My Sassy Girl

I must admit when I first heard they were making an American remake of My Sassy Girl my stomach kinda churned. I wasn't sure that Hollywood could recreate the amazing korean film from 2001. Now there's good news and bad news... let's start with the good.

I like how they added a bit more playfulness to the movie giving it strange cut-scenes in between the main story. This added to the fun factor of the movie, but some may see it as just a simple waste of time. Using New York as the place setting for this film seemed typical but executed decently. And using one of the most recognizable cities in the world helped users become semi-comfortable. Both leading actors do a decent job, nothing too overly noticeable but decent.

Now the bad news, though the actors did a decent acting job.. you could still tell they're acting. When an actor feels his role and becomes the character the more enjoyable a film can be. For example Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight, he did an amazing job. I wish the actors did the same, but to be honest it seemed to be stale at times.

Overall the movie is 1/2 bad. As a stand alone rom/com it does a pretty decent job. But for the hardcore fans it's really obvious that this movie will just never be as good as the original. It's definitely worth watching once, that way you can develop your own idea on this film. They did an OK job trying to port the movie, a lot of things were lost in translation and unfortunately with that happening it simply makes the movie OK.

Yann Samuell's version of 'My Sassy Girl' is pretty much 95% a scene by scene copy of the beautiful Korean film. The hackneyed plot really lacks soul. It's not as bad as the trashy Indian version called 'Ugly Aur Pagli'. The friend character in this American version is annoying and one of the many Hollywood clichés including the Hollywood ending. The Americanized rewriting also makes the characters clichéd. For example the sequences of Charlie's and his friends discussion about relationships is something we have witnessed in numerous sitcoms and movies. No marks for creativity. Jesse Bradford tries to make the best of Charlie (despite the poor writing). Charlie comes across as whiny but remains tolerable because Bradford manages to make some of him likable. Elisha Cuthbert has never looked better but she fails to deliver in the comedic scenes. She's better during the more intense moments.

I loved Jae-young Kwak's 'Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo' which is one of my favourite romantic movies. So I was curious about this remake more so because I liked Bradford in his other movies and Cuthbert is quite pretty. This movie is no match for the original but it's not absolutely terrible (like the Indian one). Watch Kwak's movie if you haven't seen it yet and then give this one a try if you really want to.

(Spoilers) So, we have a film about a woman who can't let go of her first love, whom she obviously idealized. She subsequently struggles to accept a new suitor for what he is in his own terms. Instead, she wants him to magically become the old guy. It's more than ironic that so many of the critiques of this film do exactly that—fail to judge it on its own terms. So maybe your former lover really was superior, maybe Jordan's ex was better than Charlie, and, yes, maybe the original Korean version of this film was better than the American remake. I can accept that. But judge this film on its own terms, please.

The way the plot unfolds – without my spoilers – allows the oddities of its characters to go unexplained until near the end. In retrospect I found Jordan's character and behavior quite plausible. Similarly, Charlie is a bit two-dimensional at first, but then what do you expect from French Lick, Indiana – an artsy guy like Larry Bird? The guy's ambition is to go into corporate agricultural, after all. There really are people like that. This mysterious girl lures him into something more alive, to use his term. She gains depth in retrospect, once we understand her, and he gains depth because of her.

The plot is simply instinctive love exerting a force that carries two young lovers through well-placed doubts and formidable emotional perils. Not terribly original—perhaps even trite, but I liked it. Restrained as I once was by dull ideals, I strongly identified with Charlie's simultaneous resistance and compulsive attraction to this vector- deficient girl who takes over his life. Several times I told him to run fast and far. Yet, although I couldn't understand why, instinct told us to stay.

Based on the alleged quality of the original film, this remake of My Sassy Girl probably could have been a masterpiece, but this film is just fine in its own right. I take issue with much of what Hollywood does, including falling short in remakes, bringing every film to a cliché ending, and grossly overstating the presumed wealth of most characters – none of my physician friends live in anything near the multi-floor Manhattan mansion that the doctor, maybe 15 years out of med school – inhabits. With all its flaws, however, My Sassy Girl pleasantly filled an evening and made me smile.

It is common for people to console someone who is suffering for love or for never having really experienced it by saying that when you least expect it, a great passion can arise. Those who cling to such thinking inevitably start to idealize the moment of this meeting with all the pomp of a Hollywood movie, being able to even imagine themselves experiencing somewhat cliché situations and dialogues. Fueled by these fantasies, thousands of people go about their lives until the big day arrives, however, when the love of their lives is finally near, it can go unnoticed due to circumstances that do not resemble their dreams at all. This is how the love of the protagonist couple of "My Sassy Girl" begins, which invests in subtle humor to win over the viewer, but in the final stretch resorts to melodrama.

The film begins by introducing us to Charlie Bellow (Jesse Bradford), a young man who is alone in the middle of an autumnal landscape saying that to understand how he got there you need to know his story from the beginning. He grew up in a quiet town and his parents did everything to give him a good education so that he could enter a renowned university to study business and, who knows, follow in the same professional footsteps as his father. Raised in a traditionalist environment and with his future partially mapped out, there wasn't much for Bellow to worry about, but what about his personal life? He goes to live alone in New York dreaming of a better position in the job market, but unlike most singles he is not a flirtatious guy nor adept at casual sex, which sounds strange to many, like his friend Leo (Austin Basis) who tries to encourage the boy to have fun and be cooler. Once asked what kind of girl would make him lose his mind, Bellow randomly locks eyes with Jordan Roark (Elisha Cuthbert), a young woman who seems full of attitude and personality. She already says the popular saying that opposites attract, so she would be the perfect girl for a more peaceful and down to earth young man. This moment could be typical of cinema, but they don't exchange a single word, they don't even approach, but fate wanted the two to meet. Bellow finds the girl again at the subway station, screaming for someone and putting herself at risk near the tracks. After a bizarre fit of emotions, Jordan ends up taking her home. In the same way that she appeared in her life, the girl disappears the next day, but soon gets in touch asking, or rather demanding, a meeting with the one who extended her hand.

Bellow then notices that the girl is witty, always has a retort or joke on the tip of her tongue, but deep down she seems a little out of place. Probably the joy she shows is the way she found to deal with some frustration. Other encounters take place and so they start dating naturally, the young man no longer caring about the many losses of job opportunities to be able to stay with his girlfriend whose favorite hobby is writing stories that he believes have the potential to become movie scripts. Interestingly, her texts always take place in future times, yet another proof that she does everything to escape reality. In a fun sequence starring the couple themselves, she even reinvents the plot of the movie Titanic in the year 2037 with the famous Jack and Rose again separated by the collision of the ship with an iceberg, after all she is sure that man never learns from his mistakes. All of Jordan's madness, between moments of joy and outbursts of anger or sadness, ends up infecting the boyfriend who ends up exceeding himself in the fun and necessarily meets her father, Dr. Roark (Chris Sarandon), a doctor who ends up attending to the boy after he falls and hits his head. He exchanges medicine and exams for advice: he wants to see him away from his daughter, as he considers him a bad influence that makes her lose her sense of boundaries.

Until then we are left wondering what kind of novel is this? How can anyone fall in love with such a strange figure and such a fickle temper? Many may already be bored or confused, but romance fans may like the plot twists. There comes a moment when Bellow realizes that while Jordan does him good, she also seems inclined to destroy him, but even listing all her faults ends up coming to the conclusion that he is really in love with the crazy girl. Between encounters and disagreements, we will only know the real reason for the girl's behavior and her fixation on her current boyfriend when the narrative returns to the starting point, the park in which Bellow is at the foot of a tree with a peculiar image and of great importance to the couple. Such secrets are even more predictable when the girl's father looks for the possible son-in-law to apologize and assume that he treated him badly thinking he was just another one who took advantage of the weakness of his daughter who constantly returned home in the company of strangers for being drunk in an attempt to drown sorrows.

One of the film's greatest strengths is the chemistry between the leads, Elisha Cuthbert and Jesse Bradford. Her performance is endearing and entertaining, bringing the dynamic between Charlie and Jordan to life in an enchanting way. Cuthbert delivers a compelling portrayal of Jordan, an enigmatic and unpredictable young woman who keeps the viewer intrigued with her unexpected actions. She conveys the complexity of the character, switching between moments of vulnerability and defiance with ease. On the other hand, Bradford portrays Charlie with sensitivity and vulnerability, giving the film a solid emotional foundation. Her performance is moving, capturing the genuine emotions of someone discovering love and facing the ups and downs of an unusual relationship.

"My Sassy Girl" features several memorable and emotional scenes that contribute to the development of the plot and the evolution of the characters. Below, I detail some of the main scenes of the film: The Meeting on the Train, where the first meeting between Charlie and Jordan takes place on the train. Jordan is visibly drunk and behaves erratically and unpredictably. She ends up falling asleep on Charlie's shoulder, who is both confused and delighted by the situation. This scene is the starting point for the unusual relationship between the two, as it marks the beginning of their emotional connection.

The relationship between Charlie and Jordan is full of unusual and even crazy situations. In an iconic scene, Jordan dares Charlie to perform a series of awkward actions in public, such as awkwardly dancing in a subway station. The scene is funny and reveals Jordan's eccentric nature, as well as Charlie's willingness to accept her eccentricities. Another scene to stand out is Jordan's outburst, in which the girl in an emotionally powerful moment, Jordan finally reveals to Charlie the reason behind her unpredictable actions. She shares with him the painful story of her past and her emotional struggles. This scene is a crucial point in the development of their relationship, as it allows Charlie to better understand Jordan's complexity and help her face her own traumas. As the film nears its climax, Charlie is faced with a difficult decision that could determine the future of her relationship with Jordan. This scene is emotionally charged as Charlie faces his own insecurities and has to decide if he is willing to risk everything for true love. The film is a combination of funny, touching and emotional moments that reflect the complexity of human relationships and the transformative power of love.

The direction of Yann Samuell is another positive point of the film. The director embraces the vibrant and chaotic energy of the characters, creating a happy and unpredictable atmosphere that reflects the nature of the relationship between Charlie and Jordan. He skillfully balances moments of humor and romance, creating an engaging experience for audiences. In addition, even with nothing really innovative and with some plans that are super conventional and even without visual appeal, Samuell's direction offers a sensitive view of the emotional journey of the characters, allowing the viewer to connect with their experiences in an authentic way. The film's plot is a fun and exciting exploration of how a relationship can transform people and make them open to new possibilities. The plot addresses themes such as personal growth, the importance of authenticity and acceptance of oneself and others. The relationship between Charlie and Jordan builds gradually, and each stage of that development is sensitively handled by the script. Moments of humor and romance are balanced, avoiding making the story too light or too dramatic. Instead, the film presents a genuine journey of self-discovery, building empathy and emotional connection with the characters.

However, it is important to mention that the film can be overly sentimental and predictable at times. Some situations and plot twists can feel a bit forced, which can affect the film's emotional impact. Furthermore, while the central relationship is developed in an engaging way, some secondary characters are not given the same care and end up becoming stereotyped or underdeveloped. With a different third act, even if predictable and appealing, "My Sassy Girl" is a charming romantic comedy, which although it has some flaws, is a fun option for romantic comedy lovers looking for a captivating story about the transformative power of love and acceptance. The combination of the beautiful and charming Elisha Cuthbert and Jesse Bradford, Yann Samuell's sensitive direction and a genuine story of self-discovery make "My Sassy Girl" a pleasant and exciting cinematic experience, even if it does not deviate much from the formula of exemplars of the genre.

I saw this film a while ago now, but I didn't forget it. It simply is one of those films that not a lot of people know, not a lot of people like, but I am one of those people. It just has something magical inside. I will confess that I've never seen the Korean version, but I do like this one very much. The cast was brilliant, the story, the film itself was so artsy, if that's the right word. Just beautiful. Now, I will not go into the details, because I may not remember everything clearly, but I do remember the end and as we all know, the endings are the best part and this film had a brilliant one. http://citizen-cinephile.blogspot.co.uk/