Update: This is really rare--maybe the second time so far--but I'm upping the rating half a point. I can't get this movie out of my head! I keep listening to the main theme song; it truly does capture the best part of the film. Maybe this really is better than I thought.
Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: After helping out a drunk girl, a man begins a bizarre and whirlwind romance with her.
Review: Despite my interest mostly focused on Asian horror, people still found ways to work this into a conversation about Asian cinema. Is it really that remarkable? Wellllll...not really. In fact, this is an even more dysfunctional romance than "Sleepless in Seattle." Ugh...but I'm so torn when all things are considered! In one respect, the first 90 minutes are utterly ridiculous. You watch this completely abusive and insane "romance" that only works because the genders aren't reversed. Sorry, but if swapping the genders in your alleged romance turns it into a horror or thriller you have a problem. On the other hand, the last 30 minutes are like watching a completely different film altogether. Every scene after the couple are told they must break up, through the ending and twist, are completely awesome and redeem the entire film. If I could somehow isolate just those last 30 minutes into a separate movie it would have been 8/10 material without a doubt. The buildup to that conclusion, however, is twisted and outright fucked up.
A quick rundown of the story is definitely in order. Gyeon-woo, or however you say his name (I've seen 4 different spellings!), sees a drunk girl about to fall onto the tracks just as a train is arriving. After seemingly saving her, shenanigans unfold whereby strangers believe he is the girl's boyfriend and should take care of her; this part is surprisingly funny. Carrying her all over town, and taking her to a hotel to sober up, Gyeon-woo is arrested and later released. The next day this seemingly happens all over again except the two now become acquainted. The girl is never given a name so I'm just going to refer to her as "Sassy." Sassy and Gyeon-woo become friends, in a matter of speaking, but everyone believes they are a couple. Slowly, the two reach a point where their feelings go unspoken for one another, but they kind of acknowledge they are dating. Sassy finally invites Gyeon-woo to meet her parents, and, not only do they not like him, but shenanigans ensue once more to screw things up; I really do like the shenanigan-related aspects to this story. Forced to break up or whatever the hell was going on, the couple later meets at a tree where they bury a time capsule with letters the two have written for the other. They promise they will meet at the tree in two years to see how their feelings are with time to cool off. During the two years, Gyeon-woo gets his life together in the hope that they will have a stable relationship when they meet, but Sassy does not show up when the two years have passed. Reading her letter, Gyeon-woo learns that Sassy's longtime boyfriend died a year before these two met, and she was severely depressed. Over time, she was able to seemingly love again with Gyeon-woo but felt guilty and wanted more time to forget. Another year passes after this, and Sassy finally does show up to read Gyeon-woo's letter for her. Realizing she done goofed, Sassy tries to track down Gyeon-woo but cannot locate him. In an attempt to move on with her life, Sassy meets up with the guy her first boyfriend's mom has wanted her to meet for years. It turns out that the guy is none other than Gyeon-woo, thus, implying the two were always destined to cross paths. Awww...
Now, you might be thinking, that sounds romantic, what's wrong with it? The main problem is that Sassy is a goddamn psycho bitch! Nothing against the actress, Ji-hyun Jun (or Gianna Jun), because she pulled off the performance incredibly well. But Sassy is everything you don't want from a girlfriend. She is physically abusive, controlling, makes endless threats, erratic, fickle, confrontational, a tease, and, most annoying of all, she CONSTANTLY emasculates Gyeon-woo at every turn. I mean, fuck, she actually forces this little bitch-boy to wear heels! And she's not just hitting him in private, she is hitting him out in the public all the while sticking to that same tired bullshit about "I can hit you, but you can't hit me because I'm a girl!" Imagine we keep everything the same but switch the roles--make it "My Sassy Guy." Would this movie still work? NO, and that hypocrisy annoys me to absolute no end. It goes beyond that though, Gyeon-woo is such an utter weakling how could any woman possibly respect him? And the romance is tarnished toward the end since we come to learn many supposedly romantic gestures were about Sassy trying to recreate the same experiences she had with the first boyfriend. What the fuck?! That's outright twisted and wrong. The icing on the cake is that Gyeon-woo not only never gets any ass for his efforts--this dude didn't even get a kiss! Fuck...I'm done.
But, believe it or not, the film still managed to win me over in spite of all the things I detested. Those last 30 minutes really are that heartfelt and emotionally powerful! All of the negatives about Sassy seemingly go away in an instance. The two hanging out in the hills where Sassy wants him to go far away so she can say the words aloud, about the two breaking up, but doesn't have the courage to say it face to face...that works. The two, knowing they won't see each other for two years, not wanting to say goodbye when boarding the train--that was moving and with amazing chemistry. I loved the two trying to be with one another at the last second too; Gyeon-woo hopping off the train just as Sassy quickly boards it. That scene really touched me! The couple longing for one another over the years but unable to just get together resonates with me. And, of course, the final twist that brings them back together is perfectly brilliant. That is how you tackle a destined romance meaningfully. Ugh...why couldn't the whole movie have played out like this? I'll say it again, the last 30 minutes comprise, practically, another movie when compared to the first 90. I guess they thought it would be charming or quirky or funny or whatever to introduce Sassy as such a bitch? Hell if I know. Though, I do want to mention that this film makes you appreciate "Cyborg Girl" all the more as you could infer that "Cyborg Girl" is actually one of Sassy's scripts she wrote. This might also explain the subtly added sci-fi and supernatural elements that pop up in "My Sassy Girl" that go unaddressed.
I'm not 100% sure how I feel with this movie. I want to say I enjoyed it overall, but it's hard to take it seriously when it's touted as one of Korea's best. It is good, don't get me wrong, but I'm going to lean on the overrated side with the caveat that the film did manage to change my mind by the end; that is certainly a testament to the storytelling if it made me do a 180. The actors turn in roles with true conviction and have solid chemistry together. The film successfully invests you in the relationship and you want it to work out one way or another. The comedic elements are surprisingly funny, and the nuanced jokes were exceptional. The technical aspects are done well enough, and the music is pretty good. On the down side, there are major pacing issues, the initial romance is unhealthy and abusive which is crucial to the plot, and the fallout between the couple felt forced and contrived. I get why chicks would like this movie so much--seeing a guy put up with soooo much bullshit and still loving the girl--but this would be a disastrous relationship in reality. Eh, what can I say, I am definitely not the target demographic.
Notable Moment: When the two are saying goodbye at the train station. I just wanted the two to embrace so badly! As much as this movie was annoying me...that music, that tension...argh...just get together!
It doesn't have to end this way!
Final Rating: 6.5/10
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