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"One Fine Spring Day"

Directed by Jin-Ho Hur.
Written by Jin-Ho Hur.
Starring Ji-tae Yu and Yeong-ae Lee.
Release Year:  2001 
Review Date:  4/29/02 

Folks--

Believe it—a romantic film that I really, really liked.  Maybe it was because director Hur Jin-Ho’s film about a sound recordist named Sang-Woo and a voice actress named Eun-Su in present-day Korea does all the subtle things that films like this should.  Although the two lovers have very different personalities and conflicting views on family, work and commitment, the two rarely spar verbally but their non-verbal actions seem to speak volumes.  The film is very well shot and helps American audiences remember what it was like to use a master shot instead of cutting scenes into pieces so small that MTV is the only acceptable medium.  For me, the film is even more brilliant because I felt the pain of the male lead in the film; as a nice guy that gets stepped on by the insensitivities of the female protagonist, I felt that I had been on that road before!  The film runs too long, though, and that is why I dropped it down a little...but otherwise, this is a great film that you’ll have to search for to check out.

Rating:  $9.00 Show

 

Comments?  Drop me a line at justin@bellviewmovies.com.

 

Bellview Rating System:

"Opening Weekend":  This is the highest rating a movie can receive.  Reserved for movies that exhibit the highest level of acting, plot, character development, setting...or Salma Hayek.  Not necessarily in that order. 

"$X.XX Show":  This price changes each year due to the inflation of movie prices; currently, it is the $9.50 Show.  While not technically perfect, this is a movie that will still entertain you at a very high level.  "Undercover Brother" falls into this category; it's no "Casablanca", but you'll have a great time watching.  The $9.50 Show won't win any Oscars, but you'll be quoting lines from the thing for ages (see "Office Space"). 

"Matinee":  An average movie that merits no more than a $6.50 viewing at your local theater.  Seeing it for less than $9.50 will make you feel a lot better about yourself.  A movie like "Blue Crush" fits this category; you leave the theater saying "That wasn't too bad...man, did you see that Lakers game last night?" 

"Rental":  This rating indicates a movie that you see in the previews and say to your friend, "I'll be sure to miss that one."  Mostly forgettable, you couldn't lose too much by going to Hollywood Video and paying $3 to watch it with your sig other, but you would only do that if the video store was out of copies of "Ronin."  If you can, see this movie for free.  This is what your TV Guide would give "one and a half stars." 

"Hard Vice":  This rating is the bottom of the barrel.  A movie that only six other human beings have witnessed, this is the worst movie I have ever seen.  A Shannon Tweed "thriller," it is so bad as to be funny during almost every one of its 84 minutes, and includes the worst ending ever put into a movie.  Marginally worse than "Cabin Boy", "The Avengers" or "Leonard, Part 6", this rating means that you should avoid this movie at all costs, or no costs, EVEN IF YOU CAN SEE IT FOR FREE!  (Warning:  strong profanity will be used in all reviews of "Hard Vice"-rated movies.)