"My Sassy Girl"(Yeopgijeogin geunyeo, literal translation That Bizarre Girl) 2001 Korea Staring: Tae-hyun Cha and Ji-hyun Jun. Written and Directed by Jae-young Kwak.
Based on an Internet diary by Ho-sik Kim, My Sassy Girl tells the story of 20 something student Kyun-woo and his meeting and relationship with a young woman. The film begins with Kyun-woo sitting for his class photo, when he is interrupted by his mother who calls him on his cell and scolds him for not calling his aunt. Kyun-woo is a complex young man. A single child, his parents doted on him until he reached his teens. Now that he is going to college, his parents (especially his Mother) treat him with continual badgering and discipline.
After spending time with his buddies, Kyun-woo catches the last train out back to his home. He notices a young woman, tittering on the edge of the platform. She is obviously very drunk and in danger of falling onto the tracks. Kyun-woo, grabs and pulls the girl back from the edge as the train passed. The young woman looks at Kyun-woo with both familiarity and distain.
Once on the train, as the young woman passes out from her drunkenness, Kyun-woo is scolded by the other passengers for not taking care of his girlfriend. Embarrassed, Kyun-woo gets off the train and attempts to leave the girl behind at the train station. But his conscious gets the better of him. He picks the unconscious girl up and carries her all over town in an attempt to find a motel for the night. Walking for what may have been an hour, a room is found and Kyun Woo, exhausted takes a shower in the room, with his unconscious guest in the other room. He is interrupted, when the girls cell phone goes off. He rushes out of the bathroom, covering himself as he forgot to gather towels before going in. He takes out the girls phone and answers it. Someone, obviously the girls parent, questions him. Kyun-woo gives the caller the name of the hotel. The call is cut off, and Kyun-woo goes back to finish his shower.
When he finishes, the police have burst in and finding him naked, spray him with mace and arrest him. It is the next morning after spending the night in a cell with a group of belligerent hoodlums, that Kyun-woo is bailed out. Soon, the young woman contacts him and the long and frustrating relationship Begins.
The film is told in an episodic manner, almost like a diary, with Kyun-woos narration filling in the narrative gaps in the story. The film works so well in that the characters are so well defined and believable. The many obstacles between these two lovers are all self induced, one approaching the romance through the pain of a breakup, and the other approaching out of kindness and concern. That these two young would be lovers cant seem to get it together makes up the body of the film.
The story of My Sassy Girl is simple and amusing. Two people meet each other and fall in love. What makes this film so unique is that the societal, parental and social mores that surround these two people force them to never act on their growing feelings for one another. In an interesting choice, the character of The Girl is never named. She becomes, in essence the lost love of every male member of the audience and a mirror for every woman and girl. Her sorrow is palpable, all credit to the fine performance by model turned actress Ji-hyun Jun. Tae-hyun Cha as Kyun-woo carries the film with a deft comic timing that brings to mind Dustin Hoffman or Alan Arkin. His performance anchors the film, as we see this maddeningly frustrating relationship through his eyes.
The script by Director Jae-young Kwak, as stated is episodic. Some scenes play out a bit too long for their own good. But the good-natured charm of the story carries the film forward. There is no nudity in the film, and only a hint of sexuality, making the film feel fresh and special. This is truly a story about falling in love.
My Sassy Girl is available in a limited edition DVD from Korea, Hong Kong and Japan. The Korean and Hong Kong discs (and VCDs) have English subtitles. Unfortunately the disc is region 3 encoded and is not playable on U.S. DVD players. If you have the means to play the disc you can order it from the online service, YesAsia.com.
In closing, My Sassy Girl is simply a charmingly refreshing romantic comedy. It will tickle your funny bone and bring a tear to your eye. And thats what a good romance is supposed to do.
(c) 2006 R.L. Strong / Delphian Productions
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