[K-FILM REVIEWS] 광식이 동생 광택 (When Romance Meets Destiny)

KD Media - 2006/04/06
광식이 동생 광태 (When Romance Meets Destiny)
2005 - 2DVD
Director: 김현석 (Kim Hyun-Seok)
Cast: 김주혁 (Kim Ju-Hyeok) as Gwang-Shik, 봉태규 (Bong Tae-Gyu) as Gwang-Tae, 이요원 (Lee Yo-Won) as Yoon-Kyung, 김아중 (Kim Ah-Joong) as Gyung-Jae, 정경호 (Jung Kyung-Ho) as Il-Woong, 김형민 (Kim Hyung-Min) as Eui-Dong, 김효주 (Kim Hyo-Joo)
CAMEO: 이대연 (Lee Dae-Yeon), 박철민 (Park Cheol-Min), 김일웅 (Kim Il-Woong)
OAR 2.35:1/16:9, DD5.1/DD2.0, Region 3, NTSC DVD-9, English/Korean Subtitles

FILM: 7.5
You always liked her. Yeah, she's way younger, and you probably would get strange looks from your friends if they knew, but you still like her. A lot. Now the problem, of course, is telling her. That's when the (romantic, sometimes) comedy really starts. For Gwang-Shik that seems harder than anything else, so much that he kept everything to himself for seven years. Then there's the other side of the coin, those who see relationships as cards to stamp to get a free coffee after you've completed a round of 12. Your 바람둥이 (player) of sort. Two completely different personalities, two brothers with two different problems: confessing love (or whatever he thinks he's feeling) for one, understanding relationships go beyond a quickie twice a week after a movie and dinner for the other. Nothing new, as you say, but so was the case for Kim Hyun-Seok's past film, the underrated Historical Sports Black Comedy (!) YMCA 야구단 (YMCA Baseball Team). Unlike many young directors knocking at Chungmuro's door after a few years of working as assistant director, Kim got in thanks to his talent as a writer: his script for 사랑하기 좋은 날 (A Good Day To Love), written while in college, was instantly used for a film in 1995, and his second script won a Grand Bell Award for Best New Screenwriter even before it made to film.

After that, Shim Jae-Myung welcomed him in the Myung Films family, and he worked on the underrated (if a bit over the top) melodrama 해가 서쪽에서 뜬다면 (If The Sun Rises In The West), the first of many Baseball related films. He helped Park Chan-Wook write 공동경비구역 JSA (Joint Security Area) and was assistant director for Kim Ki-Duk's 섬 (The Isle). But despite his good start as a writer, getting a big project like YMCA Baseball Team was quite surprising for a newcomer, surprise which turned into excitement the moment he took the megaphone for the film starring Song Kang-Ho, Kim Hye-Soo and Kim Ju-Hyeok. With an outline which would instantly bring to mind nationalism, he managed to focus on 사람냄새 (smell of people) and a simple Baseball Game between two teams, with a few touches of history and the usual priceless performance from Song. Going back to the romcom genre for the first time since If The Sun Rises in The West, 광식이 동생 광태 (When Romance Meets Destiny) focuses on the characters first, and the events later, like a little gem called 싱글즈 (Singles).

The major problem of financially successful but rather bland romcoms like 작업의 정석 (The Art of Seduction) or 연애술사 (Love in Magic) was that of throwing two stars in the mix, expecting their screen presence will save the day. But, in contrast, by making our interest for Gwang-Shik and Gwang-Tae grow, then all the situations they fall into become all the more interesting, and you can deal with the awkward jokes and 'old fashioned' feeling of the film (which adds to the charm, in some ways similar to Singles). The film works first because the characters are well developed (the women in the film are no more than a male fantasy, but it doesn't really hurt as the focus is the way men approach relationships. Even better, in this case someone with a personality like Yoon-Kyung fits even more, as Gwang-Shik never knows what she's thinking), but also because casting is pretty much perfect: Kim Ju-Hyeok has become one of the top actors in Chungmuro when it comes to playing down-to-earth 'guy next door' types, as shown in Singles, 홍반장 (Mr. Handy) and this one; Bong Tae-Gyu, despite looking everything but a player, fits the role like a glove, balancing the spunk of his performance in 눈물 (Tears) with a Ryu Seung-Beom in 품행제로 (Conduct Zero)-like aura.

Other highlight of the film is the debut of young Kim Ah-Joong, one of the most popular stars on TV thanks to countless Variety Shows and a few Dramas, last but not least this year's chart topping Daily Drama 별난여자 별난남자 (The Bizarre Bunch). A film of small pleasures, with an interesting script, an irreverent and smart soundtrack and nice pacing despite the (intentional) lack of intensity. Director Kim said he's going to stop making films about Baseball, lest he might be mistaken as an 'expert' in that field only, but I'd say he's hit two homeruns in a row so far. Just like Jang Jin, he's embedded his own style within genre tropes, always creating something that feels fresh despite never straying too far from the norm. That's pretty impressive for such a young director, and promises good thing for the future.

AUDIO: 7.5
Of course romcoms are not going to test your surround system (most of them anyway), but the audio here is very good, with clear dialogue and a nice use of the ironic soundtrack by Lee Byung-Hoon.
VIDEO: 8.5
Wonderful transfter. Great colours, extremely natural skin tones, and no problems whatsoever with the print.
SUBTITLES: 7.5
There's a few translation problems, and they could have worked a little harder on the obvious jokes (the OECD one sticks out even if you don't speak Korean). Some timing (translation related, mostly) and grammar/spelling mistakes, but overall very good. Translates all the songs (very basic, but drives home the ball) and with the exception of a few signs and pop up screens all the on-screen text.
EXTRA FEATURES: 8
Disc 1
- Audio Commentary with Director Kim Hyun-Seok, Kim Ju-Hyeok, Bong Tae-Gyu, Kim Hyung-Min, Jung Kyung-Ho [one of the most entertaining commentaries of the year. Just non-stop fun with the five cracking jokes and adding funny anecdotes from the shoot. Really relaxed mood, and that clearly helps]
- Audio Commentary with Director Kim and Music Director Lee Byung-Hoon [quite good as well, even more relaxed than the previous one, but same atmosphere]
- After Commentary [Director and Cast talk about their experience shooting the film]
Disc 2 [~105 Minutes]
Page 1
- Making Of Documentary [34:14, Very Good. We get to see everything from the opening ceremony to the most important shoots, with interviews and comments with staff and cast thrown in the middle]
- Deleted Scenes [13:25. Nothing really major. You can switch the Director's commentary and and off]
- Character Introduction [5:14. Footage from the shoot mixed with some textual introduction and a couple of comments from the actors]
- Character's Jobs [3:49. Kim Ju-Hyeok gets to learn how to use the Camera, and we get to see Kim Ah-Joong learn the art of renewing books]
Page 2
- Costumes/Art Direction [15:18. We go from make up to the costumes to all the work behind sets like the video store]
- Production Meeting [5:05, pretty nice, featuring interviews with the cast. This must have been just a few weeks after Kim Mu-Saeng's death, as Kim Ju-Hyeok can barely laugh]
- Premiere/VIP Screenings [5:00, hilarious how a viewer shouts '신물이 나요 (You look better in person)' the moment Bong Tae-Gyu grabs the mic]
- CG [1:01, just the Iraq scene and the finale]
- Poster Shoot [3:29, with both Teaser and Theatrical Posters]
- Easter Egg [Press UP from the first feature (1:01, a sort of trailer following the box office run of the film)]
Page 3
- Music Videos [The hilarious 삽질의 추억 (3:22, sung by Bong Tae-Gyu and Kim Ju-Hyeok), and Kim Ju-Hyeok's 'cover' of Park In-Hwan's 세월이 가면 (1:07)]
- Online TV Spots [3:00, features the most hilarious scenes from the film]
- Theatrical Trailer [3:00, hilarious, pushes all the right buttons]
- Still Gallery [5:00]
- Easter Egg [Press up from the first featurette, this time it's 4:40 of Bong Tae-Gyu fooling around with a camcorder on the video store set]
VALUE FOR MONEY: 8
It's too bad so many current romcoms in Chungmuro focus on star power instead of interesting characters and stories, which is probably the reason things like 생, 날선생 (Mr. Wacky) rarely work. This film had the perfect formula, with interesting characters, good acting and most importantly a truly entertaining experience. More than anything, it once again proves Director Kim Hyun-Seok is one to look out for, as he still hasn't made a single wrong step, and he always maintains that down-to-earth, low-key atmosphere which feels rather fresh compared to the histrionics shown by films like 작업의 정석 (The Art of Seduction). DVD is another good effort from KD Media, with very solid presentation and interesting extras, capped off by two of the most entertaining commentaries of the year. Even if you don't like the genre, this is highly recommended.
OVERALL: 7.79