catch a Korean movie today?

While channel-surfing some weeks ago, I chanced upon a Korean movie “Seducing Mr Perfect” (originally titled “Seducing Mr Robin”).

The movie is a romantic comedy, directed in a distinctively Korean style. In case you’re wondering what this movie is all about…well, it is the usual boy meets girl and absolutely hates her; boy turns out to be (ahem) the girl’s boss; boy “tekan” girl; girl hates boy but because he is rich, tries to “seduce” him with hilarious outcomes; girl gets bullied by ex-boyfriend; boy saves girl; boy falls in love with girl but girl doesn’t realise it; girl falls in love with boy but doesn’t realise it, both somehow doesn’t get together; melodramatic event happens…and somehow in the end, they live happily after (well sorta) …

Cliché? Yes.

Boring? No.

Despite a very predictable plot, the movie was not boring at all. The director got the male protagonist (an American Asian) to speak only in English and the female protagonist to speak mainly in Korean. The verbal sparring in Korean and English was interesting and a welcomed departure from an all-Korean or all-English movie.

There was also the signature quirky sense of humour that is found in many Korean romantic comedies. It’s not slapstick entertainment humour commonly found in Hong Kong comedies. Perhaps, something closer to Japanese comedies - funny in its randomness; amusing in its sarcasms; and hilarious in the irony of role-reversals that panned out between the two protagonists.

Despite a seemingly un-inspiring plot, despite the movie being in a foreign language half the time, I liked the movie because it is unpretentious and retained the signature Korean humour – quirky and fun.

Without over-analysing the movie, it is simply put, a feel-good movie, something one can consider watching if you are in the mood of something light-hearted.