KFilm to Watch: Baby and Me (2008)

Baby And Me/Baby and I (2008)

Entitled, irresponsible, eighteen-year-old high school student Han Joon-soo (Jang Keun-suk) is out grocery shopping one day and turns around to find a baby in his shopping cart. There's a note with the baby, claiming it is his, and suddenly Joon-soo is a father. Meanwhile Joon-soo's own parents have “run away” from home, unsure of how to deal with their rebellious son. Will the high school father be able to balance caring for the baby with finishing his education? When will Joon-soo's parents return? Is Han Woo-ram even his baby?

*I really liked Keun-suk in the Kdrama “You're Beautiful,” so I was pleasantly surprised to realize he was the main actor in this film. There are a lot of just plain funny moments, from when the teenage father tries to get breast milk for the baby, to when the teenager's homeroom teacher bails him out of jail and then screams at the police because everyone keeps asking if she's the mom. I didn't care for the ending (mostly because I don't agree with it), but it was a cute movie overall. I might watch it again.*

KFilm to Miss: More Than Blue (2009)

More Than Blue (2009)

A recording artist and producer stumble across a lyricist's love story. Teenagers K and Cream meet and end up living together, since they are both lonely orphans, but just as friends. Cream's parents and sister died in a car accident, and K's father died of a terminal illness while K's mother left him. K has the same terminal cancer as his deceased father, but he keeps it a secret from Cream and pushes her to marry someone else. Will Cream discover K's secret and be able to confess her true feelings?

*I hate sad movies! I didn't like the cinematography, either, and while K's character was charmingly, tragically sweet, I didn't like any of the other characters. Also, it is implied that (spoiler alert) Cream commits suicide soon after K dies, leaving her new husband a widower. Won't watch again.*

InFilm to Miss: Veer-Zaara (2004)

Veer-Zaara (2004) 

 Veer Pratap Singh is in a Pakistan prison when the inexperienced female lawyer Saamiya comes to defend the quiet man from India after his case is reopened. Saamiya earns Veer's trust and hears his decades-old love story. Veer was in the Indian Air Force when he first met and rescued Zaara – she was on her way from Paksitan to India to scatter her grandmother's ashes. Veer convinces Zaara to visit his village for one day, and during that time he realizes he has feelings for her. The day after, Veer escorts Zaara back to the border while he returns to work, and it is then that he meets Zaara's fiance. It is a political marriage, a union of convenience, not love. But why is Veer in prison? What happened to Zaara and their families?

*This was an interesting way to tell a story, but I don't think it's one of my favorites. A lot of the film talked about national pride, family honor, and duty to society. I can't exactly relate, but it was interesting to at least try to understand those sorts of perspectives. It was a romantic story, but not a very happy story. No kissing. And one of the voice-over singers was that obnoxious female voice that drives me up the wall (had to skip through some of the musical numbers). I don't think I'd watch this again, although it's not bad.*

InFilm to Watch: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi! (2008)

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi! (2008)

Taani Gupta is about to get married, and one of her father's favorite pupils is in attendance, the nerdy-looking and shy Surinder Sahni. The fiance and all his family crash and die on their way to the wedding, giving Taani's father a heart attack. The professor asks Surinder to marry Taani instead, so he can die in peace, and both agree to fulfill his deathbed wish. Taani vows to never love again, so she will never hurt from its loss, but Surinder can't help having feelings for the formerly bright and cheerful Taani. Will entering a local dance competition bring them closer together?

*This was a great show – I love how nerdy they made Surinder's character look, especially compared to his alter ego. The musical numbers were bright and entertaining, and I loved the romance between these two actors (the guy is also in “Swades,” and the girl is in “Band Baaja Baaraat” - both films I enjoyed). The only thing I didn't like is that they NEVER KISSED. I might watch this again.*

InFilm to Watch: Swades (2004)

Swades (2004)

Mohan is working on a satellite project for NASA in the US when overwhelming guilt and the death anniversary of his parents leads him to seek out his former nanny in India. Kaveri Amma has moved to a small village where Mohan meets up with his former childhood playmate Gita, a passionate, forward-thinking teacher in the village's school. Mohan went to India with the intent to bring Kaveri back with him, to take care of her in her old age. Meanwhile Mohan is faced with some of India's extreme poverty and the inability of its people to unite and advance as one because so many are stubbornly sticking to the caste system. He unites the villagers on a project to permanently provide them with electricity but has to return to finish the satellite project with NASA. Will Mohan return to his life of comfort or will his native land compel him to stay?

*This was more somber than most Indian films I've watched so far because it deals with deeper issues like Indian pride and the challenges that face any third-world country as it tries to further develop. Thought-provoking with great music, I'd probably watch this again.*

KDrama to Watch: The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince (2007)

The 1^st Shop of Coffee Prince (2007)

Grade: B+

17 Episodes

Go Eun Chan is an independent, hardworking young woman, the official breadwinner for her family ever since her dad died when she was 16. She dresses and acts like a boy, and after a few chance run ins with chaebol Choi Han Kyul, she is hired to work as his boyfriend to scare off blind dates. Then when Han Kyul's family forces him to work at and increase the sales of a local coffee shop, Eun Chan is hired as a male server, all based on a series of misunderstandings. Han Kyul eventually starts to have feelings for Eun Chan, even though he thinks she's a guy. Does Eun Chan feel the same way about Han Kyul? If she reveals her secret, will she ever get to see Han Kyul again?

*This is classic Korean Drama writing. There are some great moments between the two main characters, but it slows down a lot in the middle. It seems like a common theme for the female lead to insist on asserting herself before settling down when I think she's just being stubborn and could still have those pursuits without making her man wait so long. I also didn't like one of the parallel love stories, about a couple that had been together off and on over ten years, with cheating on both sides. It is a fun classic kdrama overall, and I might watch it again, but it isn't a favorite. Yoon Eun Hye is better in her other dramas (“My Fair Lady” and “Lie to Me”), but Gong Yoo is charming (and he plays the lead in one of my favorite Korean movies, “Finding Mr. Destiny”!)*

TFilm to Watch: Secret (2007)

Secret (2007)  

(Taiwanese Film) 

Jay is a musical prodigy and starts attending the school where his father teaches when he meets an intriguing girl named Rain. The two start to fall for each other, until one day Rain stops coming to school. (She thinks Jay is interested in someone else.) The twist? Nobody has ever seen Rain except for Jay. Is the young prodigy hallucinating, or are some supernatural elements at play?

*This was an interesting movie. The first half was just really nice, quiet and pretty, with a really amazing “piano battle” scene. Then Rain's story is told, and it's a little sad. The ending seemed a little abrupt, with the father not knowing what happens to his son. I might watch this again, if for no other reason than to watch the cool piano scene.*