January/February 2014

Page 22

MUSIC & ARTS

Old  School My  Sassy  Girl  Story  by  Jasetyn  Hatcher

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his  gross-out,  sweet,  romantic  comedy  of  2001  became  an  international  hit,  with  remakes  being  made  in  several  countries,  inJS\KPUN ;HP^HU HUK [OL <:( ;OL Ă„ST PZ IHZLK on  the  true  story  made  into  a  series  of  web  articles  by  writer  Kim  Ho  Shik. The  outrageous  and  lovely  characters  Kyun  Woo  (Cha  Tae  Hyun)  and  â€˜that  Bizarre  Girl’  (for  in  the  movie,  she  is  never  given  a  name)  meet  at  a  chance  encounter  in  a  subway  while  the  girl  is  very,  very  drunk.   As  she  commits  social  faux  pas  after  social  faux  pas,  Kyun  Woo  watches  in  disN\Z[ ([ [OL WLHR VM OLY KLĂ„SPUN THUULY [OL NPYS barfs  all  over  a  retiree’s  toupee,  and  then  passes  out  on  the  train,  but  not  before  she  drunkenly  looks  at  Kyun  Woo  and  calls  him  â€˜honey’.   The  train  erupts  in  angry  treatment  of  Kyun  Woo  for  not  taking  care  of  his  girlfriend  until  he  is  forced  to  take  her  off  the  train  and  care  for  her.   A  long  series  of  misfortunate  events  abound  as  Kyun  Woo  is  arrested  for  rape,  beaten  half-to-death  by  his  egregious  mother,  and  embarrassed  repeatedly  by  the  girl  with  no  manners. As  quirky  and  lovely  as  the  story  is,  it  drifts Â

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PF  January/February  2014

slightly  in  and  out  of  being  interesting.   It’s  clear  MYVT [OL ILNPUUPUN VM [OL Ă„ST HUK [OL [P[SL [OH[ [OPZ PZ TLHU[ [V IL H Ă„ST HIV\[ HU L_HNNLYH[LK and  strange  girl.   Although  Jeon  Ji  Hyun  plays  the  JOHYHJ[LY PU H THUULY ILĂ„[[PUN [OL ^LI ZLYPLZ at  times  the  â€˜awkwardness’  seems  very  forced.   ;OL Ă„ST ILNPUZ NYVWPUN MVY SH\NOZ MYVT [OL ZHRL of  shock  factor,  and  in  2013  frankly,  there  isn’t  much  shock  to  be  had  from  her  behavior. Still,  one  would  be  mistaken  to  give  up  on  the  Ă„ST HZ H WHZZt J\S[\YHS IP[ VM PYVU` OLYL ;OLYL are  solid  reasons  why  Bizarre  Girl  can’t  seem  to  get  herself  together;  the  same  reason  why  Kyun  Woo  develops  a  seemingly  deep  sense  of  care  MVY OLY (Z ^L ZSV^S` Ă„UK V\[ [OYV\NOV\[ [OL Ă„ST Bizarre  Girl  suffered  a  tragedy  in  her  life,  possibly  explaining  away  the  insensitive  and  inappropriate  behaviors  she  has  had,  and  so  begins  the  [Y\S` YVTHU[PJ HUK SV]LS` HZWLJ[ VM [OL Ă„ST 0[ PZ Y\KL HUK Z^LL[ PUUVJLU[ HUK Ă„S[O` SV]PUN and  bizarre.   â€˜My  Sassy  Girl’  is  now  a  classic  Korean  comedy  and  simply  for  that  reason,  should  not  be  looked  over  for  newer  or  less  well-known  cinematic  treats. Â

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