마이 블랙 미니드레스; My Black Mini Dress: Beautiful and Extremely Fun

Korean film My Black Mini Dress was directed by Heo In-moo (허인무) on March 23, 2011. It is a film about the lives of four friends coming right out of college to 'real' life; through 24 years old characters, this movie presents the real stories of young women in South Korea.

In the beginning of the movie, I thought it was another superficial Korean drama about love, cute couples, and physical fun with alot of pretty teenage girls partying their lives away. However, after one scene with a depressed protagonist crying without out her makeup, I was greatly sobered and I immediately started getting into the story. I love the unconventional plot! Such modern uniqueness, such wonderful creativity. For once this year, I was moved in several scenes. And the newest actress I have fallen in love with is Cha Ye-ryeon (차예련). She looks smart and sophisticated, captivating me at first sight. Her character is all that I personally wish to be.

Here is what a critic said:
 'MBMD' is so humorous and fun, that it would be almost impossible for young women to keep their eyes away from the screen, and they will at least nod once in agreement to the concerns that the four women face.
But it also has some lacking areas for men to sympathize with. It makes you wonder if the rich man Suk Woo (Lee Yong Woo), who's life mission is simply to hunt women and Soo Hwan (Lee Chun Hee), a loser who has just entered the society, are too dichotomized.
And it may also lose some sympathy from men because the movie doesn't allow the clubbing and brand name crazed women to be labeled as 'Dwen Jang Nyus (brand name items/expensive lifestyle crazed girls)'.

http://yooneunhye.net/forums/topic/my-black-mini-dress-movie-review

There you go, 4 out of 5 stars. Everything is perfect except for the strong hints of Sex and the City (*shivers*). Give it a try; maybe you'll find your first fave Korean star too. Great for watching with girlfriends and the family (maybe, maybe not the kids). The film is a wonderful mix of the sad and the happy, the funny and the serious.

Okay, see you on Wednesday for a review on a Chinese martial arts movie.

借りぐらしのアリエッティ, Arrietty the Borrower: A Magical, Inspirational Experience



Best way for foreigner's the watch an Asian film: ORIGINAL language and subtitles!



Arrietty The Borrower is a film based on Mary Norton’s fantasy novel The Borrowers,  by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. It was released in July 2010, and after it made Animation of the Year, has become a classic in Japan.

The story is a simple one, a romance between a sick, lonely boy (Sho) from the city with a ‘miniature’ girl (Arrietty) living with her family, the Borrowers, who borrow things from giant ‘human beans’, underneath his grandmother’s grandiloquent home (maybe the Borrower’s are all just the lonely boy’s desperate fantasy?). The plot is full of action and emotion, enough to get me hovering on the edge of my seat. Beyond the twisting plot, Yonebayashi’s art was also simply breathtaking. The two most lovely artistic things are the girl’s intricate little house decorated with little trinkets the family ‘borrowed’ and also – strange as this may seem – the weird way Yonebayashi creates tears: instead of creating to translucent lines as most manga drawers do, he makes them almost bubbly, as if containing all the sadness inside each drop…

At the end, it gave me inspiration to be as courageous and caring as the main protagonist, Arrietty. Also, the way the miniature family treated such a small thing like a leaf or a cube of sugar so preciously (“This could last us a whole year!” says Arrietty’s fretty mother) makes me think, “Wow, I should appreciate these small things!” Of course, their home gave me a big urge to redecorate my own shabby room.

Here are some things critics have said:

1. Studio Glibi has done it again. Arietty, inspired by the Borrowers novels of Mary Norton, is an incomparably beautiful story which effortlessly draws the viewer into a rarified world where a bay leaf makes a decent raincoat and cockroaches are the size of Shetland ponies. Delicate, thoughtful and visually unmatched by almost anything we can think of. (IMBD.com)

2. From the opening shot we are treated to the warmth, vibrancy and detail which has made many people across the world and of all ages fall in love with Studio Ghibli’s releases. (http://www.frontrowreviews.co.uk/)

Oh, another plus: the gorgeous music!!

I shall give this manga movie 4 out of 5 stars. The star taken off is for the (somewhat) unoriginality of the plot – prince and princess, classic love story – although the details were pretty imaginative. Followers, please watch, please watch! It’ll be a great experience, especially with the whole family. 

Alright! Time for a new Chinese comedy this Saturday; don't wanna miss that!