Pethushka

On one hand it's awfully sweet, So-yeon Kim is a fine main character and Kyeong-ho Jeong can be delightful. The soundtrack is also good, and despite all the bad stuff going on the atmosphere of the show is upbeat and regularly brings a smile to your face. It's just that the plots are a bit silly, not to mention that all the machinations involved in running a company are extremely unrealistic to the point of being laughable. Even if I could get past all the glibness and the fact that no company could have so many upheavals in real life, I didn’t enjoy their corporate world one bit. I didn't give a damn who sat in the CEO's chair or who was going to transport who. And that unfortunately meant I ended up bored at times. That's why my overall impression was spoiled. 3.5 stars.

I very rarely leave Korean films without a review, but I thought this might be one of those exceptions. Because this film is so terribly fragile and contradictory that it's not easy for me to comment on it in any meaningful way. The story passes slowly, and at first it's mostly a collection of beautiful, long shots of a landscape in which something new is created, something beautiful, kind of desperate, and innocently guilty. By the time the plot picks up and more of the lives of the man and woman are revealed to us, I stopped being sure what kind of ending I was actually hoping for. Or let's say a version was forming in my head, but... Anyway, it ended the way it ended, and I just accepted the ending after a few minutes of silence. Oh, and Yoo Gong? He was pretty darn "watchable".

It's probably already clear to anyone with any insight into Korean humor that there's nothing that entertains Koreans more than a bunch of bumbling policemen. Then all it takes is even the simplest case and big things can happen. And that's what this team has managed to do, because one does not simply build a plot this ingenious. The idea alone makes it worth seeing. The performances are unusually balanced, nobody stands out too much, everybody tugs on the same rope with about the same strength, and you can tell from the story. I enjoyed the film and it's certainly possible I'll watch it again sometime, but still, after a recommendation directly from my Korean friends and its unprecedented box office performance, I was expecting an even bigger hit. 4 stars.

I'd start by saying that the filmmakers managed to put together a really great bunch of actors who were absolutely fearless. I'd say they went over the top at times, but it still worked. There's a fair amount of extreme and insanely wacky humor throughout the series. Towards the end, I unexpectedly shed a tear, and incredibly it wasn't from laughter, which I enjoyed to an unbelievable extent, especially in the second half. Honey carried the whole show for me, but the others were great too. An unusual genre, superior acting, and unique proof that Koreans can do it without a love story. 4 stars and I'm a big fan.

How nice it was. :) Nothing complicated, nothing fancy, basically no plot, but I laughed at pretty regular intervals so I don't see why I should be upset about a bland script. The style of humor suited me, and that's enough for me in this genre. Plus, I've seen so many lukewarm pieces under the "comedy" banner that I consider this above average by my standards, 3.5 stars.

Oh, what a beautifully mature drama. It's almost impossible not to compare the series to Something in the Rain, as you can feel that it’s the same director at almost every turn. This series is also united by a cast of (at least) six actors. The soundtrack is also very similar, and here too the song was by a singer who could be heard in the aforementioned series. Probably (but not only) because of that the atmosphere of the series is similar. And that's not a bad thing. Both series are seasoned, mature, and beautiful. And while the first one aired was the bigger tearjerker for me, this one isn't too far behind. And now I'm done comparing. It's not that the story of the main couple isn't interesting enough, but it's only when you throw in the relationship between the sisters, with their parents, and the problems of both families that you get a beautiful, touching, yet normal and unvarnished story of two families. In particular, the fate of the eldest of the sisters and the way her loved ones dealt with it tore me apart inside. For me, One Spring Night is a series full of hope, pure love, and understanding. What I take away from this is that even when you expect the worst, someone can stretch out their hand to you with a loving caress. And the fact that it dragged a bit at one point I can simply and easily forgive. 4.5 stars.

Ji-min Han pretty much never ceases to surprise me with the variety of roles she can play. Indeed, here she doesn’t even remotely resemble the librarian Lee Jeong-In, who she is currently playing in One Spring Night. I would have said they were two completely different actresses. And while each of her roles has something to it, I really liked this one. The little one was a good partner for her, there was a sense of love, desperation, understanding, and fear between them for each other. And that's what their strong relationship is all about. It's a terrible subject, it's not easy to watch, but as much as it brings tears to your eyes, it also opens them wide. 5 stars.

A romance between Woo-seong Jeong and Ha-neul Kim may be an irresistible proposition, but the movie would have to be about something, too. And that's a bit of a problem here. It's not that it has no concept; I’m sure lots of other viewers besides me were wondering how it would actually unravel. And in my opinion, that part was very successful, there were definitely surprises. It's just that the way it dragged on beforehand is unforgivable. It would have needed more chemistry and a little more warmth in the romantic storyline. In this respect, I think the writer/director lacked sensibility. That's why it's an average film that probably won't impress too many viewers.

I've seen better films from Thailand, but this wasn't a waste of time either. The actors are okay, and this type of subject matter has come up a few times before, but I liked this handling of it. The resolution of the ending in particular was very appealing to me. I guess the film didn't have a super big budget, but maybe that's the nice thing about it. I'm not likely to see it again, but I wasn't bored.

So I'm here to pull the ratings up at least a little higher. And that's mostly because of the actors. There are three aces here. The first is of course the monkey, Seung-gi Lee, who I can find no fault with apart from the bangs. On the contrary, he got to me, he got to me yet again. And the same goes for that greatest of madmen and incredible comedian who manages to turn himself into an unbelievable maniac. Yes, that's right, Seung-won Cha. What he did was unprecedented. And thirdly, Se-yeong Lee as the most amazing (actually the only amazing) zombie I’ve seen yet. After her calm and sensitive role in The Crowned Clown, I was surprised by her range. As a comedian, she's just great, and I have to say that I was initially much more entertained by her than Sam-jang. That one had some nice moments, but she was also boring at times. I'd blame the stylist a bit for that too. I don't really understand why she walked around half the time in a suit similar to what the monkey was wearing. Especially in the love scenes, it wasn't entirely pleasing to the eye. Her character just could have been more interesting. Fortunately, there were a number of other likable and funny characters. Among them were the secretary Ma, P.K., and the monkey's advisor. I took a liking to this bunch very early on and was rolling with laughter whenever they sat down at the dinner table together. There were a lot of good jokes, innuendos, and cameos. I can't say the same for the effects. They were definitely on the weak side, some of them could even be said to be lousy. It didn't affect the story or my enthusiasm, but on the other hand it's an unnecessary weakness of the show. I wonder what's behind the low rating. Perhaps high expectations of famous female writers? Or it could be that the story dragged on and didn't make sense, but I didn't notice because I was enjoying the actors so much just by looking at them. Either way, I'm going to go against the grain on this one... 4.5 stars. Oh, and the soundtrack was fabulous!