Good start, but then it gets ruined

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

There seems to be a dead end of arguments between some people who tend to slam certain Korean comedies for not reaching their bars of expectations and other people who are cutting those movies some slack for their understandably heavy task of reaching the heights of success after movies like My Sassy Girl and My Wife is a Gangster. In the midst of all these opinions it becomes pretty hard to guess which movies are worth the viewing time and which aren't.This is one of the few movies that neither got the rave reviews nor the critique of total aggravation, so I went in there expecting a painless ride with light drama and comedy. The viewing experience was very much painless. The film takes a slow start but not in a way of losing your interest, mainly because you can't wait for wifey to finally get on her saving rampage. There are quite a few nice moments of humor between the husband and the wife, but it ultimately comes down to Geum-sun to shine as an ass kicking mom. The female lead is played by Du-na Bae who I was very eager to see after Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. She does a fine job of expressing emotions while not completely over-playing and forcing her character.So it takes about 45 minutes for the action to get rolling, but those who expect an array of over the top sequences shouldn't expect too much since there is more running done here than actual fighting. With that said, those 45 minutes could have been filled with funnier gags, but at least they weren't annoying gags.Thankfully there were some outside parties introduced in the path of Geum-sun to create a much needed conflict, but surprisingly they weren't utilized to their utmost capacity. Story with two warring gangs and a silent man following the wife didn't achieve the climax and at the end they essentially missed their marks after the long and promising build up.It's hard to bash this film since in its mediocrity it was able to express itself without tiring clichés or brain dead humor. However those who have been on a streak of disappointing Korean comedies should perhaps look elsewhere as this film lacks that certain charm and innovation that true winning Korean comedies do.For what its worth, I found more satisfaction of husband and wife interaction in My Little Bride than I did in this film, then again the husband here was inebriated for the most part of the film, so it isn't a fair comparison.

SAVING MY HUBBY(2002) D: Hyun Nab-seob. In Korea, a not-uncommon cash-grab scheme for unscrupulous bar owners is to drug already-tipsy patrons, then bill them when they wake up for ridiculous amounts of booze they never drank. On a night out with his new employers, business man Jun-tae (Kim Tae-woo of JOINT SECURITY AREA) is the victim of just such a con, and the only way out is for his wife Geum-soon (Bae Doo-na) - a former volleyball champ sidelined into a domesticity she wasn't prepared for after a shoulder injury - to stalk through a seedy, after-hours entertainment district, evade the minions of a gang boss she inadvertently pelted with a tomato, find the elusive bar, pay the debt with her fists and drag her childish husband back home before his parents arrive for dinner - all with her chubby little year-old baby daughter (who everyone assumes is a boy, much to her dismay) bouncing on her back in a baby-strap! Winning, high-concept race-the-clock action comedy allows for the heroine to cross paths with many of society's less fortunate souls and repeatedly outrun a handful of relentlessly altruistic henchmen, and one tellingly wordless encounter with a humiliated PR girl that speaks volumes about the treatment of immigrant bar hostesses in the country.Mild social commentary aside though, there's much to enjoy here, and though many of the supporting characters represent the broadest mob comedy stereotypes, the entire secondary cast is memorable, right down to the cute old couple that runs the tent bar where Geum-soon spikes one of her husband's sexist co-workers clear across the room. Bae once again nails another quirky, tough-but-vulnerable role as a woman who battles through hell, often using cinematic ally enhanced techniques, for the sake of an existence she never truly expected, while Kim Tae-woo essays pitch-perfect man-child naivete as her weak-willed but loyal hubby. Only the ending seems somewhat fantastical. I give it an 8.

Gudseura Geum-suna aka Saving My Hubby (really "Be strong, Geum-sun") (HYEON Nam-seob, 2002)One might write off this comparatively light-weight tale of a young-married house-wife having the worst day of her life as an amusing trifle (at best) except for two things -- the wonderful lead performance of BAE Doo-na and the excellent cinematography of CHOI Yeong-kwan.Geun-sum (played by BAE) was a star volley ball player until her career was ended by a shoulder industry. Bereft of purpose after her injury, she is consoled (and gotten pregnant) by a nice, but rather gumption-less young man. Pre-occupied by sports, Geun-sum did not learn much in the way of house-keeping skills -- and it shows. The film begins with her husband getting ready to set off to work on a new job (after a long search) and looking for his good white shirt. Not only has Geun-sum forgotten to iron it, but she burns it (getting distracted by her year-old baby swallowing something she oughtn't). "Don't worry, it's on the back -- just don't take off your jacket and no one will notice it", she consoles her spouse. After he sets off for work, his parents call (from out of town), they will be arriving early the next morning for a visit. Rather than coming home promptly to help clean up their more than a little chaotic abode, her husband is compelled to go out dining and drinking and drinking... with his new colleagues. When he finally pulls himself away, over the objections of his new (not entirely well-wishing boss), he falls into the hands of an unscrupulous bunch of scammers (their game is picking up half-drunk victims taking them to their bar and running up an outrageously inflated tab -- then demanding that family members pay up promptly or else). The bulk of the movie consists of Geun-sum's effort to find the rather obscure dive of the blackmailers (all the while with Baby strapped on to her back) and get back in time to clean the apartment in time for the arrival of her dreaded (and apparrently rather "starchy") in-laws. Along the way, she winds up in the middle of a gang war -- and is pursued by some of the mobsters herself.BAE Doo-na may have the biggest eyes of any actress I've ever seen. When her eyes are wide open (not a rare occurrence), she virtually has the appearance of an anime sweetheart. Her talent is not limited to wide-eyed gazing, however. She seems to have a wonderful sense of comedic timing -- but she can be as hard-nosed as she can be sweet and charming. I look forward to seeing her in many more roles.