My Girl and I (2005)

Wonderful Movie

Load of rubbish!!

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

My Girl and I is a romantic film that involves My Sassy Girl star,Cha Tae Hyun. It is a story about classmates who never fulfilled their dreams of being a couple and living together happily ever after. Just like most Korean movies, this movie ended up in a tragedy. The couple were never able to overcome the obstacles presented to them in the story including death and illness. This turned out to be an your typical Korean love story. The acting of the cast was not exemplary with the exception of Cha Tae Hyun,who was able to gain the sympathy of the viewer with his role portrayal. Song Hye-kyo is very pretty but was never up to par with her leading man as far as acting is concerned. (Paging Gianna Jun/Jun Ji-Hyun? LOL ) Aside from that, the story became predictable and does not generate interest in the end. But still, I gave the movie a 9 out of 10 rating for Cha Tae Hyun's performance alone. It still proves that he alone can carry a movie inspite of its many flaws.

Jae-young Kwak's previous film 'Yeopgijeogin geunyeo' (aka 'My Sassy Girl') is one of my all time favourite romantic comedies. With 'Parang-juuibo' (aka 'My Girl and I') he tells an intense love story of two teenagers. This film very much reminded me of 'Love Story' but the director interprets it in his own unique and sincere way. Set against the spectacular and beautiful Korean landscape, with stunning cinematography and a lively background score, it's indeed a treat to watch. The director pays attention to detail, makes use of symbolism and tackles issues such as life, death, afterlife without derailing from the main story. Just like 'Love Story', 'Parang-juuibo' has some excellent dialogue that speak volumes with just a few words. While many have tagged the film as a sobfest, there's just so much more to this film than mere emotional manipulation and the director deserves immense credit for his honesty and authenticity in presentation. Clearly he's put a lot of heart into it. Tae-hyun Cha is more restrained here and gives a wonderfully intense performance that reflects his growth as an actor. The beautiful Hye-kyo Song too does an outstanding job with her balanced performance. The supporting cast make their presence felt. The entire cast and crew have done a superb job in making this magnificent little movie. Whether people will like it or not there is something the viewer will take away with them that will stay long after the closing credits have rolled and this is reason enough for anyone to watch a movie.

One of the most common plots in Korean film is the traumatic tearing apart of a young couple because of a terminal disease. Most of these films start off bright and happy enough, but most of the time after the first hour or so one of the lovers learns of or reveals his or her disease and the film goes on until the sick partner dies and the other lives with the memories of his or her dead lover and tries to get on with life. My Girl and I is a bit different in the fact that from the outset that Su Ho's girlfriend dies at the young age of eighteen and that even after ten years he has not come to terms with her passing. This key feature, like reading a long flashback sequence in a novel in which the reader already knows tragic outcome, adds a tinge of melancholy to the early parts of this film because the viewer already knows that the young couple is going to be separated. However, it also makes these parts more touching as well, because it was within this brief period of time that Su Ho and Su Eun came to love each other.While out for a swim with three of his friends, an unconscious Su Ho is rescued by the beautiful Su Eun. However, before Su Ho regains consciousness, Su Eun runs off and realizes that she lost her beeper while rescuing Su Ho. At school, Su Ho soon notices that for some reason or another Su Eun is making eyes at him and that she is taking every opportunity to be close to him. After a mild scuffle with the captain of the judo team, Su Ho and Su Eun escape the scene and begin to become closer. Because her father is quite scary, Su Eun gives Su Ho her messenger service number so they can listen to each other's messages. Through this unusual way of communication, and other methods as well, they are able to build a romantic love for each other that will seemingly last for years… A Korean remake of Isao Yukisada's Crying Out Love in the Center of the World, Jeon Yun-su's My Girl and I really does not add much to the plethora of Korean romantic tragi-comedies, but it does take this sometimes vapid genre and breathe some new life into it with some truly great acting by the two leads. Another thing that struck me about the film was the attention to detail. Some of the most moving scenes take place within the hospital when the viewer listens to a voice over of the couple's messages, such as when Su Eun is pricked for yet another I.V. Also such attention to things like the bruises left on Su Eun's hands are heartbreaking because they are evidence of her frailty and the fleetingness of her life.

This traditional and predictable romance features all the plot devices Korean romance dramas are famous for. School sweethearts Soo-ho and Soo-eun are thrust into the heady world of first love and subsequent first loss. It's always summer or autumn in Korea, so the lovers can take leisurely walks and bike rides through the countryside, and visit the beach, all in spectacular scenery. She's the prettiest and most popular girl in the school, he's considered a bit of a dork. She playfully taunts him, he completely adores her; things are looking good for them.But...there's a terminal illness waiting in the wings to snatch their happiness away. This comes as no surprise, since we are told in the first five minutes what will happen. The amazing thing is, even when you know how it will end, you still keep hoping that the opening scene was somehow a mistake. It's so much better than you think it will be, mostly due to the charm of the leading actors, Song Hye-kyo (who is 24) as Soo-eun, and Cha Tae-hyeon (who is 29!!) as Soo-ho. It's surprisingly effective and emotionally engaging, and has several moments of real and deep feeling. You will almost certainly need your hanky.