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Review
by LunaSea: |
Chun-hee
(Shim Eun-ha) shoots wedding videos for a living,
and secretly loves In-kong (Ahn Sung-ki), an assistant
to a senator. He barely looks at her, but anytime
she's in the proximity of the man, it's a nightmare.
She can hardly speak and her awkward mannerisms are
completely exposed. She knows it's an impossible love
story, but keeps believing that one day he'll talk
to her. Enter Chul-soo (Lee Sung-jae), a soldier on
leave who is looking for his girlfriend Da-hye (Song
Sun-mi). The only problem is, Chun-hee is now living
in her old apartment, and Da-hye already made plans
to get married with someone else. Chul-soo's world
is shattered, but he at least develops a friendship
with Chun-hee.
Chul-soo seems like
a chauvinistic pig (or the proverbial alpha male)
at first. He criticizes her for being a die-hard romantic,
and says the script she's writing (for a prize contest)
lacks any interest. Why, you ask? Well, it has no
sex scenes! But when he offers his typewriting skills
to help Chun-hee complete her script, she discovers
a side of him that's much more charming. Suddenly
her fairy tale with In-kong is upstaged by Chul-soo's
presence.
The reasons for her
shifting attention are many. In-kong's "perfect
image" starts to shatter once Chul-soo injects
some reality in Chun-hee's delusions. At the same
time, Chul-soo's personality has an effect. He's not
the most likable guy on earth, but he proves himself
to be honest and reliable on many occasions. The funny
thing is that while developing the script for a far-fetched
fairy tale romance, the two start to accept each other's
imperfections. They realize both In-kong and Da-hye
(whose attention Chul-soo was hoping to regain) weren't
for them. But, even if they'll never admit it, Chul-soo
and Chun-hee feel good together.
Part-autobiographical
tale and part genre deconstruction, Art Museum
By The Zoo works mainly because of two things.
One, the romance is uncommon. Even if the conclusion
is obvious, it doesn't develop along the lines of
the usual three-act journey. Both characters maintain
their personality and outlook on life at the end of
the film. Unlike other romantic comedies, the main
characters don't make any changes that seem artificial
and convoluted. The cliché that opposites attracts
is used in a capable way by director Lee Jung-hyang,
who pokes fun at the stereotypical role of men and
women in romantic comedies.
The other winning factor
is the chemistry between Lee Sung-jae and Shim Eun-ha.
As he's shown in many other roles, Lee Sung-jae has
a talent for portraying flawed characters with a certain
charm. Chul-soo is often a little off-putting, but
you never feel annoyed by him. In truth, he just doesn't
know better. Shim Eun-ha simply gives light to this
film. She's the perfect everyday woman who wears her
shortcomings on her sleeve. She totally deviates from
the conventional image that women had in prior Korean
romantic comedies. She's charming because of her flaws,
and Shim is able to bring that to the forefront. While
her role in Christmas in August made her a
superstar, her part here is still Shim at her likable
best.
With this film, director
Lee Jung-hyang has established herself as Korea's
most delicate, involving storyteller. Her ability
to transform fluff into memorable scenes is remarkable.
There are many occasions when scenes seem futile,
but she's able to give small details an impact tothe
overall story. Her screenplay flows extremely well,
and never drags or loses its focus. Art Museum
by The Zoo is a film that should be tasted slowly,
like fine wine. It won't work on your emotions with
the power of something like Christmas in August,
A Day or many other excellent Korean melodramas.
Its delightful little moments, playful jazzy soundtrack,
great cinematography, and wonderful use of sound make
this film one of the most rewarding of the nineties.
A great little film. (LunaSea 2002)
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