I first saw a pirated print of this movie (I know, *gasp*, right?) about two years ago with my roommates. To my everlasting chagrin I never got the chance to finish it (thank you, senior thesis paper).
Until now, that is. And as someone who doesn’t get out enough or sate my senses with enough positivity, I can honestly say I’m glad I was finally able to because it’s not often that you get a chance to see a reverse-engineered flick that turns out to be this damn good.
True, the premise of a lone stranger on a deserted island seems like a tired cliché, but when you transport that island to the middle of the Han River smack dab in the bustling South Korean city of Seoul…well…the concept becomes irresistible once more.
And when an unidentified, broken-hearted, debt-ridden young man decides he’s had enough of this life, he winds up not only botching his suicide but winding up on that very island, up the creek and very much without a paddle.
Meanwhile, as said young man attempts to survive on the island (metaphors notwithstanding), an unidentified, eccentric, agoraphobic young woman in a high-rise apartment stumbles upon the man with her spyglass quite by accident.
From there, an unlikely story of love flourishes; despite the distance.
Now, this film is essentially a re-imagining of the 2000 Robert Zemeckis drama starring Tom Hanks. Yet where that movie was always remembered for its rather odd affinity for a blood-stained volleyball sidekick, the Korean version tends to poke fun at itself and our hero’s misfortunes. But not maliciously so. And before you get ahead of yourself know that this isn’t some kind of environmentalist homage to Thoreau, either.
There’s this beautiful ambivalence to it, a distinct lack of bitterness towards the past and a hopefulness in the future that enables “COTM” to shine beyond its more immediate foibles and limitations.
The resultant drama is thus scored with a surreal tenderness that makes it more than just soul-stirring run-of-the-mill Oscar bait. Be sure to catch this one before it’s remade a third time (that’s right) for American theaters once again in 2013. You won’t regret it.
Here's the trailer in case you were curious.
(*Note: Unless you have Netflix Instant Queue this might not be available to most people. I'd suggest stopping by Scarecrow, just in case.)
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