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发表于 2004-5-7 16:31
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My Beautiful Days
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& M' r# x9 b3 y0 D6 }# TAmongst the year's biggest disappointments was seeing this underrated film completely vanish from theaters, just a few days after release, crushed by Hollywood blockbusters and big Korean films. Director Im Jong-jae's My Beautiful Days is one of those understated dramas that doesn't really fit conventional (commercial or arthouse) canons, which seems to spell box office trouble in the current climate of Korean Cinema. The film mixes commercial aspects next to subtle performances, and a realistic characterization. The final result might seem of little importance to impatient viewers, waiting for something exciting to happen. Quite frankly, nothing much happens indeed; but it's what the characters experience during this timespan, how they grow out of it, which makes this film interesting.
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2 N# n- u* v% O1 bMore than a simple love story, this is a voyage through a particular phase of adulthood, when people in their mid twenties (the Korean title means "24") aren't sure yet of what to do with their future. This uncertain period when doubts and fears arise often leads people to stay still, afraid of their ever changing life. The story centers around Jun-i (Kim Hyun-sung, of Resurrection of the Little Match Girl fame), a civil servant near the end of his duty. He spends his free time working for Jun-i's (Myung Kay-nam) dry cleaners store, living with the only person he could call friend. He also has an affair with an older, married woman (Pang Eun-jin); the two rarely communicate, and their relationship seem solely based on sexual attraction. Past the characters' introduction, the film intertwines in a rather effective way the emotional problems of the two men named Jun-i. Young Jun-i meets his ex-girlfriend (Byun Eun-jung), who introduces him to her sister (Kim Min-sun). He is instantly attracted by her vitality and joy of life. What seems to intrigue him the most is her confidence and determination to achieve her goals, something he clearly lacks, and couldn't find in his previous companions. The older Jun-i is living in an emotional limbo of his own, escaping his past loves (a woman, and painting), surviving day by day by ironing shirts and talking with his younger aide.
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7 p S8 }$ Q/ ^6 |! sThe film moves smoothly to conclude those relationships' arc, but it's not a conventional cathartic ending. It leaves the viewers with questions, and what we witnessed seems more like a portrayal of how it feels to grow up; the mistakes we make, the encounters and relationships we experience. This is not a film that pulls you in, like many melodramas do. What matters is the fact people will most likely relate with the characters' way of coping with this difficult period of their lives. While Kim Min-sun takes her role a little too literally, overacting on many occasions, most of the rest of the cast gives fine performances. In particular, Myung Kay-nam is much different - and better - than his usual quick cameos in countless films (The Foul King, My Wife is a Gangster, Go, and many others), and Pang Eun-jin does a tremendous job of conveying her character's state of mind, trying to regain her youth through her sex-based relationship with the younger, inexperienced Jun-i.
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, J- D7 v5 x' yMy Beautiful Days is a small, unambitious film. It doesn't have exciting plot developments, nor a conventional happy/sad payoff. But, thanks to fine performances, an interesting structure, and a fine soundtrack (by Lee Byung-woo, who wrote the score for My Beautiful Girl, Mari), it could be a rewarding experience for those who decide to give it a chance. (V. "x" Naldi)% o- M( N( y: J# Q5 p
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发表于 2004-5-7 15:58
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发表于 2004-6-25 22:05