Aneun yeoja

I have to say coming in to this film my expectations were pretty low. And the first few scenes my expectations were met every way. I felt that because it had no A-List actors the movie was going to bomb, boy was I wrong. Nayoung Lee plays her role perfectly, and in hindsight (which they say is 20/20) I can see no other actress who could have played it. I honestly did not know this actress before this film, and during it I was confused as to whether she was supposed to be blind or not. Just due to the way she looks, and acts. In fact, I had to say she looked very odd. But aside from the initial reaction, she melted into her character and was great. The character development of this film was spectacular, all romantic comedies from the motherland all try to have a dramatic scene in the rain with everyone crying and such, this movie uses a blend of awkward 'getting to know each other' time and the occasional dramatic yelling and screaming over the pitter patter of cg rain, to produce a ... awesome end product. Sorry couldn't think of a better word. I feel this is more a sappy "guy who likes to watch sappy chick flick" movie then a regular chick flick, but all you ladies are welcome to get your ben and jerrys and settle down in front of the computer or TV because your heart will be warmed up instantly by this cleverly written and directed diamond in the rough.

I really wanted to like this movie. There are a lot of things, at first, to bring a smile to your face, from the movie-in-movie spoof to the lovable stalker turns girlfriend side plot. I was also completely overjoyed by the fact that the director used dry, almost English humor (as opposed to the slapstick of 'Sex is Zero' or cutesy of 'Peppermint Candy') to bring the story and the characters together.

Unfortunately, watching the second half of this movie is a serious labor of love. The Lead actor is at best wooden, with one ex-girlfriend serving as his emotional anchor. No spoilers - his new squeeze, a waitress at a fancy coffee shop/bar seems to insinuate herself into his life because of self pity? Gimme a beak...

Since Bae Doon-na made Hollywood, everybody wants to capture her charm and natural naivete to sell badly written movies. Disney, back off and let Korean cinema do what it does better than Hollywood - sell movies with real heart and soul. While this movie started strong, it eventually sold out and became the poster child for what NOT to do. I'll give the director another shot, but ultimately this is a 6...

The movie that I'm glad that this film turned out not to be is the parody that exists within the movie. As that movie-within-a-movie goes on, the protagonist of this tale comments on how illogical and tedious it is, being a story of two lovers who are parted and somehow one can send his love to the other through a magical telephone pole as they both die. That movie-within-a-movie grabs all the trite clichés that infest Corean melodramas and brings them to their ridiculous conclusions.

Someone Special or A Woman I Know (direct translation) is a romantic comedy, but it's build on a completely different foundation than the typical Corean melodrama. In fact, the closest analogue I can come up with to this film is Punch Drunk Love, which is also a completely different kind of romance. Unlike Punch Drunk Love, however, Someone Special is completely aware of all the genre rules and even follows them in parodic (but not spoofing) fashion, subverting clichés of terminal illness, tear-jerking moments, and remarkable connections between lovers. And even though it acts as a parody of the romantic comedy genre, it still retains the heart of a romantic comedy.

The story, on the surface, is a little unremarkable. It's essentially about heartbroken baseball player and a young woman who has a one-sided crush on him. The comedy is derived partially from parody, flights of fantasy, erratic behavior and comedic situations, as well as some sharp awkward dialog. A few directorial touches that I love is the inversion of background and foreground and the overall approach to the look of the film.

Another thing I love about the film is the acting. First of all, the male lead doesn't have model-like features--he's a rather average looking guy. And the female lead portrays her rather bizarre character with gusto and while she's costumed rather dumpy, she conveys a genuinely addictive naiveté. The rest of the film is peopled with rather amusing persons all played well by their supporting actors.

I did have some issues with the editing, which I felt didn't do enough to cut down the running time as there were more than a couple moments where I felt like we could have more elliptical storytelling. Also, although I remain neutral to it, there are many setups where a hand-held camera is used and it can be distracting to those who expect a still camera when shooting a still scene. It's a little unorthodox and I can't find a compelling reason to shoot it the way it was shot, but at the same time, it's a rather memorable technique, even if excessive. Finally, sometimes the music was mixed too much up front and while I understand the use of pop songs in certain parts, as part of the genre critique, at other times, it was just a little overbearing and distracting.

Despite that I felt like a few more things could've been done to improve the film, I still have to admit that I was really entertained by the film and loved its intelligent and yet still genuine take on the romantic comedy genre. With great characters, atypical amusing comedy and a really unique energy, Someone Special ended up being something special for me: a really enjoyable romantic comedy that considerably pushes the genre into a new place. 8/10.

I am not quite sure if this film is available in the states. However, I understand that the video version is available in parts of Asia. The subtitles on the DVD release are competent for the most part, although the nuanced dialogue and cultural expressions from a few scenes leave something to be desired in the translation. Despite the studio-chosen English title, Aneun Yeoja, the original title literally translated is "A Girl I Know."

As for the movie itself, the story is fresh and interesting, and Jang's feel for comic pacing is impeccable. One can't help but feel drawn to the main characters as the tightly wrought storyline continues to unfold on the screen. Watching this film has made me an avid fan of the filmmaker, and I have actively sought out Jang's work since. I highly recommend this film to anyone who is tired of the same old Hollywood-produced, cookie-cutter romantic comedy.

Korean movies somehow manage, successfully, to skirt the line between drama and comedy all at the same time. There are times in this movie, you'd wonder if you're watching a comedy, or a drama? Somehow it goes from one to the other quite well, and the comedy is more circumstantial, then "i'm going to do something that will make you laugh".

I really liked this movie, and just remember that whole 'romantic-comedy' idea came from Hollywood. Korea movies for one, have a different take on what it means to them, and for some reason, strikes home a bit better.