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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must see for tear jearker movie fans, April 17, 2004
This review is from: Failan (DVD)
This movie is so sad withoug even trying. The film makers were very meticulous in photographing the landscapes of the two lead actors' faces that emits such sadness and desperation. Choi Minsik, looking less menacing than in "Shiri" plays a no good gangster who can't seem to do anything right. For some quick cash, he marries a Chinese immigrant lovingly played by Cecelia Cheung. The Minsik character was teasingly urge by his buddy who arranged the deal to see what his new wife looks like, but in true form, he just takes the money and goes along his merry way. I think this is the most pivotal part of the movie, becuase if he would have just taken a second look, he would have seen a face exactly like himself, desperate, kind hearted and just needing someone to care a little bit, it would have touched him and it could have changed the tragic course of his life. Minsik and Cheung, [...]played their part so well, that you can almost put them in the "Most tragic romantic couple" list. These two actors are so crafted in acting out their parts, that this is one of the reasons why this movie is soo endearing. I really loved this movie and my eyes are still a little sore from crying. A little disclaimer: I got this movie from Amazon.cot, so the DVD has no extras, I am sure the Korean version have extras, but I am greatful that at least it wasn't dubbed. For Sad Movie fans, this movie is a must.
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A lovely young woman, a paper marriage and a gangster, March 26, 2005
This review is from: Failan (DVD)
The 2001 Korean film won some Asian festival awards but is otherwise little known. It's an interesting story about a young Chinese woman, played by Cecilia Chuung, who wants to make her home in Korea. Her parents have died and she has spent all her money to come to Korea in search of an aunt who has long since moved away. She lovely, she's young and she's penniless.
In the meantime there is a aging low-level gangster, played by Min-sik Cho, who has just come out of jail. He lives in a rough tough world and he seems stuck there. Life is hard for him, he lives in a dump and he is nothing but a pawn for the gang leader who tyrannically rules over him. He'd love to return to the fishing village of his childhood but this does not seem possible as he has agreed to serve time in jail for his boss who has just committed a murder.
In order to stay in Korea the young woman had to marry a Korean and she and the gangster have had a paper marriage for about a year. She's sick though. We see her coughing blood when she goes for a job as a prostitute. It seems a ruse at first, a way of not having to work at the oldest profession, but the audience soon learns that her disease is real. She does get a job though, working as a laundress. The work is hard and backbreaking but she gets into it, even does extra work, and the woman she works for comes to love and respect her.
She's never met the gangster she married, but she's obsessed by him. She writes him letters thanking him for his kindness and even makes a trip to his town to get a glimpse of him. He reads her letters over and over. She's the only one that seems to care for him.
The acting is extraordinary, especially that of the gangster. His face is full of expression and he makes the audience really understand his character. It's a challenging role. And he just shines.
The ending is sad, however. And inevitable.
This film isn't perfect but It gave me a glimpse into a world that is otherwise closed to me. I came away enriched by the experience.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ok, I admit I cried... a little, April 19, 2004
This review is from: Failan (DVD)
It's two short sad stories of a man and of a woman. Yet, those two merge into a story of hope and love when the two characters are spiritually interconnected. The man, a pathetic third class gangster in Korea, manages making his life leeching on his likes and the poor. The woman, after the death of her parents comes to Korea to live with her aunt but finds out that she had emigrated to Canada. No place to go back to in China and no means of contacting her ant, she has no choice but to stay in the strange land where people speak in a strange language. It's hard to write a review without revealing the whole plot of a movie. But I think that about sums it up without making this review a spoiler. Choi, MinSik who plays the main character is considered one of the top actors by many in Korea, acts up to his fame, and Ceceilia Cheung who plays Failan,this is my first time seeing her in a film, is perfect for the role. I highly recommend this film. However, I felt the English subtitle was not done properly. I am a native Korean speaker. Whenever I watch a Korean film, I turn English subtitles on, just to see how the translation is done. In this film, Korean dialogues are alot more gritty than the English translation, reflecting the characters as they are without the need to verbally explaining about them. But, unless you speak Korean, what difference does it make anyway, right? Did I mention I cried? A little....Ok, ok, I cried a little more than a little. After the ending something lingers on in your heart. And that's the sign of a good movie whether it's happy or sad. To me, the ending was a relief, happy ending. Many of you might disagree with me though.
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