A Good Lawyer's Wife

This is less of a movie than a very extended soap opera. An apparently conscientious young Korean attorney has an affair while his sexually frustrated wife goes looking elsewhere for fulfillment. Apparently he's lousy in bed since both of his women seem to spend an inordinate amount of time in post-coital masturbation. Meanwhile his mother finds love elsewhere as his father lies dieing while his young and tasty assistant yearns for the day when she can make his triangle a square. Altogether it provides a fascinating insight into Korean society, that being - they're just like Americans - or maybe, more specifically, just like Manhattanites - those in Sex and the City, for example.

If this movie has anything deeper to say than "get it while you can" it keeps it well hidden. The tragedy which brings the attorney's marriage - and the movie - to its inevitable conclusion seems to have nothing to do with the plot other than to provide it with a convenient resolution. Still its refreshing to see sexual relationships, marital and otherwise, portrayed in such a frank and nonjudgmental manner. Pity that the film continued about 45 minutes beyond the point that I stopped caring.

This South Korean film dealing with the traumas of a fading marriage is deftly written, acted and shot. It deals with universal issues related to certain life stages with courage and sincerity, the characters are superbly drawn, the plot subtly moves and leaves the viewer with deep feelings and thoughts only such well-crafted and memorable films can.

The subject of this film is the condition of a woman who is married in the South Korea. The movie takes place now and shows the relationships between men, women, and the family. The strength of the movie is the fact that we pass to a case of characters to a drama. Excellent movie. The movie is perfectly directed by a new Korean filmmaker, I'm Sang-Soo. There is in the movie a special taste of humor, typically from the director (but if you know another Korean filmmakers like PARK Chan-Wook and KIM Ki-Duk, you won't be really surprise, but a little...). The actors, the woman and her husband in the movie play very good. This is the reason why we trust to this story which can exist anywhere at this moment. I recommend hotly this movie.

Apart from the interlocking network of relationships (which is complex enough), this film raises and deals with some interesting themes around grief, marital dissatisfaction, mental illness, modern parenting and others.

I'm not really sure I'd describe it as a "comedy" although perhaps some of the gross-out scenes with the grandfather and postman are supposed to be read that way? In any case, the acting is mostly pretty good and the central performance from Moon So-ri is excellent.

As others have noted, the dialogue and content is very frank but if you are ready for that you'll find some interesting depth here also. Recommended.

Im Sang-soo has long been considered a notable figure in the Korean New Wave, ever since his 1998 debut with Girls' Night Out.

However, based on the films I've seen, I've never quite understood why he's regarded as one of the greats in Korean cinema. The Attorney's Wife is yet another example.

This drama about a marriage in crisis leans heavily on erotic tension and benefits from solid performances by its two leads, but beyond that, it fails to leave a lasting impression.

Competent but far from essential, it lacks the depth or uniqueness that might elevate it above similar works.

My rating: ***