Kmovie review: Chilling romance (aka Spellbound 2011)

Two film genres that the Korean film industry excels in are romcoms and horrors. So it was just a matter of time when we saw the marriage of the two genres to produce one terrifying love story.

‘Chilling romance’ stars South Korea’s sweet heart Son Ye-Jin. It’s a welcome return for her to the big screen. Her last film was ‘Into The White Night’ in 2009. She plays Yu-Ri, an odd woman with a secretive life. When we are first introduced to her character in the movie, she looks a bit emo.

The leading male in this horror romance is played by Lee Min-Ki. His character Jo-Goo is a street magician who found Yu-Ri as the inspiration for his horror magic show. He invites her to join his magic show as part of the production crew. When Yu-Ri joined the team, his show became a huge success and he was enjoying fame and fortune.

Jo-Goo doesn’t understand why Yu-Ri is anti-social and distances herself with everyone around her. When he pays her a surprise visit in her home, he sees an odd little boy whom he doesn’t realize is a ghost. That boy follows him home and he quickly realizes the boy and other ghosts have come to haunt him.

Yu-Ri soon reveals her terrifying secret to Jo-Goo and tells him to stay away from her. But he couldn’t because he had developed feelings for her. Although he is frightened of all the ghosts he is determined to be with her.

The ghosts are angry with the situation and want to drive Jo-Goo away from Yu-Ri like they did with everyone close to her. They go after Jo-Goo.

I love romcoms but cannot watch horror flicks. So this film was an interesting experience for me. When the scary music started, I knew it was my cue to close my eyes LOL! I did manage to watch some of the scary scenes and they were scary! It reminded me of ‘The Ring’ and ‘The Grudge’.

I really enjoyed this horror twist to the romcom, it added a new dimension to the genre. The ending wasn’t as strong as the rest of the film, it was OK.

Son Ye-Jin’s character evolved from weird to a typical girl in a Korean romcom. I would have liked to see her character a bit more eccentric and quirky.

Enjoyable film 3.5/5 stars

HK Movie Review - Don't go breaking my heart (2011)

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Dont go breaking my heart 2011 HK movie review by CherriiPOP

Check out the theme song 'Love is Simple' by David Tao


It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of romcoms. I feel that I’m a walking encyclopedia on this topic, I’ve seen so many romcoms under the sun. A lot of them have become predictable, with movie makers recycling ideas.
I’ve worked out the basic formula of the romcom:

• A love triangle – A romcom always needs tension in relationships
• A rich guy in the love triangle – He adds that fairytale, opulence factor to the movie. Giving the girl the stars, the moon... so to speak
• The guy next door, in love triangle – He’s the one that pic

This leads me to my next movie review. HK romcom 'Don't go breaking my heart'. This is a great romcom film, one of the best I have seen. This film introduces a lot of new elements, reinvigorating the overdone romcom genre. This movie is fresh and fun.

Listen to podcast for a more detailed review

Any girl stuck in a love triangle with Louis Koo and Daniel Wu is super lucky! Gao Yuanyuan plays Chi Yan a woman who is unlucky in love. Her luck changes when she meets these 2 very different and very handsome guys Sean (Louis Koo) and Kevin (Daniel Wu). Sean is the arrogant rich guy who sets out to woo her in lavish style. Kevin isn't quite the guy next door, he looks like a bum but his character is very caring and sweet.

Louis Koo is so so HILARIOUS!!! He had me rolling on the floor laughing in some scenes. Other scenes he made me gush. Daniel Wu definitely brings a lot of warmth to his character. Gao Yuan Yuan character is very likable, she certainly has a tough decision to make.

Very funny film! Definitely a fave of mine alongside romcoms: Bridget Jone's Diary, Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The back up plan, My Tutor Friend, Love Actually to name a few.

3.5/5 stars