My Sassy Girl

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/

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.

Watch the Korean version first. This version will just act as a spoiler. This is Hollywood just taking the short cut. Look at what is huge in other countries and ripping it off. I was fortunate enough to see the Korean version first, if I hadn't this would have lessened the impact.

The acting was only OK. A lot of the emotion was zapped out of the story. In the Korean version the Sassy girl was played and presented better. You knew there was something intriguing about the girl. She seemed emotionally hurt. In this version she seemed more psychotic, She just seemed to attack.

(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.

I can't say I understand the "original versus remake" fight. Yes, it's a remake, so what? The original one may be better, but this doesn't make this one unwatchable! So, for all remake haters: how much people do you think would've heard of this movie in it's original version as long as we know it's a 2001 film and the publicity it had was really weak? The remake it's really good fun, it's a romantic comedy, love story, fairy tale, whatever you wanna name it, it's gooood !!!!

I liked this movie because of the story, it's uncommon, it's unpredictable! Honestly, I'm tired of the classic comedy where boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy get's girl back or vice-versa. This one actually made me feel the story and believe the characters.

Totally watchable. Totally underrated. Totally...excellent!

Enjoy!