KDrama Thoughts: Mask [Gamyeon]

I decided to watch this drama because I was impressed with the trailer. I love thrillers like these, and I thought it was like a spin-off of Soo Ae’s previous drama, Queen of Ambition.

I guess I’ve become a fan of Soo Ae with this drama. I first saw her in Queen of Ambition, I hated her character as Joo Da Hae but I loved her acting. She’s a real actress. She portrayed Ji Sook & Eun Ha really well that you can distinguish the two. I guess she is up there with other great Korean actresses. And she knows how to pick her dramas well. She is great in action thrillers like these. She also looks unique for me, and she has a great voice, different from many actresses out there. She is not just a pretty face, she has depth.

The story is not at all new, you know, switching identities, but the lead actors’ performances carried this drama. Ji Sook’s dream was to become rich but being rich isn’t easy. Little did she know that she would be entangled with this rich but twisted family, and that she would meet the love of her life. She wanted to become rich not to get revenge but to help her family. Her intention was good, but she didn’t expect that someone like Suk Hoon would take advantage of it. Suk Hoon used her for his own revenge, and she had no choice but to go with it. He switched her with her doppelganger, Eun Ha, who happens to be the real rich girl and apparently, Suk Hoon’s ex girlfriend. She was trapped by this and how she would get out of it was one of the driving force in this drama.

Mask is a really entertaining drama from start to finish. The opening scene alone, the literal cliff hanger scene gets you hooked immediately. I loved the pretty, the elegant and posh atmosphere. They also don’t run out of ideas on how to create suspense in the story. Mask has it all, action, drama, comedy and romance.

Ju Ji Hoon’s character as Min Woo, he was quite intriguing at first.

I didn’t get him because he seemed odd, all these prescription pills and hallucinations, I thought he was a demented rich kid. But as I saw his past, I learned why he became like that, oh well, he was different from other male leads. I loved his love for Eun Ha/Ji Sook. He loved her both identities, lol.  He may look perfect and rich and all that, but he’s a flawed character. His being obsessive-compulsive is amusing. His love for Eun Ha/Ji Sook made him a better person.

I would like to also applaud the villains here. Yeon Jong Hun (Suk Hoon) in particular.

 I’ve read this somewhere, he is “theatrical” lol. He may look caricature sometimes but it makes the drama entertaining, it’s good TV. I became intrigued with his relationship with Mi Yeon. I’ve already felt that she would commit suicide in the last episodes. Maybe that’s unnecessary, but at least she paid for her sins, she killed Ji Sook’s mom and Eun Ha. I would assume that Suk Hoon also paid for it by death sentence and they would meet in the afterlife. Suk Hoon could now make up for his wife.

All the four main characters here were interesting. Mi Yeon was such a conflicted character.

She is unpredictable. You sometimes think that she would choose her brother and leave Suk Hoon. But she didn’t, her love for Suk Hoon was just so great that she took it until her last breath. She hated him but she didn’t want him to become totally evil. Her death probably made Suk Hoon realize her worth. At least it made him feel remorse in the end. His revenge cost the life of his wife, the woman whom he neglected all these years. Their story is like a twisted Romeo and Juliet, lol. I didn’t expect that I would be fascinated by their twisted love story.

This is one of those few dramas that ended just alright. Most Korean dramas end with too many issues unsettled. Here, the ending maybe quite rushed, too many things happened in the final episode, but at least the writer tried to have closure for everyone. The villains paid for their sins, they got what they deserve. The leads lived happily ever after as family, that is how you end it. The drama is flawed, it’s not perfect but it’s utterly entertaining. One of the few moments in KDramaland where the ending is satisfying, over-the-top is okay, and makjang is actually a good thing.

KDrama Thoughts: My Love Eun Dong [Saranghaneun Eundonga]

How do I start?? Okay.. this drama made me cry, laugh and fall for this grand love… I guess it was fate that the drama came when I was missing melodramas. I was tired of watching twisted stories. I wanted a classic pure love story. A love story so beautiful like a painting, like a book that you would read over and over again. My Love Eun Dong was that drama.

From the webdramas alone, I was gripped. The PD’s blog, the way he wrote it was so promising. My hopes were high. The teasers that gave tribute to classic movies made me realize this drama is something else. How creative were they to do such teasers and webdramas? We were in good hands, it was a dream team. Everything was so well done. It looks so beautiful.

The casting also was perfect. Joo Jin Mo & Kim Sa Rang, they’re such a pretty pair.. and how can I miss my favorite actor’s drama? Of course, I was in for JJM. It made me love him more. His acting is so great that it pulls you into Hyun Soo’s sad journey of looking for his long lost love. And of course, drooling over JJM’s gaze and all that “top actor” glamour. Kim Sa Rang is so beautiful, probably JJM’s prettiest leading lady to date. I wasn’t sure of her acting skills but as the drama progressed, she proved that she could be a great leading actress. She became Eun Dong.

How can I forget, Junior? He was a huge reason why I continued to watch this drama. He was perfect. The first time I cried in the drama was when he was crying when Eun Dong left. He was a real actor because he moved me. His portrayal was so good, that his every movement, every scene, feels so real. He was authentic. He’s so handsome, the perfect young Hyun Soo. So pure and innocent. Junior gained a fan in me. He didn’t look awkward at all with Lee Ja-In, who is the perfect Eun Dong. The girl was so pretty, fragile and innocent.

 

Even the 20s, they perfectly showed the grown up romance part, Baek Sung Hyun & Yoon So Hee looked so good together. And they threw themselves into the role, they made us feel giddy and in love. The younger roles flow so perfectly into the older ones. The casting was really well done and for that I applaud them.

My Love Eun Dong’s plot offers nothing new but a pure love story. The amnesia plot is such a cliche’. It’s been used a thousand times already. The difference is the lead being an actor and the autobiography part. When I knew they’re using the amnesia plot, I was hesistant, I thought it would be predictable since such plot is so overused. But the execution in the drama is so good that you forget that. Screw the amnesia, I was in for the beauty of it.

It’s a drama that is oldschool yet new and refreshing in these modern times. I’m not saying My Love Eun Dong’s concept is old but, it reminds us of the past dramas like Autumn In My Heart, Stairway To Heaven, those pure love stories. But what sets it apart from those dramas, is that My Love Eun Dong is not depressing and is not overly-dramatic. It doesn’t try hard to induce tears, you cry unexpectedly. It is just the right amount of melodrama and funny moments which are never awkward.  It makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. It makes you feel nostalgic. If anyone needs his/her melodrama fix, this is the perfect one. Honestly, My Love Eun Dong arrived at the right time, I needed my own melodrama fix and it came to me. Fate, indeed.

I was so drawn to the love story. I wanted them to be together. How can you not feel for Hyun Soo? His love is so inspiring. I guess people should watch it, just so they would learn to love like Hyun Soo. To learn how to love just one person your entire life, to wait for the perfect time, and to be deeply moved by a woman unlike any other in the world. This is what the drama is about. Til the end, Hyun Soo wanted to protect Eun Dong. It was unbelievable, it was a love so deep. Eun Dong is so deeply engraved in his heart, that nothing, nobody would stop him from loving her. It was Hyun Soo that kept my sanity and made me finish the drama. JJM’s portrayal is so real, so convincing that he lives the character, like he always does. I really don’t know why his acting is like that, maybe he could relate in real life? Probably. He did it again, this powerful acting, that made me such a huge fan of him in Empress Ki. I never looked back since then, I found my favorite Korean actor.

**********

So much has been said about the ending. The last episodes were so unlike the first 14 episodes. I didn’t like the finale as well. There were so many things left unsaid, unresolved. First, I cringed when Hyun Soo & Eun Dong were mistreated when they ate at a restaurant. Really? The waitress having a tantrum?  Someone poured water over Eun Dong, what’s with this hate? Does this happen in real life? No! No matter how famous you are, these are such petty reactions, it’s unbelievable. I don’t know if that’s the Korean culture, to treat celebs like that. It’s so juvenile and shallow and unreal. It doesn’t work like that in real life.

Andddd.. the bad ones didn’t get punished. Ra Il didn’t call Hyun Soo his dad. Jae Ho remained a dad to him and spent time with him, despite the fact that he stole 10 years of Eun Dong’s life. Maybe, the writer wanted to show that the drama is not about revenge, it was about forgiveness. So much so that Jae Ho was given a chance to be Ra Il’s dad, that Hyun Soo didn’t get a chance to be one. He was Ra Il’s dad for 16 episodes, when did Hyun Soo become his dad? Not a single episode. It felt unfair for Hyun Soo. The writer dragged Ra Il’s plot. She could’ve revealed the truth sooner so at least Hyun Soo & Ra Il had father & son moments. And so that Hyun Soo & Eun Dong could explain things to the child. Jae Ho was Ra Il’s dad the entire drama. She was so generous to Jae Ho that she forgot to give time for the real father. Some scenes could’ve been shorter like the 5-minute flashback. Did she forget that it’s only 16 episodes?

I also thought that Eun Dong would meet Hyun Soo’s parents when she recovers her memory. If you remember the scene in the clothing store they were fascinated by her as if they’ve known her before..I thought they would meet her again in the end.  What about Eun Dong’s foster parents? I thought they would confess everything and apologize to her in the end. The writer could’ve given scenes for those and shortened the 5-minute flashbacks.

The writer spent so much time redeeming Jae Ho’s character, that she overlooked the things he’s done. She forgot how Hyun Soo suffered in those 10 years. She forgot that Eun Dong was fooled into thinking she loved her fake husband. Eun Dong was like an unknowing slave that washed the feet of the person who almost killed her, and her son. Hyun Soo waited for 10 years, he didn’t know he had a son. He thought about Eun Dong, if she was living well.. he lived through those 10 years, thinking they would meet again and they would be together. He didn’t know that Eun Dong was living in hell, serving this fake husband of hers. The writer forgot that.

She didn’t remember all the sufferings Jae Ho caused Hyun Soo & Eun Dong. She wrote Eun Dong’s character as a brave woman but what happened in the end? I thought Eun Dong will bring everything in their proper places? She even changed the ending of Nello & Patrasche, which made me think that she would change her fate with Hyun Soo. But the writer made her lose her resolve, she made Hyun Soo and Eun Dong carry the blame and guilt. What’s this noble idiocy? Did the writer lose her mind? Did she fall in love with Jae Ho’s character? She made him cripple to begin with, isn’t it enough to make him a pitiful and conflicted character? But how about our main leads here? Don’t they deserve a family? Hyun Soo waited for freaking 10 years for this kind of ending. I was looking forward for a reunited family, but there was none. Okay, you would say it was a realistic and practical ending. But if the child knew that Jae Ho, the dad he grew up with, kidnapped his mom and he was fake, I bet he would want to be with his real father, though not that fast, but he would not hate him. He is 10 years old, he’s no baby. And why would he listen to Jae Ho on how he would treat his real dad? What right does he have to dictate that to Ra Il? It should be the other way around, Hyun Soo telling Ra Il to forgive his fake dad. I won’t even want to mention Seo Ryeong who was a boring and one-dimensional villain. She was like a wallflower till the end, still desperate for Hyun Soo’s love. How stupid was she? And how about the foster dad? He also got away from his wrongdoings and practically disappeared. Hyun Soo’s dad saying give up Ra Il for Jae Ho? Is he really Hyun Soo’s dad? How could he not understand his own son? Does the writer really know a thing about family?

We all wanted a happy ending, the writer gave us that. She wanted to give us a happy ending. She tried hard with all her resources, with all the time she was given. We were supposed to be happy, right? But it’s not enough to have a happy ending just for the sake of it. You don’t provide us a happy ending and forget about everything else. A good drama, for me, is when you have closure for everything else. You address the lingering issues outright. You don’t neglect them, you don’t shortchange them. You give the lead characters what they deserve, and put the villains where they deserve. That’s where the moral lesson is shown. That good triumphs over evil, however which way, no matter what storyline. That is how you end it. We don’t want to imagine it, we want to see them unfold. The ending is the most important part because, the ending is what people will remember. Not the beginning, not the middle. A great drama ends well, and it’s such a shame that they didn’t give it to us.

I guess nothing is perfect… My Love Eun Dong would’ve been perfect, except the last two episodes. It felt like written by a different person. The writer lost it with the suicide thing. She didn’t know what to do afterwards. So you just commit suicide to erase all your wrongdoings? Say sorry and that’s it? Suicide is not an excuse to getaway from everything. You don’t correct a mistake by another mistake. How is it a good message to the viewers? In a country with a high suicide rate like Korea? It ruined this beautiful drama, it made it depressing in the end. Suicide is such a heavy topic, that you don’t put this in a beautiful drama like this. She tarnished this drama with that. It’s like she put blood in this beautiful painting.

She didn’t know how to tie the loose ends on that part. She succeeded in the amnesia plot and Hyun Soo looking for Eun Dong. It was fantastic, one of the best I’ve seen. But she didn’t know how to address the issue about Jae Ho & Ra Il. I know the drama is not about revenge. Of course, we all have to forgive despite all the wrong things others do to us. But in real life, I don’t think their response would be like that. Sorry is not enough. He won’t getaway like that easily, also the foster dad. Jae Ho’s suicide is not his excuse for what he’s done. It doesn’t work like that in real life. Hyun Soo & Eun Dong were gracious enough to forgive and forget everything he’s done. Jae Ho is one lucky guy. Lol. I was waiting for Eun Dong to put everything back to their places, I wish she included Ra Il, being put back into his father’s arms. We deserve another episode for that. The writer obviously ran out of time. If the drama had 20 episodes it would’ve been better. This drama would’ve been perfect. It was so great to begin with.

**********

I wasn’t expecting the wedding scene anymore but I wish there was more than this pinky promise. These are two people who love each other so deep that it stood the test of time. Yeah, I know, it’s an ode to their promise when they were young, but still they could’ve done more than this. They’ve been through so much after all. A hug from someone you missed won’t hurt.

Okay we had a happy ending…I know I must be happy with that.. I guess I should be contented with that… They need not end with a bang, but Ra Il, their son is missing.. Hyun Soo didn’t get the chance to be a dad when Jae Ho had all the time to be a dad to Ra Il.

I guess, I will just remember My Love Eun Dong as a beautiful love story. I will try to forget the last two episodes and cherish the moments of Hyun Soo and Eun Dong together. A love that stood the test of time, a love that endures. This is how I want to remember this drama. How Hyun Soo and Eun Dong’s love survived all of this. Even though it didn’t include Ra Il, I will just pretend he would learn to love his real dad when he grows up, and he will understand everything.  I will live by that. Though seeing is so much better than imagining. Let’s just pretend it all happened.

I will live by the fact that Hyun Soo & Eun Dong’s love survived everything. That their love is unlike any other. That their love survived all these separations, all these trials. This is probably where the drama succeeded, despite the ending. Hyun Soo & Eun Dong can now love each other forever, for they have let go of their past. They have lost a decade of their lives together, now they will make up for that lost time.

They have a long road ahead of them. And they will go through that long road together. A long road ahead, it could mean a new beginning of their journey, of their life together.

**********

My Love Eun Dong for me is a masterpiece. I still think of it that way, despite the ending. For the most part, the drama has been great. It was written so well and so artfully done. It’s an oldschool type of drama, though in a modern setting. A love story that takes us back to the old times, of the classic stories that we loved and touched our hearts. It is so carefully done, that every detail, every scene flows so well with the story. Every scene seems like a beautiful painting. It’s indeed a classic love story. Something that we don’t usually see nowadays. Stories like this, they are never forgotten. They remain in the hearts of the viewers who were so drawn into the drama. Hyun Soo & Eun Dong made us all believe in their true love and how they fought for it against all odds. It makes us wish that a love like that could exist in real life. It may seem so impossible that someone could love like that, but then it’s what makes it so beautiful and inspiring.

Movie Review : Jurassic World

It’s been such a long time since “Jurassic Park”, the definitive and well-loved dinosaur movie that probably everyone has seen, especially kids of the 1990s. This movie takes you back to that era. I felt nostalgic as I remember the thrill of the chase and being amazed with these ancient mighty creatures.

Jurassic World is a film that is such a great ride, a very enjoyable and thrilling experience. I was at the edge of my seat most of the time and it was really entertaining. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a great dinosaur movie, no wonder this was such a box-office hit. It shows that in this time of superhero movies, a “dinosaur” film is something different. Which is why it found a niche’ of its own. Clearly, the “Jurassic Park” era has been badly missed. Though it may not have the iconic feel to it, this movie delivers as one worthwhile experience. It is probably a popcorn movie, one you just enjoy without thinking too much. It’s perfect for the kids today who missed watching “Jurassic Park” in the big screen.

Chris Pratt is perfect (and yeah, hot) as Owen Grady, the Velociraptors’ trainer though I’ve missed his comic character in Guardians of the Galaxy. I also love the brothers, Zach and Gray  (Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins) and their adventures. Bryce Dallas Howard is great as well playing the brothers’ aunt and Owen’s love interest. Love her banters with Owen though the romance kind of felt forced. They have this weird chemistry, though. The plot is predictable and imperfect, but forget the nitpicking and you will find yourself immensely thrilled with this dinosaur adventure.

This movie offers nothing new and groundbreaking but still, it is such an entertaining movie. See it if you missed the resident T-Rex, the gentle Apatosaurus, Pterodactyls, Velociraptors on the big screen. You should also look forward to the sea giant Mesosaurus  and the villainous Indominus Rex.

For those who missed the iconic “Jurassic Park” and the awesome dinosaurs, it is surely worth checking out. A movie that may not be as unforgettable as the Spielberg classic, it is an adventure that shouldn’t be missed.

9 out of 10 stars

Movie Review : Puzzle

Five strangers, each with his own special talents, are recruited by the mysterious ‘X’. They do not know why they are brought together, but nonetheless agree to a series of potentially lucrative schemes. A planned bank robbery goes awry when a minor mistake leads to a hostage situation. The robbery is orchestrated by Hwan. When Hwan turns up dead at the designated meeting spot, the remaining men realize something is seriously wrong, and suspicion flares. – imdb.com

The pacing is good, there were no dull moments at all. The movie started out pretty fast and I was gripped despite the fact that this is a genre I don’t usually like.

It was an entertaining movie though with a tragic ending. They didn’t know who was their real boss and who was behind the robbery they were hired to do. In the end, the most unlikely suspect was the one orchestrating these crimes.

A well directed movie that holds your attention until the very end. It keeps you guessing and leaves no clue at all. I hate shaky cameras, but this is one of the rare moments where I didn’t mind it. In fact I like the use of shaky cameras here, I guess not all could pull that off. The cinematography is great. As usual, my bias Joo Jin Mo is awesome here and all the other casts.

One of the better Korean gangster movies I’ve watched due to the film’s great pacing. A tragic movie yet pretty underrated nonetheless.

8.5 out of 10 stars

Movie Review: A Better Tomorrow

Kim Hyuk lives his life as a mobster while being haunted by memories of leaving his brother behind. His brother Kim Chul refuses to forgive him but soon changes his mind when Kim Hyuk was already dying and then shoots himself so he could be with his brother.

I don’t usually watch gangster movies, honestly. I watch romcoms and all that stuff. I watched this for the pretty Joo Jin Mo and the other male leads. I love the bromance between him and Song Seung Heon (Young Choon). I don’t really care about the smuggling thing. I think this movie is more about loyalty and brotherhood. This shows how Kim Hyuk loves his brother. He is sincere in becoming a better person, so that his brother could accept and forgive him. It’s just that Kim Chul realized this too late until the day his older brother died. I also liked how Young Choon was loyal to Kim Hyuk despite their misunderstandings he was willing to catch a bullet for him.

A Better Tomorrow is a film with an ironic title since there wasn’t really a “tomorrow” for the leads. This is a pretty decent action flick with a touch of melodrama about brotherhood and loyalty among the three main leads.

8 out of 10 stars

Movie Review: Wanee and Junah

A romantic melodrama with a very slow pacing I kept myself from falling asleep with this movie. Sorta an art film starting with an animation (slightly creepy) coz the girl, Wanee is an animator. She was reminded of her feelings for her first love when her friend visits her. This led to conflicts in her relationship with Junah, her current love whom she lives with. I couldn’t relate to Wanee, I thought she was quite annoying. I thought it was ridiculous that she suddenly missed her first love who was her stepbrother, which is quite a fauxcest. I don’t really dig fauxcest stories.

There was a poignant feel to the movie which shows that Wanee & Junah’s relationship is being tested with the lingering memories of Wanee’s first love. I just couldn’t relate to Wanee why she kept on reminiscing her moments with her stepbrother, since the film clearly showed how Junah loves her.

The movie had its own charms despite the slow pacing. What makes it unique is that it starts and ends with an animation. I liked how it connected to the real characters. Good melodramatic film but dragging in some parts and lacks in gripping one’s attention. Well maybe it’s just my bias, because I honestly just watched it for the pretty, er, Joo Jin Mo.

8 out of 10 stars

Movie Review: A Love

In-Ho is a naive teenager who falls in love with Mi-Ju in school. He does everything to protect Mi-Ju. He saves her from a rapist and was sentenced to prison for attempted murder. While in prison, In-Ho writes 100 letters to Mi-Ju who went to Japan. He wonders why she doesn’t respond to her letters which left him heartbroken. Soon, In-Ho gets out of prison and works at a pier. The big boss liked him and offered him a job as his personal assistant. In-Ho was shocked when his boss introduced his mistress who is actually Mi-Ju, the love of his life.

This is a story of two individuals whose love was true but fate was against them. In-Ho had a second chance at life thanks to his boss, but his love for Mi-Ju became a curse to them both. His boss discovered their affair and had him punished. But unfortunately, the gangster who raped Mi-Ju who he thought he killed was the one doing the act. The gangster then calls Mi-Ju and told her In-Ho is dead when he is not. Mi-Ju was devastated and commits suicide by jumping into the sea. In-Ho soon finds out and also jumps into the sea. Tragic ending indeed.

It’s a love story that reminds you of Romeo & Juliet, though with some action and gangster scenes. In-Ho thought his life was worth living because of Mi-Ju, so when she was gone he didn’t find a reason to live anymore. The story is kind of depressing but touching in a way. Joo Jin Mo is so believable in letting you into In-Ho’s sad journey. He makes you feel his true love for Mi-Ju. The story as a whole, is simple yet tragically beautiful. How I wish In-Ho still had hope left in him. He deserved another chance at life. But then, the film showed how profound one’s love is that it’s a reason for existing, and that its absence makes life not worth living at all.

8.5 out of 10 stars

Movie Review: Fifty Shades of Grey

For a movie that is based on a book, one would always find the book better than the movie. So I watched this movie without any expectations. Though I wasn’t very impressed with the way the book was written, it was quite an easy read and really a page-turner.

There’s not much to say about the story since everything was taken from the book. The book is so much more sexually explicit than the movie. It focused mainly on how Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele met and how their love story or rather, dominant-submissive relationship came about. I like that it actually was a coherent movie because I felt in the book that the sex scenes were too much and were just used as fillers for a rather thin plot. That is the book’s weak point, I found the plot very thin to warrant a trilogy.

I think the cast was good except for Anastasia’s best friend who looked old for a fresh graduate. Dakota Johnson is perfectly cast in my opinion. She may not be the Anastasia Steele everyone imagined, but she became HER. She was able to exude the irony of innocence and sensuality in Anastasia Steele’s character. Her voice is perfect and she doesn’t actually look old like I expected. Jamie Dornan rather, was quite wooden, stoic and emotionless. I didn’t feel the dominant and intimidating Christian Grey with his monotone voice. But I guess I should give him a break since he is a fairly new actor. He was perfect though, physically to portray the billionaire-sadistic-but-tormented Christian Grey.

The sexual encounters between Anastasia and Christian, I think they were executed well. The Red Room was exactly the way I imagined it. The opening scenes in fact, such as the interview, it was exactly what I imagined. I also loved Christian’s apartment, it was amusing to witness the book come to life from our imaginations. I also found the sex scenes quite shocking for some viewers as things are much different if you just read it from actually seeing it. The last part when he was hitting Anastasia with a belt is quite disturbing if you are not familiar with the BDSM thing.

The movie is far from perfect, but I think they were able to pull it off though it didn’t really live up to the hype. There were awkward moments, because some scenes from the book were actually awkward if you bring them to life. But what can applaud is that it is a movie that is faithful to the book. The sex scenes were well-executed and didn’t look like fillers as it was in the book. It was part of the twisted but intriguing relationship of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey.

8 out of 10 stars

Movie Review: Liar

Man-chul is a taxi driver who accidentally captures a high profile criminal on his birthday. He catches the media’s attention and they called him a “hero”. He also has two women in his life so he has to lie frequently. Man-chul seemed to master the art of lying. He must hide his “heroic act” so as not to get caught by his “other” wife. Since the police is gathering info about him, this would lead to his being caught in his affairs.  But soon as his best friend finds out about this things got complicated as they get entangled in a series of lies that got them in ridiculous situations.

This movie is hilarious, I found myself laughing out loud in many scenes. It starts slow but picks up once his best friend finds out about his affair. The way Man-chul’s lies got him in a lot of trouble is freaking funny. Joo Jin Mo is so different here, he is cute I want to pinch him. He had great chemistry with his best friend who is equally funny. Everything became so complicated because of this web of lies that he created. But there is no awkward moment at all. They were funny in an endearing way.

A freaking hilarious Korean movie. Yes, lying is bad, but in a comedy film like this, it will surely make your stomach hurt. A cute little movie I must say.

8 out of 10 stars

Movie Review: Happy End

Husband is jobless while wife is the breadwinner. She has an affair with another man, her ex lover who happens to be the real father of her child. Husband gets suspicious and is silently gathering evidence on their affair. He kills his wife due to anger. End.

The movie is a pretty straightforward telling of how a discontented wife, Bora, channels her inner desires through her ex lover, Kim Il Bum. The film starts with an intense sex scene shot in long takes. The succeeding sex scenes are obsessive, though quite gentle, you would feel the passion and the deprivation that this wife is experiencing in her married life. The sex is shameless, erotic and passionate although there was no frontal nudity. It was beautifully done. It just heightens the eroticism which clearly shows the wife’s desires fully realized in all her moments with her lover.

 She has an impotent husband, Seo, who is jobless and is leading a quite monotonous life. It was revealed that Kim Il Bum was her ex lover. Honestly, it’s quite hard to believe how she left her younger, good-looking lover for her current boring husband. It wasn’t established in the movie.

Seo appears to be quiet and nonchalant but he is actually gathering evidence about the affair. In the end, the nice guy went into the dark side and plotted against his wife. It was quite interesting that the story started with the sex scene and ended with the brutal killing. It started and ended with what this movie is all about. The lengths of what a betrayed husband would do. This passion crime is a result of Seo’s insecurities, his depression of being unable to find a job and having to do the household chores. This fact is quite degrading to any man, then the affair just added to that. It shows how dangerous a love triangle could become, it’s effect on anyone is unpredictable. Anything is possible, and love, no matter how strong, could disappear with just one vicious act.

A movie that is realistic and doesn’t rely on any background music and special effects in telling the story. It feels like watching a reality show, seeing actual events unfold before your eyes. The title is ironic because it doesn’t have a happy ending. It may not be the best and more reasonable solution for all of this. He should’ve just taken this matter in court instead of his own hands. But then maybe, it was a happy ending for Seo’s viewpoint. He finally got rid of his adulterer of a wife and he has the baby with him whom he loved.

8 out of 10 stars