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Failan is the tale of a Chinese woman who comes to Korea seeking relatives after the death of her parents. Unfortunately, they have moved on to Canada and now she must try and make a new life for herself in a foreign country. Firstly, I must admit, what drew me to Failan was the presence of Choi Min-Shik in the cast. After seeing him in both Shiri and Oldboy I wanted to explore more of the career of this extraordinarily talented actor. I expected a lot from him, and I was not disappointed. Nor was I disappointed with the extremely talented supporting cast. Cecilia Cheung is both charming and eminently watchable as Failan. And the rather colourful mobsters are appalling and humorous in equal amounts. The story is a slow paced one and is built heavily around character and emotion and is not made in the style of Hollywood offerings. Following Failan's experiences and the way in which others react to her story is a captivating experience which quickly pulls you in. It is a keenly observed and intimate tale that will pull at the heart-strings of anyone, even the most cynical. Make sure you have a handkerchief to hand when watching this, there really is a good chance you'll cry.

Having only seen 2 Korean movies before viewing Failan, I was quite skeptical about the quality of Failan. What is typically expected of Asian produced and directed movies are badly dubbed 1970 Kung-Fu flicks (with the exception of Crouching Tiger, and Hidden Dragon). More unimaginable was an Asian movie that could touch the heart of the viewers. An asian movie so moving that it can move the audience to tears? Bah! Ever since I began watching films at the tender age of 5, I've always held this belief of Asian movies mainly due to the stereotypes and marginalization of Asians and Asian culture presented and strengthened by the white dominated media world.

Then came Failan I have never cried in a film before. While others were sobbing over My Girl, I was wondering how many bee's had stung him. But in Failan (well I gotta admit, I didn't cry) it was the closest I had ever come to crying in a film.

Acting:Amazing

Story: Unbelievably touching

Girl: My new "dream girl." She has to be one of the most beautiful characters of our times. Her innocence and her love is unmatched.

I found the unthinkable happening...

Into my greedy little hands, fell a key. Looking around my well, defined (but impeccably small) world of Cinema, I saw an old old rotting door that had been bolted, shut, and hidden. And suddenly, a mysterious light turned that ugly door into the most awe-inspiring sight I have ever led my eyes on. Using that key, and trembling from excitemet I quickly, opened the door and lo-and-behold, I found myself being led to a whole new and not to mention magical world of Korean cinema.

Since viewing Failan (2 days ago), I have seen 3 more Korean films. I am just saddened that I have not heard a peep in America about the quality of Korean films. I was made to believe that American movies like, 40 days and 40 Nights, The Sweetest Thing, Just Married, were the only emotional roller coaster current romantic movies could offer. No longer. The Korean movie Oasis actually made me cry.

Watch Falian!

And wait for the key to fall into your laps...

This is one of the top 3, if not the best, Korean drama I've seen so far. I admit I was stunned by the beauty of Cecilia Cheung, but even though that might have had some effect on my objectivity, "Failan"'s still a very good film. The acting performances by Cheung and especially by Choi Min-sik are strong and believable.

In short, this is a drama of two persons, Kang-jae and Failan, who are married with each other, but never even meet. (check the DVD for the details.) Yet they share the same tragic fate. The saddest thing of this sad story is that you know that if the two characters would meet just once, everything would turn out ok.

The story is originally written by a Japanese, Jiro Asada, who also wrote the Japanese top hit "Love letter". Even though the story in "Failan" is different from "Love letter", some resemblance can be noticed in the structure of both films. And most of all, you get the same mix of sad and warm feelings in both. And that's why I really like "Failan". Because even though the film is entirely sad, it is also in a way warm and beautiful.

Maybe a bit more focus on the Failan character instead of the smalltime crook Kang-jae would be desirable. After all, the emotional part of the story does not begin until the appearance of Failan.

Korean film has improved enormously in the last few years. "Failan" is a good example and I highly recommend it. Overall rating 8,5.

If you are a fan of world cinema, don't miss this film, arguably the best film of the 21st century so far.

After the first watching this film, I was left dumb-founded. How can I understand this movie? Is this really a melodrama? How can a movie where main male and female characters really never meet be a melodrama? Though, this movie is still an absolutely heart-breaking and tear-jerking love story. This movie is a quantum leap in the melodrama genre. We will probably never see a melodrama like this one again. This movie not only completely rewrites the rules of melodramas but shows that a melodrama can deliver powerful social commentary. Can a melodrama be subversive? Check it yourself. This movie is as subversive as Fight Club.

Though this movie is based on 'Love Letter', a Japanese short fiction by Jiro Asada, the movie is much richer in social context. Failan is the saddest movie in my living memory. I don't know how many times I have seen this film. I cry at the same parts during each viewing. The ending where Failan sang for her 'husband' is simply heart-wrenching. The saddest of all is that even Failan could not save us, poor souls like her husband, from this cruel world. Then, who can? Only death?

This movie has a very strong story, somehow its both sentimental and not at the same time. Kang-jae is a lowlife gangster who to get some money marries a Chinese immigrant who he doesn't even care to look at. Failan pays for the arrangement in order to seek out her remaining relatives after her other passes away. Even though Kang-jae don't care for her at all, she is to him forever grateful for what he has done and keeps writing him letters like a loving wife.

This movie is very well done. By the end of it I shed a few tears and felt really moved by it. The devotion and hardship of Failan is very touching and the indifference of Kang-jae makes it all tragic. Tragic in a realistic way that is, not as in the TV drama variety. Also this is the movie which made me a fan of Choi Min-sik, not the little overrated 'Oldboy' in which he is cool, but too remote to make an impact. In here he is like Kitano Takeshi in his seedy gangster-don't-care fashion, but rawer and even cooler. Cynthia Chung ain't bad either, she makes a good character and is very pretty, but I couldn't stop wishing that she didn't do her nose like that. I don't get it, why surgically make a western nose when whats there from before is much more beautiful?? Asians (and others of course) everywhere, please stop the foolish surgery, people are beautiful as they are, not as they are created in a fashion image.