I know it’s frustrating that I keep picking films that aren’t available in the US, but that’s part of the reason I’m reviewing My Sassy Girl. While it does boggle me that South Korea’s highest grossing comedy in history doesn’t have a Region 1 DVD, it’s no big surprise either. The Korean films that actually make it across seas, like Oldboy or The Host, tend to be directed towards a more global audience, and have art film-ish qualities. My Sassy Girl, on the other hand, is a fresh, heartwarming romance with original humor and loveable characters—the kind of movie Hollywood wishes it thought up first. So although it was never distributed in the States, Americans who mysteriously never got a chance to see this film will have an opportunity to see the remake, a version made just for them, due sometime this year.
My Sassy Girl is based on the true accounts of Kim Ho-sik, an Internet poster who documented his experiences with his insane girlfriend. The film follows Kyun-woo, an unassuming college student who stumbles upon the belligerently drunken Girl in a subway. It’s possibly the most unflattering introduction of a female romantic lead I’ve ever seen. After a very messy and unpleasant train ride, Kyun-woo ends up carrying the passed out Girl all the way to a hotel to nurse her back to sobriety. Over the course of the movie the two develop a very sadomasochistic relationship. The Girl is unbearably bitchy, physically abusive, yet irresistibly appealing—everything a guy could hope for.
The two leads are really what highlight the film. Tae-hyun Cha as Kyun-woo plays the perfect opposite of Ji-hyun Jun. Cha’s facial expressions alone are half the comedy as he reacts to the truly bizarre behavior of his girlfriend. Most of the credit, however, belongs to Jun. Her ability to overcome a range of horrifying faces, constant attitude, and otherwise unattractive behavior with an unfailing charm is an incredible achievement. In a film like this, her role is critical in capturing both the nightmares and hearts of the audience. Even her catchphrase “Chigole?”—“You wanna die?”—is as endearing as it is threatening. Never did I question why Kyun-woo would fall for a girl like her.
The characters are multi-dimensional, the story always keeps you guessing, and it never pushes the melodrama too hard. The film is extraordinarily entertaining, the kind of movie that’s the perfect pick-me-up on a gloomy day, one that even people who hate subtitles would enjoy. My Sassy Girl is a great reminder that when the South Korean film industry steps up against Hollywood, it isn’t messing around. Of course, the fact that Americans can’t even see this film without importing an expensive DVD through Amazon or eBay is another good reminder that Hollywood’s hegemony, especially in business practices, aren’t exactly challengeable. So if not for the comedy or the acting, I think this film should be seen for the general appreciation of contemporary Korean cinema...especially before Elisha Cuthbert sasses it up in America.
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