[K-FILM REVIEWS] 연애의 목적 (Rules of Dating)

CJ Entertainment - 08/22/2005
연애의 목적 (Rules of Dating)
2005 - 2 Disc
Director: 한재림 (Han Jae-Rim)
Starring: 강혜정 (Kang Hye-Jung), 박해일 (Park Hae-Il), 이대연 (Lee Dae-Yeon), 박그리나 (Park Geurina)

FILM: 8.5
They say there's no rules in love and war. But then why do most romantic comedies and melodramas follow the same 'rules'? Is it because people more or less do the same things when falling in love, approach relationships the same way? Of course not. 'Rules of Dating' is one of those rare films that gives space to people who have different ideas of what love is, what dating and sex mean in a relationship. But the best thing is its not being preachy about it. With one of the most memorable opening lines in recent memory (젖었어요? - Are You Wet?), Han Jae-Rim's debut film manages to avoid all the cliches of the 'opposites attract each other' canon, focusing on how different people have different ideas about dating itself. This is one of those films that will make you think, not only about relationships, but also the way society considers certain 'atypical' behavior. With smart, snappy dialogue, and a sort of Hong Sang-Soo inspired but more accessible 'gentle monster' character, mixed with a realistically honest female character, in the vein of 결혼 미친짓이다 (Marriage is a Crazy Thing)'s Eom Jung-Hwa, the film manages to be affecting, disturbing and thought provoking at the same time. Lee Byung-Woo gives us another of his little gems, with a soundtrack that mixes subtle guitar solos, ensemble pieces with a Southern European touch, and a nuance of quirky jazz. Also, the only sex scene -- the much touted one between Park Hae-Il and Kang Hye-Jung -- manages to avoid becoming voyeuristic while at the same time never falling into 'hide the nipple' shenanigans, the likes of which you can find in more mainstream fare. Kang and Park are excellent, in different ways: Park is playful, with a touch of sleaze and humour; Kang is tough, but also sweet, almost childlike in a few scenes. And they show chemistry right from the first scene, maintaining it throughout the film. Praise should also go to the supporting cast (Lee Dae-Yeon in particular), and of course the scriptwriter, responsible for what arguably is the best script of the year.

VIDEO: 7.5
The film uses a lot of handheld shots, with many closeups, so it was important to capture very natural skin tones, which the transfer does well. There's a little too much grain, and the occasional marks and spots, but overall quite a good transfer.
AUDIO: 7
Nothing amazing, but the dialogue is clear and loud, and Lee Byung-Woo's creative soundtrack is well balanced. Not much surround activity otherwise.
SUBTITLES: 8.5
Quite satisfied with these subtitles. The translation is good, there's no major spelling or grammar mistakes, and all signs and notes are subtitled. Only minor flaw is for the more creative portion of the dialogue (especially during sex), which the subs fail to capture, but a few jokes go through well (the 'clam' one, particularly).
EXTRA FEATURES: 7.5
We start with an interesting commentary on Disc 1, where Park Hae-Il joins the director and producer commenting the film. It's not incredibly informative, but offers a nice balance of scene-by-scene commentary, anecdotes from the shoot and more. Disc 2 has an interesting interview with the director (15 Minutes), a great little featurette about Lee Byung-Woo's soundtrack (6 Minutes), 30 Minutes of Deleted Scenes with commentary (mostly exposition, but a few scenes are quite good), a nearly useless 7 Minutes clip about the script, collecting the most memorable lines from the film, some quick interviews with the staff, poster shoots, and the usual promotional stuff (there's a nice couple of Music Videos in there, a jazzy one with Park Hye-Kyung, and the other is by Lin, one of the best soul singers in the country).
VALUE FOR MONEY: 8
This is not the kind of film you'll appreciate watching it once. You'll need time to remove yourself from the 'shock' (which will change depending on how much you can tolerate), and think more about the issues it covers. I found it tremendously absorbing, perhaps for different reasons than most people will find watching it. More than the 'rules of dating' itself, I loved how it was the details that brought them together: not sex, not money, not the thrill of doing something that's considered controversial, but just because they felt at ease with each other. Just like one of the last few beautiful shots shows. DVD is good, but not exceptional. Perhaps a bit more focus on the extra features wouldn't have hurt. Still, usual quality work from CJ.
OVERALL: 7.93