Platicsco
Good story, Not enough for a whole film
Voxitype
Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
Invaderbank
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
jazminderr
This was so heartrending I never want to watch it again, however Im thankful to have watched it. It's beautiful in a way that breaks you.Failan is the sweetness that is this movie, and Kangjae is the helpless violence. Together this makes for a very touching movie. I watched it a few months ago but I still feel sad inside about it when I think about the story.I stupidly came in thinking it would be a story where the woman changes the mans life for the better. The synopsis was a bit misleading for me, I think that's what made it even sadder. She does change him however. Its amazing how so little has such an impact, when they never met. This isn't your typical romance. There are brutal things so faint of heart I would advise to be wary. However its worth the pain, because its so beautiful.
chuangzuo
The story takes place in South Korea. The movie is very different from South Korea's TV show. These TV shows have usually a lot of romance, like the "soaps" in US. But this movie is more profound. You can feel the pain or the joy of the characters. It is probably the best performance of Cecilia Cheung. I really discovered her in that movie. Before that I knew her from her songs (not that good, sorry), and some Hong Kong comedies. Min-sik Choi is amazing. We can believe how he feels about everything in life.Failan is a very good love story. The mix of Cantonese, Mandarin and Korean languages is great. And the photography is delicious. It is certainly in my best 10 movies of all time. I recommend this movie to people who like movies with deep emotions.
Blessashell
I adore Min-Sik Choi and I heard great things about this film so I decided to check it out. I watched it this evening and I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it. I was confused initially about Failan and Kang-jae's marriage; why Kang-jae was receiving money and the like, but mostly it was the first half or so that made my high expectations feel misplaced. The fact that Kang-jae was a gangster, I think, lessened the effect of the movie for me. His boss was more comical than he was intimidating and it seemed like the film was trying to decide between two genres, the crossing between them feeling a bit thrown together. When Failan finally entered the picture and the connection between she and Kang-jae became more apparent, I liked it more, but previously I was treating the movie as more of a comedy than a drama. If Kang-jae was simply a worthless, violent bum without gangster ties, it's my opinion that the movie would've worked better. That aside, Failan's innocence and devotion and Kang-jae's eventual reactions were very touching, and though I wasn't as moved by the story as some were (the ending bothered me as well) it was an enjoyable movie.
yellownamja
OK, I'm not a person that likes slow movies nor do i burst into tears because it is sad but.... after i've seen Failan i just can't get this movie out of my mind. It was so heartmoving and so sad... I ALMOST cried.... I was surprised that a movie so powerful and moving can be made by an Asian country (well Korean movies IMO are the best in the world right now.) and this was all before Taegukgi,Oldboy and so on.... The director of this movie does a fantastic job of describing ones character in Kang Jae and Failan, and it made me think how sad i would be if i was in Kang Jae's place. A MUST SEE!!I admit this movie is not for everyone because it is REALLY slow and the story of both characters unfold after like 45 minutes. But if you want to see a movie that truly touches your heart then this is the movie for you. The acting is SUPERB in both Choi Min Sik and Cecilia Cheung (the acting itself will move you.) Plus all the other characters in this movie does a brilliant job. I don't know why this movie never got popular but it definitely deserves some media. Goes down on my Favorite top ten list of all time ^^.
