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

Rain’s first movie, also starring the talented and lovely Im SooJeong, premiered in 2006; this review is new and just recently written for KOFFIA’s 2012 Korea Blogathon event.

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Cineawesome 3/5/2012 — written by Jeff Wildman

I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Okay (2006).

I wanted to start my contribution to The 2012Korean Blogathon with a bang! I wanted to start with something big, something explosive, something exciting, an edge of your seat thrill ride! Well, I didn’t. Instead I decided to share my thought on one of the most unique and quirky films I have ever seen, and one that I truly love. I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay is one of my personal favorite films from my absolute favorite Korean Director, Park Chan-wook. Maybe you’ve heard of him? Over the years Park has delivered us some unforgettable films, going back to 2000’s political thriller-masterpiece JSA. Then immersing himself in the internationally acclaimed vengeance trilogy (Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Lady Vengeance). For Cyborg we get the opportunity to see a different side of Park, the romantic comedy side. Don’t let that frighten you, because this is not your typical romance comedy. Remember, it’s a romantic comedy written and directed by Park Chan-wook. . .

Now comes the obligatory part of this article where I explain the plot of I’m a Cyborg, if you’ve seen it you will probably smile, if you haven’t please don’t be afraid, like I said. It’s Park Chan-wook, and probably at his most creative to boot. Young Goon (Lim Su-jeong) has been traumatized after being forced to witness her grandmother, who happens to think she is a rabbit . . . and only eats radishes, be dragged away by the “White Coats” and taken to a mental hospital.  She is also convinced that her grandmother was trying to tell her the meaning of existence as she was being tucked aboard an ambulance and driven away. On top of that Granny forgot her dentures which she needs to eat her radishes. This obviously did some psychological damage to Young Goon, because she is now convinced that she is in fact a Cyborg, and stops eating because if she does, the food will damage her inner mechanics. Instead she licks batteries in an attempt to recharge herself. (Her toes light up when fully charged you see).

The last straw is drawn when she cuts her wrists open and almost kills herself by inserting live electrical wire into the slit wrists in an attempt to recharge. So her mother sends her off to a sanitarium. Now with her grandmother’s dentures by her side, which she must wear in order to communicate with the vending machines, telephones, and grandfather clock, she is on a mission. She must find her grandmother, kill the doctors holding her captive, return the dentures, and discover the purpose of her existence. But this is becoming increasingly difficult as her attempts to recharge are somehow unsuccessful.

While in the hospital she meets up with Il-sun, a kleptomaniac who is known throughout the hospital for stealing everyone’s personalities. Il-sun is possibly the best character in the film, being played by South Korean pop star Rain. He is not entirely insane as he had himself committed to avoid going to jail. He is at least sane enough to notice that Young Goon is killing herself by not eating, but at the same time he does not agree with the hospitals force feeding tactics. So he decides to find a way to get her eating, without damaging her circuits. It’s the relationship between the two that can put the film into the category of a romantic comedy, but being a Park film their relationship is deliciously decorated by his incredible visuals and imagination.

Often we are lifted from the reality of the film and taken away to Young-goons hallucinations. Including a memorable and forgiving scene where she arms herself with apparently build in finger guns and starts hunting down and slaughtering all the doctors in the hospital in a very brutal fashion, meanwhile all the inmates go about their regular activities without notice. Now what would a Park film be without such a violent scene? But despite the grim depiction, it’s actually quite humorous and fun to watch because you know she is just standing their pointing all her fingers at the doctors, who are just looking back in confusion. Okay so perhaps you have to be a bit sick to enjoy that, but who didn’t enjoy the mentally disabled man in Mr. Vengeance?

The film also has a wonderful cast of very colorful characters throughout the hospital. Including a memorable appearance by Park Chan-wook regular Oh Dal-su playing a patient who thinks everything is his fault! Then there is a woman who is a compulsive liar, and in fact early in the film she is walking Young-goon throughout the hospital introducing all the characters who we will see throughout the film, and telling their stories. This is usually the easiest way to introduce so many characters at once in a film; of course in this case we soon learn none of its true!

I’m a Cyborg is something that could have been easily overlooked or passed by a general audience, and guaranteed will not appeal to everyone, maybe even long time Park fans. It’s nothing close to the violent revenge stories told prior. But it is very much worth a look. It’s a beautiful film, with a very sweet story when you look past all the outer madness of the characters. As we witnessed last year with Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece Hugo, it’s always nice to see directors try something different, and I think Park did very well in his attempt at something lighter, and he still manages to express his familiar imaginative visual flair. So in the end it may not be his absolute best film, but that’s okay!

— Jeff Wildman

~ by Cloud USA on March 8, 2012.

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