Someone Special (2004)

I really wanted to like this movie. There are a lot of things, at first, to bring a smile to your face, from the movie-in-movie spoof to the lovable stalker turns girlfriend side plot. I was also completely overjoyed by the fact that the director used dry, almost English humor (as opposed to the slapstick of 'Sex is Zero' or cutesy of 'Peppermint Candy') to bring the story and the characters together.Unfortunately, watching the second half of this movie is a serious labor of love. The Lead actor is at best wooden, with one ex-girlfriend serving as his emotional anchor. No spoilers - his new squeeze, a waitress at a fancy coffee shop/bar seems to insinuate herself into his life because of self pity? Gimme a beak... Since Bae Doon-na made Hollywood, everybody wants to capture her charm and natural naivete to sell badly written movies. Disney, back off and let Korean cinema do what it does better than Hollywood - sell movies with real heart and soul. While this movie started strong, it eventually sold out and became the poster child for what NOT to do. I'll give the director another shot, but ultimately this is a 6...

I started watching this with big expectations mainly because im in love with Korean Cinema which often (not so much recently) is so different from western productions. Once more I was not disappointed.The plot is not as simple as in most rom-coms but include fairly decent twist. Main character Dong Chi-seong is just a guy in constant pursuit for love which is field with failure and disappointment. He also has serious health problems. After meting his doctor Chi-seung is desperate so he turns towards alcohol and then he meets Han Yi-yeon. AS I noticed before and its the same with this film Korean directors are restrained in showing affection between characters (its often big advantage just like in this film). After they met Chi-seong isn't too friendly. Thats the plot in an nutshell.Camera work isn't perfect. I don't understand why scenes with lack of movement were taken by hand camera. I just don't get it. Soundtrack is typicall for the genre maybe creators wanted to throw off audience so the twist could have had better impact. Acting is good enough or the cuteness of Yi-yeon just blinded me. Performance of Na-yeong Lee is very balanced just not too needy nor too shy.Funny moments are very tasteful sometimes even disarmingly ridicules (I refer to certain box that just made me cry). Film can be even considered as an parody of the genre that it is representing by itself. Very clever script and amazing directing created unusual film for all those who are bored with stories that always unfold the same.

The movie that I'm glad that this film turned out not to be is the parody that exists within the movie. As that movie-within-a-movie goes on, the protagonist of this tale comments on how illogical and tedious it is, being a story of two lovers who are parted and somehow one can send his love to the other through a magical telephone pole as they both die. That movie-within-a-movie grabs all the trite clichés that infest Corean melodramas and brings them to their ridiculous conclusions.Someone Special or A Woman I Know (direct translation) is a romantic comedy, but it's build on a completely different foundation than the typical Corean melodrama. In fact, the closest analogue I can come up with to this film is Punch Drunk Love, which is also a completely different kind of romance. Unlike Punch Drunk Love, however, Someone Special is completely aware of all the genre rules and even follows them in parodic (but not spoofing) fashion, subverting clichés of terminal illness, tear-jerking moments, and remarkable connections between lovers. And even though it acts as a parody of the romantic comedy genre, it still retains the heart of a romantic comedy.The story, on the surface, is a little unremarkable. It's essentially about heartbroken baseball player and a young woman who has a one-sided crush on him. The comedy is derived partially from parody, flights of fantasy, erratic behavior and comedic situations, as well as some sharp awkward dialog. A few directorial touches that I love is the inversion of background and foreground and the overall approach to the look of the film.Another thing I love about the film is the acting. First of all, the male lead doesn't have model-like features--he's a rather average looking guy. And the female lead portrays her rather bizarre character with gusto and while she's costumed rather dumpy, she conveys a genuinely addictive naiveté. The rest of the film is peopled with rather amusing persons all played well by their supporting actors.I did have some issues with the editing, which I felt didn't do enough to cut down the running time as there were more than a couple moments where I felt like we could have more elliptical storytelling. Also, although I remain neutral to it, there are many setups where a hand-held camera is used and it can be distracting to those who expect a still camera when shooting a still scene. It's a little unorthodox and I can't find a compelling reason to shoot it the way it was shot, but at the same time, it's a rather memorable technique, even if excessive. Finally, sometimes the music was mixed too much up front and while I understand the use of pop songs in certain parts, as part of the genre critique, at other times, it was just a little overbearing and distracting.Despite that I felt like a few more things could've been done to improve the film, I still have to admit that I was really entertained by the film and loved its intelligent and yet still genuine take on the romantic comedy genre. With great characters, atypical amusing comedy and a really unique energy, Someone Special ended up being something special for me: a really enjoyable romantic comedy that considerably pushes the genre into a new place. 8/10.

I am not quite sure if this film is available in the states. However, I understand that the video version is available in parts of Asia. The subtitles on the DVD release are competent for the most part, although the nuanced dialogue and cultural expressions from a few scenes leave something to be desired in the translation. Despite the studio-chosen English title, Aneun Yeoja, the original title literally translated is "A Girl I Know." As for the movie itself, the story is fresh and interesting, and Jang's feel for comic pacing is impeccable. One can't help but feel drawn to the main characters as the tightly wrought storyline continues to unfold on the screen. Watching this film has made me an avid fan of the filmmaker, and I have actively sought out Jang's work since. I highly recommend this film to anyone who is tired of the same old Hollywood-produced, cookie-cutter romantic comedy.