Saedeu mubi

Relationship of a mother-son,and 3 couples. Their lives. The transition of their lives from happiness to sadness.

Watching Sad Movie is a emotional rolling coaster journey. The first 2/3 part of the movie is in fact funny and witty. The character building is clever, i should say. Their relationship with their partners is convincing too.

The film actually is dealing with the theme of communication. The eight characters in the movie are more or less unable to communicate with their loved one. The honest and a bit stupid fireman, a jobless youngster, a mother and the deaf gal form four separate, yet related plot lines of the movie. The movie is moving along the plot line of how these characters's blocks of communication are being solved.

The development is smooth, full of witty moments, and plot lines help each other to maintain a overall light atmosphere of the first 2/3 of the movie.

But when the movie runs to the latter 1/3 part. it turns into a sad mood. It will definitely make you cry as i did. Although some twists may seem a bit over-sentimental, but it is still effective.It's like when you are questioning or even complaining it's too sentimental, you are crying indeed. A very funny cinematic experience.

Overall, it's one of the best Korean romance movie so far.

Yes, I will admit it, I am a sucker for Asian movies, be it action, horror, dramas or comedy. And South Korea really do put out a lot of amazing movies in every genre, and "Sad Movie" (aka "Saedeu mubi") is one of those amazing movies.

At first I was a bit puzzled about the title of the movie. And my confusion was heightened as the first two-thirds of the movie were romantic comedy, and as far from sad as it could be. So I was wondering if director Jong-Kwan Kwon was just using "Sad Movie" as a sarcastic title for the movie.

But then as the last third of the movie started, everything just fell into place, and boy shall I say that the movie more than lived up to its title. And it is somewhat of a tear jerker.

The story follows several couples in their ups and downs in their relationships. And the story of the sick mother and the story with the artist and girl performing in a large costume really hit home with me. Those two stories went straight to my heart.

The cast in "Sad Movie" was amazing, a lot of really good talents on the cast ensemble. And they did really good jobs portraying their individual roles and characters under the skillful direction of Jong-Kwan Kwon.

"Sad Movie" is truly a beautiful and fantastic movie that you should take the time to watch regardless of loving South Korean cinema or not. This is a movie that takes you through a lot of various emotions from joy and laughter to sadness and tears.

I upped my rating from eight to nine stars out of ten because of the magnificent ending that director Jong-Kwan Kwon managed to put on the screen. This is truly what South Korean cinema is all about.

As the title states, you will be sad by the end, and probably cry your little eyes out like I did. But the difference between this movie and any other weepy chick flick out there is that you feel for these characters...you root for them. The movie plays like a comedy drama for the first 2/3 which almost makes you forget the movie is indeed titled "Sad Movie" It is one of the most heartbreaking, wonderful movies I've seen in awhile, even if it is a little over the top. And I mean come on, if you are going to choose to watch a movie with this title, you know you want to cry...and this one will give you what you want...10/10 stars.

Nobody could ever accuse director Kwon Jong-Gwon of false advertising in the title of this film. But even with the advance warning, the viewer is scarcely prepared for the tragic emotional impact of the movie. After the initial credits rolled, I found myself mentally girding my emotions for what I anticipated to be two hours of barely held-back tears and defensively crossed arms. But after the first twenty minutes of the film, I began to question my expectations and even wonder whether the title was merely hyperbole.

The film is a medley of four stories, each independent and integral to setting the general mood of happiness and hopefulness that permeates that first three quarters of the movie. There is the brave firefighter, played by Jung Woo-Sung, who is in love with a sign language interpreter (Lim Su-jeung) who desperately wants him to find a less dangerous job. The sister of the interpreter (Shin Min-Ah) is a deaf mute who develops a crush on a handsome young painter (Lee Ki-Woo) in the park where she works as a costumed character. The last two stories follow a young son (Yeo Jin-Goo) whose mother (Yeom Jung-Ah) is dying of cancer and a near-do-well young man (Cha Tae-Hyun) who hatches a creative plan to earn money and win back his girlfriend.

All of the stories combine a good dose of humor with their romantic plots. The viewer is taken on a pleasant stroll through the lives of the central characters, developing sympathy and really relating to the romantic successes and mishaps of the rather motley cast. By midway through the film, the anticipation of any deep sorrow is completely gone, but at the same time the title still looms over the ending. I found myself actively hoping that each character would be able to resolve his problems but still knowing that something had to go wrong before long.

It is the intensity and utter devastation of the ultimate crises that pick the viewer up and fling him against the wall. There is an expectation that the film will be balanced; the "sadness" will be of an amount commensurate with a romantic comedy. It is in this aspect that Kwon Jong-Gwon brilliantly executes his bait and switch; without any warning other than the title itself and whatever "clues" the suspicious mind might have inferred based on the title, the film suddenly goes from sunny skies to hurricane intensity. Not one dream is left unshattered and not one character's expectations are fulfilled.

Having said all that, I really enjoyed this film. Jong-Gwon's artistic expertise is evident in the details of the movie; many of the shots are gorgeously composed, and the colors throughout are vibrant and stimulating. And I also view the movie as almost an "experiment in emotion"—the stories are all simple and basic, but it shows that in the hands of a great director the audience can be brought into the story to such extent that the final betrayal feels almost personal. I feel that this is the mark of a "successful" film, because most viewers are so cynical and "worldly" when it comes to cinema that they often fail to suspend disbelief in emotional terms. This movie causes us to do so, and the result is that we are forced to question our own expectations—must romantic comedies or any other genre follow the typically prescribed formula?