Une femme coréenne

First, although A Good Lawyer's wife is billed as a comedy-drama, it is not. There's little humor to be found in this story of the end of a desolate marriage. Sexually abandoned by her cheating and emotionally indifferent husband, a housewife takes a casual interest in a 16 year old neighbor boy, whose raging hormones give her the passionate interest of a male, something that has disappeared in her marriage. This leads to teenage rituals involving kissing and groping. After a family tragedy, events lead to the culmination of this relationship and a starting point for a new and better life for her.

Beautifully written, acted and directed, the loose ends only add to the film's allure. Not for all tastes. Be warned this is an adult film with graphic nudity and frank dialog throughout, but very rewarding for the mature viewer.

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: ***

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.

Honestly, if you up for an entertaining movie, choose something else.

The story of the lawyer and his wife might deserve accolades for it's honest and frank depiction of a not so rare frustrating everyday life. It does it that well you want to scream and escape. A marriage with lost connection, sexual frustration, emptiness... The husband has affairs but seems incapable to perform well, leaves his wife alone with all the care tasks and in sexual desert.

Despite nudity there is no real connection, no sensuality, romance, excitement or comedy, except for the teenager's part maybe, like an injection of fresh blood that may or not bring the desired change, as he is not yet jaded and a reminder of our own youth, when we swore we'd never become like this.

As the movie depicts the daily drama that well, it conveys boredom, lack of interest, dullness. Definitely no rewatch for me.

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.