloof professor declined at first to remember his long lost love but was eventually persuaded and took a trip down to the memory lane to reminisce the girl she loved one summer.

Suk-young and his fellow classmates decided to visit and extend help to a small suburb village and from there he met at a local pretty girl, Jung In, who tended the town’s library.   Jung In thought he was a pervert when she noticed his presence while she was scratching her shapely leg.  They met again at night when Jung In was put on the spot by Suk-young’s friends and was asked to sing a song which she forcedly did in her amusing off-tuned rendition.

Suk-young teased and grew fond of her over time and their sweet moments felt like a love binge which will remind you why you like the beginning part of all those romances you’ve had.  There was that scene when Suk-young eavesdropped as she reads a book to the old men.  Not realizing that it was an erotic book, she tried to change the ending to the disappointment of the oldies who were really anticipating a steamy story and to Suk-young’s amusement.

When Suk-young saw Jung-In off to have a trip to the town, he followed her and tried to pester her.  When the rain caught them on their way home, they killed time at the abandoned house they first met, and from there he learned that it used to be Jung In’s house and that she was an orphan.  The city boys set up an outdoor big screen to stream a movie, and Suk-young scored a point in Jung In’s heart when he prepared a back seat so they can view it alone.

The situation in Seoul was getting worse as protests against the administration were surging high so the city boys decided to leave.  On board the train, Suk-young battled with his heart and reason, but his heart prevailed and claimed her in his arms.  They go to the city together but he lost her when they stopped by at the school.  The rebel students staged another uprising and they were caught by the police. 

They were both jailed but his father pulled his strings to get him out of it but he was advised to deny that he knew Jung In.  He begged his father to help his girl, and she soon was also released.

That moment when they were both standing and facing each other teary eyed was my favorite scene.  I was feeling what Suk-young eyes was saying at that moment… “I only wanted to love her and not cause her pain”. 

Unaware that she will not stay long by his side, Suk-young bought some medicine for her, and when he got back to the spot he left her, she was not there anymore.

Suk-young and the TV staff were able to trace Jung In’s location when he found a cypress leaf on the letter of encouragement the TV staff gave him.  When they arrive at where she stayed, they learned that she already passed away and as he stared at the cypress tree she planted, we see a flashback of Suk-young visiting the place Jung In once told her to place fish-shaped stones… and then we see Jung In crying while she held the stones he has collected for her.

 

COMMENTS:

A felicity filled tale that will leave you fetching and at the same time agonizing.  It was a sweet melancholic movie of finding love and holding on to it even if it has long been gone.

Images Source:  asiabeam

The Uninvited Korean Movie 2003

 

Seeing Jun Ji-hyun in a psychological thriller was something new, and come to think of it she has that distinct crying face.  It was a plainly laid suspense movie.  Actually I didn’t feel any goose bumps at all.  The shamanic abilities, the little ghost girls and the court case presented I felt were not fitting perfectly.  It felt like putting a magnet and placing something metallic around it but no attraction will eventually happen.  It was supposed to scare my thoughts but I’m afraid it did not.

 

A man was seeing the ghosts of two girls he encountered on a train one night and they always sat on a table bought by his fiancée.  He can’t seem to dismiss them until he met a woman who can also see them.  The woman helped him uncover the previous life he had as he got entangled with the past he tried to forget and the woman’s frailties and secrets.

 

It was not scintillatingly freaky so it’s a good warm up if you are on a Korean thriller spree.  It was not that bad, it’s just that it was too easy to understand and will not leave you haunted and thinking.

Quick Korean Movie 2011

KOREAN MOVIE SUGGESTIONS

 

 

I was not expecting much of this movie, hell I didn’t even do a background check which I normally do, but it held me drooling on it the whole time without any rest room break. 

It was a biker movie, and on that note I was really like uttering ancient chants that it won’t bore me.  So when the action-packed motorbike scene begins, the stunts and the speed blew me away.

Gi Su (Lee Min Ki) is a legendary fast biker who works as the errand guy for his friend’s courier service.  In one of his messenger job, he got pop star Ah Rom as his customer and asked him to drive her for their scheduled performance.  Little did they know that someone plot a bomb on Gi Su’s helmet and Ah-rom insisted on wearing the helmet so they got caught up following a bomber-slash-creepy-guy to bring packages meaning to blow up the receivers.  The catch is they can’t part beyond 10 meters or the helmet will explode so they set to follow “big brother’s orders”.

The road action packed scenes were just so amazing and what’s nice is that it doesn’t give you that Mission impossible vindictive badass feel.  Instead they use funny scenes to lighten up the mood of the story which I perceived to be an effective way to make a girl like me be hooked up to something other than a romcom flick. 

So it was sort of an action-comedy film for me… the chase to track the biker with the pop star delivering bombs, the cuteness of the police while they do their investigation, the mafia gangs involvement were really outrageously fun and amusing to watch

Here’s a movie you can enjoy with your boyfriend, not so much romance but definitely entrancing and exciting. 

Welcome to Dongmakgol Korean Movie 2005

It definitely live up to my expectations.  This is such a warm action/war film.  All elements synchronized to create a masterpiece.
In the middle of Korean war, soldiers from North and South ended up in a remote village.  A US navy captain was also stranded there and to retrieve him the US force have planned to release a bomb to Dongmakgol.  In their stay to the village, they develop connection to the people and be friends with one another.
I love how the movie wad richly narrated, and although it has a sad ending, I felt that it didn’t make the movie less appealing.  Full of heart and beautifully done.  The climactic ending was a sight to behold, be sad and be pondered about.

 

http://jediprincess.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/top-korean-romantic-films/