My Sassy Girl

'Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo' (a.k.a. 'My Sassy Girl') is one of the most unconventional love stories I have witnessed in recent cinema. The storytelling is of the most sincere. There's no pretension. The comedy, drama and romance are very well balanced. There is no sex, not even a kiss, no one says 'I love you' and yet it turns out to be one of the most 'romantic' cinematic experience.

'Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo' moves at a smooth pace. Jae-young Kwak's screenplay and direction are fantastic. The dialogues are smart and the characters are richly developed and unique. The female protagonist's character remains enigmatic right until the end. Her name isn't even mentioned during the entire film. We see everything from Gyun-woo's point of view and Jae-young Kwak gives detailed insight of the characters and their relationships. There are so many beautiful moments in the film but I won't give out any spoilers. In addition, with the use of a lovely gentle soundtrack and cinematography, he beautifully demonstrates the wonderful locations. Even though I loved the way the Korean culture was portrayed, the story is pretty universal.

Newcomer Tae-hyun Cha leads the entire film. His performance is completely natural that it doesn't even feel that he was acting, let alone the fact that he was only new to films. His expressions, spontaneity, reactions and chemistry with co-stars are spot on. He is superb with the comedy and subtle in the dramatic scenes. Gianna Jun holds her own and does a fine job.

Overall, 'Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo' is a very well crafted film. It's a heartwarming poetic romantic adventure from start to finish. I know this sounds a bit corny but I'll say that it's a film that's close to my heart.

This is my „afterword" – maybe it's written more for myself, but please don't mind it and my lack in English too.

When watching movies we rarely know what to wait from them and the least we wait the film to affect us so hard that suddenly a completely new dimension appears to us, that the movie will make us to look on things and life from a different viewpoint, will make you to remember forgotten things. But movies like that exist, and this is one of them .

Thinking about this film I start to consider what the movie makers really want to achieve creating films and what is the task for a movie. Is it a picture movie with good cameraman's work, good acting , story or impressive special effects? These things are important ,but in my opinion, in a good movie the main is the message of it. I don't know if it is the director, the scriptwriter or the crew together who made this movie to touch the viewer, made him to look with a different look, who worked to make this film to deliver the message as it is, but I can say that they have achieved their aim.

This movie is humane. It's message and characters are humane. It has no meaning if the end of the movie is happy or sad - there is joy and pain both in it, because that's exactly how the life is.

I liked this movie. But it is impossible for me to rate it the same it's not possible for me to rate my own life.

This movie touched me. I hope that many others too.

hi..well i understand the point of koreans that this kind of relationship in my sassy girl is not common to their culture..yes that's the point, what makes this movie a hit because it shows a different kind of relationship that really inspired a lot of viewers all over the world specially here in the Philippines..because if i'm not mistaken their culture is more closer to us..now all i can say is that I was very touched by this movie, I have now a positive point of view towards love on how to make everything special...I really love jeon ji hyun because she used to be had a different attitude and personality..try also to watch her 2004 movie entitled "WINDSTRUCK" and you know what i really want to say..you will really love her..but for me windstruck is just second to my sassy girl

one of the best foreign language films you will see. The director has paid a lot of attention to detail and there are many hidden goodies in the film that make it worth multiple viewings. it is one of the few films that is funny, dramatic, and romantic at the same time and pulls all this off successfully (i am not a big fan of romantic comedy but this is one that cannot be dismissed). the side characters are carefully placed and, although the film plays on many quirks on modern Korean culture, the emotions and situations can be appreciated universally (I can definitely attest to this being a son of a Korean immigrant to the US and have lived in the gap of the two cultures). it will make you laugh, sigh, and feel uncomfortable compassion for the main character and his situations. this is a definite must see for anyone who can read subtitles.

This Korean film was unbelievablely popular last year in China, but I didn't see it at that time, because I sort of unconsciously have a dislike to something that nearly everybody else is crazy over.

But everybody I knew recommended this film. So I finally decided to see it, this morning, and it won me instantly. I am not a keen fan for romantic comedies, though I do enjoy films like Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, etc. This film should fall in the same category. The lead roles are brilliant. The girl of the film, you might not like her at start, but as the film goes along she just turns more and more beautiful as you get to know her and her past. The boy, on the other hand, is likeable from the word go (not the handsome type, but quite funny). The comedy is enjoyable and provides some good laughs, but as the film develops into the second hour it just turns so romantic. Of course everybody knows the boy and girl will get together in the end, but the process is really "tormenting". This might not be a great film, but it's truly romantic and great fun to watch. 8 out of 10.