A Brilliant Conflict

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

This was so heartrending I never want to watch it again, however Im thankful to have watched it. It's beautiful in a way that breaks you.Failan is the sweetness that is this movie, and Kangjae is the helpless violence. Together this makes for a very touching movie. I watched it a few months ago but I still feel sad inside about it when I think about the story.I stupidly came in thinking it would be a story where the woman changes the mans life for the better. The synopsis was a bit misleading for me, I think that's what made it even sadder. She does change him however. Its amazing how so little has such an impact, when they never met. This isn't your typical romance. There are brutal things so faint of heart I would advise to be wary. However its worth the pain, because its so beautiful.

Watch Failan, for its agony, for the bloom that almost comes and for the dreams that it leaves behind. And for all that, we appreciate our own lives.In Failan, the hero meanders aimlessly. He yearns for respect and seeks to move back to his village, but he knows he's not doing a very good job at it. His heavy wrinkles and aging eyes show his helplessness. He finds meaning through a letter from his wife (who marries him to save herself from deportation though they never meet). But each has the others picture which they hold on to.They have nothing else to hold on to. It allows both to dream, a little. That it never matures is the tragedy.The young girl is an orphan. She is alone and seeks solace in the picture and in writing to her husband (of which she actually mails only one). She shrinks eventually, her solitude too great for her to even smile.Such is life. And to think that neither made the most of it, not because they did not want to, but because they could not. Now that is real. What does one do when perseverance does not pay? It is grim and chancy.

I was never one who were into love stories until I saw this movie. The fact that they took a basic idea and decided to tell it from a perspective where the main characters DID NOT met each other totally sustained my interest throughout the movie and was wondering how would this movie play out at the end.The characters themselves drew me right into their world since their lifestyle was far less then typical then ordinary people. You really got to see the struggle they had to go through just to live day by day.Now granted there would have been a gap in age but what we had here were two people who are far different from each other as can be and the only thing that connected them really was the red scarf which was the most simplest but yet most powerful thing that sparked what true love could have been.The second half of the movie took a turn to even more sadness because of the letters that was being left behind for her supposedly husband. Choi Min-sik character totally touched me because it was obvious that he had never experienced that kind of honesty and sincerity before in his life which was full of pain,struggle and who is considered less then a decent human being.The climax was the most power moment due to his character dieing and the last thing he saw was her. All I could think of during that time was "only if they had met each other, there lives would have been different" knowing that I consider this to be the most powerful love story ever because of all the possibilities that would have happen if only if they just met once.

Let me start by saying that this is the most touching film i have ever seen.I am from India and i have seen quite a few korean films like taegukgi,3-iron etc. But this is absolutely th most emotionally compelling film i have ever seen.The film is the story of kang-jae(portrayed brilliantly by Min-sik Choi).He is a seedy gangster who has no concern for others and is even despised by his own minions in his gang.While his friend grows up to be the leader of the gang he continues to remain a low-level gangster.Failan(a touching role by cecilia cheung) is an immigrant from china who finds out that her relatives have left Korea.She is forced to marry kang-jae to stay in Korea.She never gets to see kang-jae and ultimately dies of a disease.The greatest achievement of this movie lies in portraying the love story between two persons who never meet each other.kang-jae sees failan's photo for the first time after her death and he starts reading her letters.In her letters he senses her humanity and respect for him.He finds a small window of peace in an eternity of darkness.This paragraph may be a spoiler but my review would be incomplete without it.The final scene in which kang-jae is strangulated while watching a video of Failan singing taken while she was alive just crushed my heart.It is the most beautiful and piognant scene which will continue to linger in my mind for a long time to come.I have seen Min-sik Choi in chihwaseon but this is his best performance to date.If any of you want to see a movie about life,a movie about the true beauty of life then watch this one.I you want to see a movie which touches the deepest layers of your heart then see this one.A painting of hope on a canvass of hatred and despair................My rating :- 10/10