My Brother

Okay, so I was bored and after buying some army stuff (which costed 20 bucks of my own money just for the Brunei trip), I went to rent this movie. I've decided that Korean films which make it to Singapore are generally fantastic. And although I accidently watched Disc 2 first (and it was only till the credits started rolling that I realised my mistake) and watched it in its entirety at my grandparents house, I must say I enjoyed the film thoroughly.

First of all, there's Won Bin. Any movie with him automatically gets one extra star. His acting is superb. He brings out the character so naturally and as his character matures, all the small actions that he does do well in his portrayal of a bully with a golden heart. This movie is pretty intense and there's a lot of violence toward the end. As is common with many a Korean movie, the climax of the story leaves you gasping for breath because as soon as you think the most nerve-wrecking, suspense-laiden part is over, they hit you one more time with an unexpected twist, as hard as the sledgehammer which drops on Wile E Coyote's head.



Another aspect of the movie which got to me a lot was how much it was based on very Asian values. The mother making sacrifices for her two sons. How selflessly she worked to earn enough money to let her son go for operations to correct his cleft lip. And also the fact that home is the place that you can return to no matter how tough and rought life treats you in the outside world. It's fabulous really. Even when I watched it the second time, the story was potent enough to give me goosebumps.

It really is unlike any Hollywood blockbuster movie. In fact, I'm getting quite sick of those movies which have no relation to real life at all, and mean almost nothing for the soul. In My Brother, the viewer is dragged through the bitter-sweetness of teen love, nasty fights and the strength found in brotherly ties. The massive play on interpersonal relationships and karma - what goes around comes around, makes me aware of my actions and reflect on how I treat people around me.

As Esotism would say, it's a movie that leaves me feeling fuzzy inside.

To end it all off, here's a pic of the incredible actor (who's entering the Korean version of NS on the 29th Nov, BOO) that is Won Bin.

Photo Credits: http://www.allstarz.org/users/wonbin/