My Sassy Girl - Yes, another Korean film.

[Downhome 0]

Ok, so I've been on a huge Korean film kick in the past few weeks. I've seen Oldboy, Attack the Gas Station, Christmas In August, Memories of Murder, My Sasy Girl, and more over the past week or two. To be honest, I've loved each and every one of them also. However, the one that seems to have captured me the most is My Sassy Girl.

 

I basicly just want to know if any of you guys have seen this one yet. If not, I highly suggest that you download it, as it's very easy to find and is well worth watching. I've watched it, and have already ordered the DVD.

 

I don't know just what it is with Korean romances but I love them. They have a certain something that most romance films do not seem to have. It might be that it's a fine mixture of different elements, I don't know. My Sassy Girl has just the perfect mix of...whatever it is exactly.

 

I loved the male lead, Tae-hyun Cha, as his facial expressions were just perfect. However, "The Girl" Ji-hyun Jun was the star here. Untill I saw this film I had never heard of her, had never seen a picture of her before, which is obviously because I've only recently dived into these films. But wow she is a knockout. She's not just insanely cute though. She is a fantastic actress who can really convey her feelings on the screen to you as a viewer.

 

I have also seen her most latest film, Windstruck, so I feel I can say something of her acting as a whole. I also have Il Mare on the way to me which she stars in.

 

Back to Sassy though. It was just a rollercoaster of a film. At one point you feel disgusted then depressed then happy then they knock you back down a few pegs then by the end when the ride is finally over, you just feel complete, for better or for worse. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind left me feeling like that also.

 

I will not say too much more about it, other that you should really check it out if you are into romantic comedies at all. I don't feel this is just a "chick flick" either as there is a lot here for everyone to enjoy. If this film doesn't move you in some way, in a good way, then I don't know what else to say.

 

Here are a few videos of the amazing Ji-hyun Jun if you are currious.

 

http://mplay.donga.com/dkbnews/2004/0601_all01.wmv

 

http://cafeimgs.naver.com/img/event/gsearch_30sec_high.wmv

 

http://www.oilbank.co.kr/cf/040723_30s.mpeg

 

Sincerely,

...Downhome...

[BrokenTiger 0]

My Sassy Girl. A friend of mine recommended this one to me. And yes, I've got a lot of Jeon Ji-Hyun's pics. *sigh longingly* You might want to check out a previous movie of hers, Downhome...the title escapes me at the moment...but it's a bit like Frequency (Dennis Quaid in the lead, I believe) with a romantic theme.

[Downhome 0]

That one is Il Mare. One that I ordered and is now on the way to me. I can't wait to watch it.

 

By the way, I loved Frequency.

[Guest smrocky]

This movie is great- it has been the only Korean movie I have ever seen, and I absolutely loved it. It does such a great job playing with your emotions, Im not usually a romantic comedy guy, but this was classic, every bit of it was thought out, eve the dividing up up the film, to make things as dramatic and entertaining as possible.

[Insane Bump Machine 0]

'Wanna Die?'

 

Yeah, great movie. They're doing a Hollywood remake btw, and I think Jennifer Lopez is the lead. I know...

 

 

Hey Downhome, have you seen J.S.A. Joint Security Area? It's a fantastic Drama/War/Thriller with some great performances and a really interesting plot.

[Downhome 0]

Don't get me started on the upcoming remake staring Jennifer Lopez, please.

 

I haven't seen JSA Joint Security Area yet, but I have ordered it and it's on the way to me. Almost right after I watched Oldboy I went to CD-Wow and ordered the other two major Chan-wook Park films, JSA and also Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance.

 

I liked this exchange in MSG.

 

The Girl: You know why the sky is blue?

Kyun-Woo: Because the reflection from the sunshine causes...

The Girl: Wrong! It's to make me happy. I wanted it to be blue, so it's blue. You know why fire is hot? It's all for me. I wanted it to be hot, so it's hot. You know why we have four seasons here in Korea?

Kyun-Woo: For you?

The Girl: Correct.

[Guest Kaspar Kucera]

Don't get me started on the upcoming remake staring Jennifer Lopez, please.

 

I had a bad feeling the remake was going to suck. This basically confirms it. That's too bad too, since this is easily one of my favourite movies. One of the few movies I can watch over and over again and never really good bored.

[BrokenTiger 0]

That one is Il Mare. One that I ordered and is now on the way to me. I can't wait to watch it.

 

By the way, I loved Frequency.

Whooops. You're right. I blame my hectic working hours for blunting my memory.

 

WTF~? There's gonna be a remake for Sassy Girl? With Jennifer Lopez? Is Hollywood running out of ideas? The Ring, Ju-On(the Grudge)...now this? SHIT.

 

BTW, Downhome...you sound like a guy that can appreciate a good movie in any language. Thanks to your previous recommendations, I'm getting my hands on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as well as Memento.

 

I wonder if you've heard of a Hongkong movie called 'Infernal Affairs' (it's a trilogy, actually) which possibly will have a hollywood remake with Brad Pitt in the lead. Infernal Affairs have Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (aka Broken Sword in 'Hero') and Andy Lau as the leads.

 

If you guys love Hero, try looking for 'House of Flying Daggers', Zhang Yimou's most recent work.

[Downhome 0]

BTW, Downhome...you sound like a guy that can appreciate a good movie in any language. Thanks to your previous recommendations, I'm getting my hands on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as well as Memento.

Thanks a lot. I don't care what year a film is released, what genre it is, what country it's from, or what language it's in. If it's a good, well made film, I know it and can appriciate it. Even if I hate a film, I can still admit that it was well made if it was. You'll love Eternal and Memento, they are my top two favorites ever.

 

 

 

I wonder if you've heard of a Hongkong movie called 'Infernal Affairs'...

 

I have heard of them, want to see them, but I have not seen them yet. They are on my list to check out next.

 

Tonight I ordered the following. I believe I have totally gone mad!

 

Il Mare Special Edition

Barking Dog Never Bites

The Harmonium in My Memory

Failan

Windstruck (DTS ES) R3

Memories Of Murder (DTS ES) R3

Ping Pong R3

The Uninvited (5.1/DTS) R3

Yomigaeri: Resurrection R3

[Insane Bump Machine 0]

I wonder if you've heard of a Hongkong movie called 'Infernal Affairs' (it's a trilogy, actually) which possibly will have a hollywood remake with Brad Pitt in the lead. Infernal Affairs have Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (aka Broken Sword in 'Hero') and Andy Lau as the leads.

I've seen the first one and it's great. The acting is flawless (esp. Tony Leung) and it has some surprising yet believable plot twists. The action scenes are far in between, but that doesn't matter. Highly recommended movie.

[Guest wildpegasus]

BTW, Downhome...you sound like a guy that can appreciate a good movie in any language. Thanks to your previous recommendations, I'm getting my hands on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as well as Memento.

Thanks a lot. I don't care what year a film is released, what genre it is, what country it's from, or what language it's in. If it's a good, well made film, I know it and can appriciate it. Even if I hate a film, I can still admit that it was well made if it was. You'll love Eternal and Memento, they are my top two favorites ever.

 

 

 

Is there more than one version of Memento?

[Downhome 0]

What do you mean?

[Guest wildpegasus]

What do you mean?

Because you were talking about some foreign flicks I thought there might've been another version. That's all. There were some aspects of Memento I liked but some I didn't so I thought maybe there'd be a flick out there that would work on all levels for me.

[Downhome 0]

Oh no, just the one.

[BrokenTiger 0]

I wonder if you've heard of a Hongkong movie called 'Infernal Affairs' (it's a trilogy, actually) which possibly will have a hollywood remake with Brad Pitt in the lead. Infernal Affairs have Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (aka Broken Sword in 'Hero') and Andy Lau as the leads.

I've seen the first one and it's great. The acting is flawless (esp. Tony Leung) and it has some surprising yet believable plot twists. The action scenes are far in between, but that doesn't matter. Highly recommended movie.

IIRC, Tony Leung won Best Actor (in HK...forgot the name of award) for the role in IA1.

 

Infernal Affairs 2 - A prequel...basically shows how the main characters in part 1 became the way they were. Slightly inferior to the first, but a good watch nonetheless.

 

Infernal Affairs 3 - Ties up everything nicely, everyone (even Kelly Chen...mmm...Kelly Chen ) give good performances. Andy Lau's finest hour.

[Guest M. Harry Smilac]

If you liked Memento and you like Korean flicks definately check out the flick Peppermint Candy.It goes backwards but unlike Memento spans over 20 years.One of my favs from S.Korea.

 

Infernal Affairs is being remade by Scorsesce and will star Dicaprio and Matt Damon.Great line-up there but i'm a little bummed about some of the more important roles being cut out of the film(Inspector Wong and Crime Boss Sam).

I like part 2 the best thanks to the best HK actor working today Francis Ng followed by part 1,Three has a great cast but I just wasn't really feeling it.

 

Hey Downhome,I found One Upon a Time in High School in a box over the weekend...soon!

I've got a burn of My Sassy Girl that i've had for about a year now.I think it's time to finally watch it

[Downhome 0]

If you liked Memento and you like Korean flicks definately check out the flick Peppermint Candy.It goes backwards but unlike Memento spans over 20 years.One of my favs from S.Korea.

Consider it on my list of films to buy now, heh.

 

Hey Downhome,I found One Upon a Time in High School in a box over the weekend...soon! 

I've got a burn of My Sassy Girl that i've had for about a year now.I think it's time to finally watch it 

 

I just send you a PM.

 

You better watch MSG soon, I'd like to know what you think about it. Be warned though, you WILL fall in love with Ji-hyun Jun.

[Guest Askewniverse]

I hate to revive an old topic, but I didn't want to start a new topic and this was the most related thread I could find.

 

Anyway, my friend's dad recently came back from a trip to South Korea and brought back some DVDs. My friend doesn't have a region-free player, so he gave me one of the DVDs, which was Bichunmoo (Dance with Sword): Special Edition (DVD Aficionado entry). It was a nice gesture, but it's a Region 3 DVD and I don't have a region-free player.

 

I managed to find some info on the movie, but I'd like to get some opinions from anyone who has seen it. From what I've been able to find, the movie has gotten mixed reviews.

[SinToxic 0]

My friend saw Bichunmoo few years ago, he didn't like it enough to make me watch it mainly because the characters were flip flopping without much direction although he said the action scenes were good. In that light Casshern can be a movie you might also want to see. It's fantasy/action/romance with good music/flashy characters but with the oftenly repeating simple Asian plot telling method done to exhaustion.

 

 

It was irritating but I though if they are going to remake My Sassy Girl they should at least cast maybe Jake Gyllenhaal with either Thora Birch or Anna Paquin.

[Downhome 0]

Jennifer Lopez is slated to star in the MSG remake, so you can go ahead and write it off as utter bullshit right now.

 

Nothing could top the original anyway, it's too perfect.

[razazteca 0]

Is the new trend now in Hollywood is to be inspired/steal movies from asia.....1st Japanese horror, then HK cop, and now Korean romance flicks? Damn, I guess Hollywood ran out of comic books and historical figures as concepts.

[SinToxic 0]

Right man, no more 70-80's slasher flicks now lets give money to a novice director whose only credits are Ludacris videos and episodes of Undressed, surely he cam remake a great mystery thriller with an easy and get a cult following out of the same people who thought Cabin Fever was the shit.

 

Some cockhead will botch OldBoy man and I won't watch it ... unless they get Gary Oldman to play Oh Daesu then maybe, maybe I'll catch it on HBO in the year 2009.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Cabin Fever wasn't that bad. Not in the bad bad way, anyhow.

[Guest M. Harry Smilac]

Bichunmoo is pretty bad.

 

What little action you get to see is cool and it's weird to see wire-fu set to rock music instead of the traditional.

 

However the story is just overly long and boring and the characters weren't all that great.The lead in particular I could not stand as well as his son.

 

I'd try to hawk it on ebay if I were you.

 

 

Off the top of my head these are all being done for remakes.

 

A Tale of Two Sisters

Infernal Affairs

Oldboy

My Sassy Girl

Breaking News

Colour of the Truth

Dark Water

Ju-on:The Grudge

 

Just ordered House of Flying Daggers the new flick from the guy who did Hero.Seen that one yet Downhome?

[Ravenbomb 0]

I wonder if you've heard of a Hongkong movie called 'Infernal Affairs' (it's a trilogy, actually) which possibly will have a hollywood remake with Brad Pitt in the lead.

according to IMDB and one of those news-type magazines (Newsweek, US Weekly, whatever it was), Scorsese is going to direct it

[Guest Jimmy Saint]

My Sassy Girl is a cracking film and probably my favourite Korean flick [that is'nt JSA]. Here is a few more for you if you havent seen them and havent been mentioned here.

 

 

Musa is an incredible period action film. Great story, brutaly real fight scenes and top notch acting. Get the uncut Korean version althougth the PAL HKLegends release has all the extras in English. Friend is one of the other real stand out Korean films of recent years. Tells the story of four friends and the different paths they take in life. Oasis is a very disfunctional romance but well crafted and has real stand out performances from the leads.

 

Public Enemy is my favourite Korean police drama. About a currupt cop who goes after a serial killer. Again it has fantastic acting and is well worth getting. Nowhere to Hide is the other great police drama. You will either love it or hate it. The direction is extremly stylish and can be overbearing for some. Its worth it for the visuals though even if the plot does get lost in the shuffle somewhere.

 

Shiri and Lost Memories 2009 do the big budget western influenced action thing but do it well. Shiri especcilly has some very intertesting twists and is a ton of fun.

 

 

Go which is more a Japanese film than a Korean film is worth a look. One Japanese film than many haven't but should see is All About Lilly Chou Chou. It ain't an easy watch but it is uplifting in its way and parts will stay with you for a long time after.

[Downhome 0]

Just ordered House of Flying Daggers the new flick from the guy who did Hero.Seen that one yet Downhome?

Not yet, but I plan to order it soon. I've heard very good things about it from a lot of different people.