Cloud USA

— Cloud cover by: Stephe, Managing Editor ^@@^

This isn’t an old review, fans. This is newly posted, and so well written in its detail and explanations that I am amazed by it. Strangely enough, Chad’s rating of the movie sounds right on to me. Do enjoy the read, and let us know if you agree… or not.

Nether Regions 04.05.11 — by Chad Webb

I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK

The title enough should compel you to click, but in case it doesn’t, this film comes from Park Chan-wook, the director behind Oldboy. Here he explores romance and mental illness in an unconventional comedy…

After I saw the mastery of Oldboy, I was instantly a fan of filmmaker Park Chan-wook. His “revenge” trilogy is glorious, but what helped cement his place as one of the world’s top directors was a little quirky romantic comedy few in the United States have seen or heard of. With the unforgettable title of I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Ok, this was a deliberate divergence from his previous efforts, and proved his versatility and overall prowess behind the camera. This is a funny, compelling, and refreshingly wacky glimpse into the lives at one insane asylum.

After the superb opening credits sequence, we meet Young-goon, a young woman who worked in a factory constructing radios before she cut her wrists and tried to connect herself to a power cord. Deemed suicidal, Young-goon is placed in a mental ward. She is delusional and thinks she is a genuine cyborg. This results in her refusing to eat. Instead, she licks batteries in an attempt to give herself electric charges. She allows robust fellow patient Gop-dahn the right to eat her meals. It is revealed that Young-goon’s grandmother also suffered from delusions, in her case being a mouse. This traumatic event made quite an impact on Young-goon, and while institutionalized, she frequently imagines herself getting revenge on the “white-uns” (a.k.a. staff members dressed in white) who took her grandmother away. Also a patient, but voluntarily, is Il-Soon, who is not only anti-social but also a kleptomaniac. He develops a fascination with Young-goon, and as he tries to help her, they build a bizarre kind of relationship together.

What it looks like when Young-goon is fully charged.

A significant portion of the running time is devoted to introducing the various oddball patients, many of whom are hilarious. Before Young-goon can even get comfortable, she meets Sul-mi, who suffers from mythomania and therefore lies all the time. She pretends to be a doctor to an unsuspecting Young-goon. There is also a man who is overly humble and who always assumes that he is at fault when something goes wrong. Another woman thinks she is an Edelweiss yodeler, while another thinks his body was made with an elastic band around the waist. All of these personalities contribute to the whimsical nature of I’m a Cyborg, and That’s Ok. The supporting cast is filled with conviction, which should be expected, but it goes a long way to the viewer becoming invested in these weird people and their zany universe.

The bond between Il-Soon and Young-goon is about as sweet as a romance can get without stumbling into syrupy or schmaltzy territory. Lim Su-jeong was previously known as one of the sisters in A Tale of Two Sisters but she is wonderfully committed, straight-faced, and amusing as Young-goon. She had to lose a lot of weight for the role, but Chan-wook never uses that as a gross-out tactic. Su-jeong radiates content and child-like qualities as a girl who thinks she’s a cyborg, which causes us to understand why Il-Soon is drawn to her. Their first interaction occurs when she is trying to communicate with a snack machine. Il-Soon sees this, and as she verbally requests a tea, he drops the money in for her. She grabs it and walks away, not noticing he was there. Another funny scene has Young-goon explaining her 7 Deadly Sins: 1) Sympathy, 2) Being Sad, 3) Restlessness, 4) Hesitating About Anything, 5) Useless Daydreaming, 6) Feeling Guilty, and 7) Thankfulness.

Il-Soon is played by Rain (Ninja Assassin, Speed Racer), who is a model, actor, singer, and just about anything else you can think of. His talent is boundless, and here he establishes innate chemistry with Lim Su-jeong and has effortless comic timing. Most of the laugh out loud scenes feature Il-Soon “stealing” the delusions and illnesses of other patients. One of which has Il-Soon absorbing the voice of the yodeler, and this gives Rain an excuse to sing. He has a nice voice, so it’s fine. Young-goon is the center of the plot, so her background is given more detail, but the reason for Il-Soon’s schizophrenic tendencies are also covered. What makes I’m a Cyborg so rewarding is that the humor and the drama are balanced. Chan-wook says a great deal about where these delusions stem from, and even the minor characters are not left out in the dark.

This is a brilliant example of a director incorporating CGI, but using them sparsely. Other filmmakers would have transformed this in a special effects extravaganza, but Chan-wook is cognizant of the fact that doing so would have undermined the importance of the primary relationship and the atmosphere in the asylum. The transparent views through Young-goon, revealing her internal gears and lights are visually arresting and amusing. The sequences involving Yong-goon using her fingers as guns on the staff are also striking. The image of a romance including a scene of violence with fingers as guns might not make sense, but it will if you watch the film. It is trademark Chan-wook action, and is superlatively staged.

This is hardly the first story set in an insane asylum or mental ward. You have the more popular entries like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Girl Interrupted; the setting in certainly popular. Park Chan-wook conveys his intelligence by integrating enough distinctiveness that when one sees this, there will be no doubt of what you’re watching. The color scheming is memorable, bright, and vivid. The costumes are piercing white, and even the hair and makeup work deserves mention, as this is what separates many characters from the others and helps them stand out from the pack. Evidence of how refined, yet easy-going Chan-wook’s direction displays is available in almost every scene. Every aspect of I’m a Cyborg is laid out and unraveled appropriately. Even the music from Jo yeong-wook is exquisite, and shifts at the proper instances.

In perusing some other reviews, many seem to be confused by the fantasy sequences, questioning whether or not they are intended to be real. I can see why some would scratch their head upon a first viewing, but I’ve seen I’m a Cyborg a few times now, and I can safely say those scenes are not meant to be debated. What Chan-wook is aiming for is clear. Young-goon’s mental stability is not supposed to be cloudy, unlike say Black Swan. For those who cherish Chan-wook’s darker, more aggressive pictures, this might not be what you expect. I adored how different it was from his famed trilogy. It is delightful, but not overly saccharine, and silly but not ridiculous. The biggest flaw is the length, which could have been trimmed, but any complaints are saved by the charming and captivating conclusion.

This film was #1 in South Korea in its opening week, but tanked at the box office after that, which is the only available reason for its absence on DVD in the US. I’m guessing most companies are worried there won’t be an audience for it. Too bad. You can find bootlegs, or if you’re lucky enough to have a region-free DVD player, tracking down DVDs from other countries should not be too difficult. That’s what I got, and it suits me fine. In some areas, it has been released on Blu-Ray with the title I’m a Cyborg.

Final Rating = 8.5/10.0

~ by Cloud USA on April 6, 2011.

Posted in Bi Rain, Bi Rain News, Cloud USA, Jung Ji Hoon, Rain Topics
Tags: Bi Rain movie, I'm a cyborg but that's ok, Jung Ji Hoon, rain bi