*My Sassy Girl*Directed by Kwak Jae-yong
Produced by Shin Chul
Main actor: Cha Tae-hyun
Main actress: Jun Ji-hyun
Released: July 27, 2001 (South Korea)
WindStruckProduced by Jeong Hun-tak
Main actress: Jun Ji-hyun
Main actor: Jang Hyeok
Released: June 3, 2004 (South Korea)
*My Girl & I*
Directed by Jeon Yun-su
Produced by Jeon Hoon-tak
Main actor: Cha Tae-hyun
Main actress: Song Hye-kyo
Released: December 23, 2005 (South Korea)
These three movies are so alike so much so that many people thought that they are sequels but they are not, although two of these three movies are based on true life stories. Moreover, the same actors and actresses who appeared in these three movies added to the confusion.
I watched all three movies, but unfortunately in the wrong sequence hahaha
Anyway, I started with WindStruck. It's a movie that's hard to forget and it's one of the few that managed to make me cry. The most touching scene was when the main actor died. That scene was so intense, so sad. And it's eerie too when the spirit made visitations ala Ghost. I recommend this to anyone interested in Korean movies.
Cha Tae-hyun the protagonist in "My Sassy Girl" and "My Girl & I" appeared in WindStruck as well, at the very end of the movie, standing on the platform of a train station, where Jun Ji-hyun thinks she has found a new soul mate.
And then I watched "My Sassy Girl". This is a true movie based on the romance of a couple, where the girlfriend is a little weird because of her past. Sometimes, watching this movie, I went like, "Wah, like this also can ar??"
At least this movie has a happy ending but sometimes in the middle of the movie, one thinks if this relationship could ever survive as the girl keeps pining for the past.
The last movie I watched was "My Girl & I". This movie isn't that memorable to me. It has a sad ending, but didn't make me cry, because the acting was not intense enough. Emotions did not come across too well, that was why it was not so moving for me, although the ending is not something that we wish on anyone.
The main actress in "My Girl & I" is Song Hye-kyo, who starred in "All In", which I watched recently. She was a better actress in "My Girl & I" but both performances were equally enjoyable, nevertheless.
At first, I thought I'd review these Korean movies later, but today is just as good a day as any other :p
4 comments:
My Sassy Gal's one of my all-time fave. Windstruck's somewhat underwhelming due to the lack of chemistry between the leads, and I kinda view of it as a pseudo-prequel of My Sassy Gal (remember that Sassy Gal's main guy became an author? I think Windstruck is a past he 'invented' for his girlfriend, which leads to him finally saying her name... when she was entirely nameless in Sassy Gal).
Didn't watch My Girl And I, but I did watch the original Japanese film this one's based on, Crying Out Love, In The Center Of The World. (I reviewed it here.
Hi Swifty,
Yep, My Girl & I is based on the Japanese film, but the review you did, doesn't sound like My Girl & I at all.
The Korean My Girl & I was quite a mild affair for me, considering the tragic ending.
Why don't you watch the Korean version and then compare which is a better movie?
To me, Windstruck was a better watch than My Sassy Girl. Yes, I do agree there was a lack of chemistry between the two leads in Windstruck.
It looked like the girl was always bullying the guy and in fact, forced him to be her boyfriend. But overall, it was a touching movie, especially after the guy died.
As for My Sassy Girl, that was quite an incredulous relationship, knowing that it's a true story. But the ending was "happy ever after" :-)
Yeah, I DO have My Girl And I, just that I forgot to bring it to Perth with me. Darn.
The reason why I liked My Sassy Gal over Windstruck is the fact that both characters in the film are well-characterized, you kinda end up knowing both of them very well, and caring for them, wanting things to work out for them.
I mean, as geeky and dumb as the main guy was, the fact that he genuinely loved her despite her flaws (and her 'using' him as a replacement) was serious stuff, and the girl, despite what she did, was someone you kinda felt sorry for because underneath her tough facade was a sad girl (the part where she screamed tearfully at him at the mountaintop, powerful stuff).
There was just something manipulative about Windstruck, and its attempt to combine tragedy, comedy, action film, etc etc. just didn't feel as smooth as My Sassy Gal's shift from slapstick humour to moving drama throughout the film. So yeah, that's why I didn't like Windstruck that much compared to My Sassy Gal.
(I DO find My Sassy Gal's relationship more plausible than, well, Windstruck's. Windstruck was just too... fairy-tale-ish)
Let me know your opinion after you've watched "My Girl & I" cos a fellow K-movie fan says it's good but I don't find it exceptional. =)
Post a Comment