Keulraesik

I know that "Classic" is cheesy and at times, very cliche. But the film acknowledges this fact when the character of Ji Hae reads the letter that her mother's first love, Jun Ho, had written to her and she states how cheesy it is. And yet, she decides that she'll not call it cheesy, but instead, call it classic.

The intent of this film is not to enlighten or to be original. Love is not original. It is the most common of emotions. The point, rather, I think, is to show how it is possible for love to be like the way it is between the characters in the movie. Through the good and the bad, love is worth it. Yes, saying that love is worth it is very cliche and cheesy. But what the hell. Life is a goddamn cliche in itself and if you're not ready to accept that, then well, what can I say?

I can say, "Go watch 'Classic' and cry or vomit. Either way, you'll feel better."

Oh, by the way, nice acting by Son Ye Jin and Jo Seung Woo. They set up a truly believable dynamic.

8/10 is my score for this pretty love story. Reminded me of the story of how my parents met in Korea. I am glad to see Korean cinema improve.

A multi-layered romantic drama that's a winner on all levels. Blessed with good actors and an equally good story (plus cinemaphotography), you're taken on an emotional roller coaster ride. Granted, there may be an element or two seem unlikely, but nothing is outside the realm of possibility. In that respect, there's a similarily to an earlier film by the same director called "My Sassy Girl." Being a guy who's fond of action films and thrillers, I found myself surprised to find myself enjoy a romance story enough to put it on my list of top 10 films of all time. When I think of Titanic and The Piano, I think of chick flicks. Classic is for everyone. I sure hope that the cast and crew are involved with equally memorable projects in the future.

What can I say about The Classic, except that I never thought I'd like such a film. Cheesy romances featuring teenagers are really not my usual viewing, but The Classic was just beautiful.

I am not familiar with Korean cinema, and have never seen 'My Sassy Girl' so I cannot comment on how it measures as a follow-up. But as a movie standing on its own, it was a touching, tear-jerking and humorous 2 hour journey for me. The cinematography was outstanding, and paired with an equally impressive soundtrack it created beautiful scenes of the Korean countryside, as well as enhancing the generally poignant, nostalgic mood of the film. The acting was first class all around in my opinion, the movie could've so easily gone overboard with bad-acting considering the general plot of the movie, but never once did I find myself irritated by the lead female. The casting was perfect, and I was absolutely charmed by the characters of Jun-ho and the hilarious Tae-su. There were also a lot of comical elements in the movie which had me laughing off my sofa, making the characters endlessly endearing. The film takes us through a journey of many years in the past from when the characters' parents first meet, and had me bawling my eyes out at the end. The modern day story is just as good too. The film also finishes with what I consider two big surprises which had me thinking about the movie for ages afterwards.

All in all, I am really surprised that I liked this film. After considering why this was so since I really don't like romantic/comedy dramas, I came to the simple conclusion that this was just great filmaking, where the watcher gets utterly lost in the movie. It may not be very realistic, and however long we analyse it and it's clichés at the end all we know is that we were moved and entertained by this movie.

Technically speaking, this film showcased beautiful cinematography, convincing acting, and an overall continuity that brings viewers so deeply into two stories which become one, that it resonates long after viewing the film. This movie takes place in flashback format and the quality of the production is proven in the fact the the movie is seamless and smooth that even watching it without subtitles (which I did!), the story was still so easy to follow. Classic is not strictly just a love story, but a story about humanity and relationships of all kinds: friendship and the bond between children and parents. I am reminded of "Amelie" for it's lightness of spirit and dips into the imaginative and the fanciful. An underlying belief in romance rules the characters in both films. Classic is a complete package, there are no loose ends and instead at the end, you can take a deep breath and feel satisfied. I think that this would be a great foriegn film for someone who doesn't like foreign films to see because the actors portray the characters and their stories so convincingly that you can read the humanity without understanding the language. The quality of the acting and entire composition of the movie make it universal. It's inspiring to know that even in 2003 a film can be created that is truly timeless.

An everlasting romance movie. It's a set of two love stories told across two generations; the stories maintain few similarities, and deal with with the themes of love, loss and destiny. The screenplay is quite unique and mesmerizing, switching between the two story lines; it holds your interest throughout the two-hour long movie. The cinematography and background score are exceptionally brilliant; they give the movie it's particular charm and feel.

The acting is terrific; Ye-jin Son is charming and delightful as Ji-hae, as well as her mother. The supporting actors In-seong Jo and Seung-woo Cho are charming as the love interests. Ki-woo Lee is hilarious as Oh Joon-ha's dorky and good-hearted friend, Tae-su.

There are many memorable scenes in the movie; they include the fireflies beside the lake scene, the dance practice scene, the manure collection scene, the running in the rain scene. Coincidentally, all these scenes are in the first half of the movie. The second half may seem a little mushy to some people; it will only appeal to lovers of romance movies. But without the second half, you won't get a perfect romance like this!

The movie is a modern-day romance classic; the music and songs from the movie still linger in my mind.