Go-yang-i-leul boo-tak-hae

a wonderful take on the trials of friendship. i was most taken by the character of Tae-hee. there is one scene where she is imagining herself floating in a boat, down a stream. all she wants to do is sit back, look up at the sky, and read. she wants to let everything go, and drift away from the mainstream. this scene was immediately relatable to me, almost cathartic. the director doesn't sentimentalize the very real emotions these young women are feeling. the music is quite good, and the performances are perfect.

'Take Care of My Cat' is a thoughtful, sensitive and perceptive look at the lives of a group of young Koreans living in Inchon (Seoul's port city) as they undergo the difficult transition from students to workers. The characters of the different girls, and the changing interactions between them, are depicted with considerable skill and subtlety, as the film observes how the proliferation of mobile phones in society has not necessarily eliminated loneliness, and explores the (neo-Loachian) idea of the difficulty in maintaining relationships that straddle class boundaries. For a European, the film also provides an interesting portrait of contemporary Korea; awash with modern technology, but nonetheless still suffering from a relatively impoverished urban environment. The details are convincing and fascinating; the themes universal and profound, yet the film makes its points lightly and with grace. The result is genuinely moving experience. Definitely recommended.

This movie works on two levels, basically the story that happens and also as a subtle progressive social commentary about the state of korea and how women are somewhat confined and the "minor" injustices they face all the time. I wouldn't go so far as to call it feminist because what alot of the movie is dealing with is just the basic struggle for existence, and how each of the girls can fit into the world somehow.

The story at first begins somewhat boring as its unclear what the purposes of the movie are, but around 20 minutes into the movie when Hye-ju rejects JiYoung's gift of the cat, and then later fails to meet her on time at a restaurant, it is clear that the movie is finally starting to move with its plot in some noticeable direction. And the way it does so is very smooth and well directed you slowly become immersed in the intricate details of thier world, which is a fundamental quality of a of a good movie. As a drama, it does its job of immersing the viewer in the emotions of its characters. I think it is a definitely progressive style drama as many other coming of age styled dramas are, and is enjoyable to watch throughout because you are always getting a realistic look at modern korean life as the story moves.

Worth watching!

I was very impressed by this upon first viewing, a couple years ago, and boy does it hold up with the passage of time. This was Jeong's debut and it will be interesting to see what she comes up with next.

In this coming-of-age story set in a group of young women in a rather bleak and industrial Inchon, S Korea, Jeong doesn't attempt to duplicate the lushness of Naruse or the extraordinary technique of Ozu, but there's an elegance that recalls both - a real ability to look straight into the many subtle slights these women endure, along with the many moments of joy they create, and discover profundity in the everyday. The basic mechanics of the story seem (at first) simple, and the film seems very ethereal for the first 20 minutes or so, but it does coalesce into something quite memorable - the slow tempo and loping narrative makes it easy to overlook the subtle defiance and independence of spirit (and the quick moments of odd, deadpan humor) to be found underneath it all. In both look and feel, Jeong's work is of a piece with certain other leading figures in the current Asian cinematic new wave, and like the best examples of that new wave, Jeong creates a memorable style of her own.

Sweet but not sappy, occasionally tragic without sliding into gross manipulations - a film of great power. The Kino DVD looks great, no extras however.

This film had a pensive effect on me. For some reason, it reminded me of F*cking Åmål, (don't go All-American/FakeChristian/MidWestern hypocrite on me and report this, it's the official IMDb title --> http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0150662/), perhaps it is the theme of childhood or teenage-ship which runs through both of them. When I watched F*cking Åmål, I strongly felt that it showed a world of teenagers lost to me now forever and 'Goyangileul Butaghae' is actually about that, so there. It's quite a film with a lot of recognition, even if one is not a twenty something female, but a European male from a different age group altogether. For the first minute that I watched it, I didn't realize that it wasn't a European film. I was just zapping. And I'm kind of sorry that I didn't tape this one. Because the film's beautiful sadness or melancholy, is striking indeed. It's really a film which you wanna own on DVD or tape. Quite nice to get a peek inside Korean teenage-twins life, the harsh differences (the policeman telling an orphaned girl who just lost her grandparents due to a collapsed roof too that she should count herself lucky to be rid of a burden) and the similarities (the way they deal with boys etc).

Okay, maybe I just liked this film because it's about five attractive girls and I'm male but that's not all of it. Like the other users said, its atmosphere, the 'odeur' is so beautiful. The ending (it was my favorite type of ending. Don't worry, I won't tell;) ) screams for a sequel! I wanna see more! How about 'Tae-hie and Ji-young's Travel Adventure'? And where can I get the music?

The Melancholic Alcoholic.