KDrama to Watch: Rooftop Prince (2012)

Rooftop Prince (2012)

Grade: B+

20 Episodes

Joseon Crown Prince Lee Gak wakes one morning to discover his princess drowned in the pond outside their sleeping quarters. He calls his three men to aid him in discovering the truth behind her death, and as they are fleeing from an ambush one night, the four of them are transported 300 years into the future. They land in Park-ha's apartment, and after they spend a night in jail after trying to navigate the mysteries of the 21^st century, she helps them adjust to their new life. The prince sees what appears to be his Crown Princess, who is Bak Ha's step-sister Se-na, and realizes that this reincarnation has something to do with helping him solve the murder of his princess. Meanwhile, Se-na's boss Chairwoman Yeo thinks the prince is her lost grandson Tae-yong (they look exactly alike; the prince figures Tae-yong was his reincarnation). Se-na's boyfriend and Tae-yong's cousin Tae-moo had actually left Tae-yong for dead in New York two years prior. Will the prince figure out who murdered his princess before he has to return to his own time and before Tae-moo silences him?

*Although this series was a bit more dramatic than I prefer, it had an excellently woven story and plenty of mystery. At times the music was more intense than the scene called for, but overall I enjoyed the soundtrack. I'm still not sure if I liked the ending; not all the characters who deserve a happy ending actually get one in my opinion. Tentative top 5 rating. I might watch this again.*

KDrama to Watch: A Gentleman's Dignity (2012)

A Gentleman's Dignity (2012)

Grade: B

20 episodes

The show is about four best friends: Kim Do-jin and Im Tae-san who run an architect business together; Choi Yoon who is their lawyer; and Lee Jung-rok, who married wealthy and runs a local cafe. The men, now in their early forties, met in high school. Jung-rok regularly cheats on his wife but his friends always help him out. Yoon is a widower, but Tae-san's 24 year old sister Im Meari has feelings for him. Tae-san is friends with Seo Yi-soo, a high school teacher and the umpire for his city baseball league. Yi-soo secretly has feelings for Tae-san, but he asks for her friend Hong Se-ra's number instead. Do-jin has a serendipitous run-in with Yi-soo and helps her out of an embarrassing situation, more than once. Will the friends ever figure out how to have a happy relationship with the women in their lives?

*This is definitely a more adult-themed drama, with more promiscuity than usual (discussed or alluded to, not shown). Since all the main characters are middle-aged, it's a bit more somber, which I didn't care for. It did have a happy, neatly packaged ending however, with many very cute moments along the way. All the stories of each character were woven together skilfully, including the numerous flashbacks (which is something you wouldn't see as much of in a drama about high school kids). I liked it more than I thought I would; top 10 overall. I'd probably watch this again.*

InFilm to Watch: Jab We Met (2007)

Jab We Met (2007)

Wealthy businessman Aditya Kashyap (Shahid Kapoor) runs off in a depressed haze, boarding a random train where he meets Geet, a free-spirited girl on her way back home. She misses her train because of him, so he escorts her home. They part ways, and Aditya goes back to his company with a new outlook on life. Nine months pass and Geet's family asks where Geet is, thinking she is with Aditya, so Aditya has to find her and bring her home again.

Cute film, except there are half-naked pole dancers in the last musical number. Also, the girl's view of a cheating wife is that “all is fair in love,” and I do not agree at all. Might watch again

InFilm to Watch: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)

Three friends Arjun, Kabir, and Imraan head to Spain for a bachelor trip. Kabir is engaged but he starts to have doubts about his fiancee; Arjun is a workaholic and his buddies try to get him to loosen up; and Imraan is trying to decide whether or not to meet his birth father. As part of their trip and their friendship, each one of them chooses an “extreme sport” for all three of them to do together. Each of the activities comes to represent a fear that they have and are able to conquer with the support of the other two guys.

*This was a fun break from the traditional “guy meets girl” story line, although there is some of that mixed into the story. Very fun, liked the music, liked the camaraderie among the three friends, beautiful scenery. There is some language and one brief bed scene, but still equivalent to a mild PG-13 overall. Will watch again.*

KFilm to Watch: "A Werewolf Boy" (2012)

A Werewolf Boy (2012)

Set in the 1960s, a widow moves to the countryside with her two daughters, for the sake of her oldest daughter's health. The family discovers a feral boy on their property, and eldest daughter Sun-yi figures out how to help him adapt, training the boy like she would a dog. Chul-soo (Song Joong-ki) readily learns everything except to talk. Meanwhile the young man who helped Sun-yi's family move into the country house tries to take advantage of her, and Chul-soo attacks, defending the one who has taken such loving care of him. The villagers are frightened, and Sun-yi's mother moves the family away once again. Sun-yi leaves a note for Chul-soo, asking him to wait and promises to return. Forty years into the future, Sun-yi returns – will Chul-soo still be waiting?

* I LOVED Chul-soo's character – the actor is the main character from the film “Penny Pinchers”! This was a very well-written film, but it's a love-hate relationship for me because there are elements of the story “Tuck Everlasting” in it – the idea of true loves being separated forever is heart-wrenching! If I can stand it, I'd watch it again. PG-13 for language.*

InFilm to Watch: I Hate Luv Storys (2010)

I Hate Luv Storys (2010)

Jay (Imran Kan) is an assistant film director, but his boss only makes sappy romantic films. Jay is forced to work with a new set designer, Simran, and she loves everything sentimental. Simran falls for Jay, but he does not return her affections, so she returns to her childhood sweetheart Raj. It's not until she's gone that Jay realizes he loves Simran, so he chases her, gets rejected, then has to decide to go for it one last time. Some funny moments when Jay is acting lovey dovey even when he used to make fun of it all.

*Pretty cute film, but it was almost trying too hard NOT to be a cliché. Might watch again.*

InFilm to Miss: Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl (2011)

Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl (2011)

A cross between “Catch Me If You Can” (2002) and “John Tucker Must Die” (2006), this romantic comedy tells the story of con man Ricky Bahl and his lifestyle of wooing rich women and cheating them out of thousands of dollars. One day he crosses paths with Raina, an outspoken businesswoman, selling her a fake painting to hang in her building. She then vents her anger on the news, and two other women, Dimple and Saira call Raina to let her know they think the same man conned them. Raina hatches a plan to catch the “bloody scoundrel” with the other girls' help and enlists the help of her friend Ishika, a salesgirl with excellent conning skills of her own. Will Ricky's reign of thievery come to an end, or will the girls lose even more money in his greatest scheme ever?

*While this film was fun, I don't think Ricky was punished enough (or at all) for his misdeeds. I had the urge to slap this character at several points. The ending was unique but not really believable because he doesn't lose. There was some kissing, which is nice, and some language, but because of how it all ends, I wouldn't watch it again.*