Failan (2001)

Pretty Good

A different way of telling a story

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

What to say about this Modern era masterpiece.... Everything in this movie was perfect casting, acting, locations, story, screenplay etc. The lead role (Min sik Choi) what an actor he is, you give him a role and he will do better from your best expectations.... And the Failan herself (Cecilia Cheung) this was my first experience with her and have to say she is quite a talented actress, look's like she was perfect for the Failan's role..... Now coming back to the movie, it is a very touchy film, a story of a pure & pleasant love in this unpleasant world, failan's love was pure through the end for his paper husband and on the other hand her husband Kangjae(Min sik Choi) also fall in love for her sweetness, kindness and purity..... As all other reviews said that you will cry while watching this drama, & have to admit that, all of them are right. It's quite a touchy movie and it'll break your heart into several pieces. Other things you will love about this movie is acting, direction, story and the farewell notes written by Failan to her husband, those notes was very very emotive.... One more thing i love about this film is that it doesn't look like fake, this whole incident could happen with anyone you, me, anyone. So a must watch movie for all.....

I have seen this film twice. I'm not sure why I didn't get around to writing a review the first time, but I will say I sobbed copiously toward the end, yet again, as was the case the first time. It's a fair assessment in saying Min-sik Choi first caught western viewer's attention in the movie Old Boy. His performance in Old Boy was mind blowing, but what was even more surprising to me was that Failan was made before Old Boy, and his performance is this film was even better than the film which has brought him notoriety in the west. Those of us who watch a lot of films can appreciate, and know, an artist who takes his or her craft seriously. Western actors like Daniel Day Lewis or Juliette Binoche are among a few in Hollywood who possess this drive for excellence which permeates their work on screen. These are the two names which randomly come to mind, so it's pure coincidence they happen to be foreign born. One will notice, such actors do not accept roles for the sake of box office rewards. Min-sik Choi is such an artist – a quintessential character actor. You can tell by his presence this man is not in the game for the money. He just enjoys the art of honing his craft. I'm not an actor, but have watched enough films to know when a part is difficult or easy to play. Min-sik Choi's character " Kang Jae" in this film is complex, to say the least. He is a man in a business to which he does not belong, but which he cannot seem to extract himself, since it's the only means of living he knows. The problem is his moral disposition which simply won't let him be the evil person he is supposed to be in the small-time-gangster world he reluctantly inhabits. Kang Jae is full of inner turmoil, and Min-sik Choi is able to express this on screen over and over, and sometimes even without words. The role is physical as well as deeply emotional and Min-sik Choi's ability to vacillate from one emotional end of the spectrum to another, with minimal dialogue/monologue, is borderline uncanny. This man sucks the viewer into each scene, so you feel you are right there with him. You can almost touch him on the shoulder, hence the illusion is complete.His co-lead is played by Cecilia Cheung. Though she also gave an incredible performance, I don't feel she deserves as much kudos as Min-sik Choi, since her screen presence in the film wasn't as ubiquitous as Min-sik Choi's. Her character also is one dimensional, so it wasn't a particularly a hard role to play. In fact, I would call her role more of a support than a co-lead. Nevertheless, all in all, she deserves praise for her performance, as is the case with one other supporting character: Hyeong-jin Kong (watch out for this guy in the future!!) Toshiro Mifune is a non-western name movies watchers have become familiar with because of the performances he delivered in the many of the classic, and now iconic, Japanese films of the 60's and 70's. The same applies to Korean films actors of today. If you are a film buff, then memorize the name Min-sik Choi and let it roll off your tongue like any other western name, because this man is a colossal force to be reckoned with.

It has been years since I've seen this movie and I can't simply forget about it. I believe in realism so much in life and maybe that's the reason why drama is my favorite genre among all and without any hesitations I can easily say that Failan is a brilliant, majestic drama movie. I have no idea if it is a successful adaptation from the novel or not but even if it's not, the success of the storytelling deserves all kinds of appreciation. A storytelling that blew my mind away. How come a "love story" of two people who never actually meet can be so bitter? A stupid question that can be replied with stupid answers before seeing Failan. For the genre lovers this beauty is a must see. Don't miss it.

A contrived plot and larger than life characters threatens to turn Song Hae-sung's gritty Failan into a Korean version of Love Story but the film is redeemed by its sincerity, the gorgeous cinematography of Kim Yeong Cheol, and towering performances by Choi Min-sik, the abducted businessman in Oldboy, and angelic-looking Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung. Adapted from a novel by Jiro Asada, Failan (Cheung) is a young Chinese immigrant who, after losing both of her parents, comes to Korea only to discover that her one remaining relative has emigrated to Canada. She ends up at an employment agency seeking work but is told that she cannot remain in Korea with just a travel visa. The film then shifts to Inchon where Kang-jae (Choi), a low-level and thoroughly unlikable gangster, has just been released from prison for selling pornographic video tapes to minors.Pushed around by his boss Yong-sik ((Son Beyond-ho) and disrespected by fellow gang members, Kang-jae's life is a mess reflected in his slovenly attire and in the unkempt room he shares with fellow porn dealer Kyung-su (Kong Hyeong-jin). He is tough as nails on the outside but when an old lady gets the better of him in a confrontation over protection money, a softer interior is revealed. He dreams of buying a fishing boat and returning to his hometown but does not have the means to do this. When his boss murders a rival gang member, however, he offers Kang-jae the chance to get the fishing boat by taking the rap for him and going to jail for ten years. Not having much to lose, he reluctantly agrees but his life takes a sudden turn when he hears some sad news.The film then moves back to one year ago. In order to remain in Korea, Failan agrees to a paper marriage to Kang-jae who jumps at the chance to make some extra money, even though the two have never met. She is sent to work as a prostitute but is rejected when she begins to cough up blood, an issue that comes up later in the film. Finding herself working as a laundress for an older lady in a lovely rural setting close to the sea, all she has is a picture of her husband smiling but buys two toothbrushes in the hope that he will come to visit her. Appreciative of just being able to stay in the country, she writes to Kang-jae telling him how kind he is and how much she loves him.We learn that Failan had come to Inchon but only was able to catch a glimpse of her husband in his video shop moments before he was arrested. As Kang-jae reads Failan's letters, a shift takes place in how he begins to see himself. Discovering the fact that someone loves him and believes in his kindness, his identification with the young girl and her struggle is the catalyst for him to rethink his life and discover almost a nobility of character in the process. Choi Min-sik is one of the world's most talented actors and, in Failan, he fully captures the character of the repulsive gangster who begins to discover his humanity and sensitivity. The ending is both sad and hauntingly beautiful as we dream about all the "what-ifs".