Must see Korean movies (1 Viewer)

[ChrisYK]

Here's another one:

GUNS AND TALKS (though the title could have been better translated to Conversation Among Killers): A story about a group of hired hitmen who in other respects are very normal people with very normal problems who try to live their lives in a very normal way. A strange concept that comes together well thanks to the believable cast and great direction. I highly recommend this movie!

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

Can't say GUNS & TALKS did it for me. Not bad, entirely. Well made, well acted, but parts seemed better than the whole, the comic elements fade before the half-way mark, and the climactic confrontation at the Shakespeare play was rather, well, anti-climactic and less-than-successful. There were also elements of the four main characters that were a little too unpleasant to make me buy them as the likable everyday joes the filmmakers seemed to want us to believe they were.

My opinions on this film, however, may have been effected by both the trailer and the "One Wild Night" music video by Bon Jovi, both of which sold the film as being far more exciting than it turned out to be. Had I expected what I got, I might have liked it more, but those two clips gave me the impression that the filmmakers thought they had made a stronger action thriller.

 

[ChrisYK]

Thought I'd bump this to supplement a new, more general "Asian movies" thread that has been started.

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

Good move. Gamsahamnida! I even ported over some of my Korean pics to that one as well, just to help it along!

 

[Ralph Jenkins]

Most of the Asian cinema I've seen has been Japanese, but I have seen a few Korean films.

I thought A Tale of Two Sisters was a very well-made, suspenseful horror film. One scene in particular is rather Ring-like, but the film is certainly not just another Ring clone. It's difficult to describe it without giving too much away, but you will want to watch this one at least twice. I understand a Hollywood remake is in the works. ( )

On the other hand, I hated My Sassy Girl. I didn't like the two leads, and I found the ending incredibly drawn-out and melodramatic (I saw the extended version). To each his own, though.

 

[ChrisYK]

A very common complaint about Korean dramas/romantic comedies. I think it is a culturual phenomenon in which Koreans tend to connect with and can identify with melodramas. It is prevalent in their TV shows, pop music and even trickles down into their commercials.

Take it with a grain of salt (or beer if that will help wash it down better) and think of it as a window into Korean culture.

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

My girlfriend is Korean and has told me pretty much the same thing about the tendency for Koreans to identify with melodrama above all. However, being Canadian-born and speaking English as a first language, she does find it a cultural peculiarity she can't completely identify with.

In fact, a small Korean grocery store we frequent always has Korean soaps playing on the in-store TV and it's become something of a running contest to see how many crying scenes will occur before we're done shopping! The record is now four in less than 25 minutes for the SAME show, which is an impressive feat by western standards! Not sure about the title of the show, but we both joked that it probably had a season in the title (Winter Song of Tears or Spring Sonnet of Sadness or Autumn Tale for Kleenex or some such).

If anyone cares, the ending of MY SASSY GIRL had me fighting back the tears. Good thing my girlfriend wasn't with me at the time: my manly-man status remains unblemished

 

[Peter Kim]

Could've been Winter Sonata or Summer Scent.

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

I do remember one couple sobbing in a kareoke bar, then a few minutes later, another couple sobbing in a household setting, and then a couple sobbing on a bench near a beach, if memory serves correctly. Then again, this grocery store had a whole wall of VHS tapes, so it could have been something older. What is cool is the fact that the tapes usually have the original Korean commercials and station breaks etc. on them, which is a good way to experience the TV viewing experience of another country (at least for us).

One of these days, we're going to order one of the Korean DVD TV sets, many of which have English subs, just so we can formally say we've had the experience.