Starring: Jeon Do-Yeon, Seol Kyung-Gu, Jin Hee-Kyung
Director: Park Heung-Sik
Studio: Enter One / Cidus Film
Rating: 15+
Genre: Drama
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About This DVD
Long before this film hit the theaters, I Wish I Had a Wife drew interest for
its pairing of two of Korea's most respected stars: Seol Kyung-Gu (Peppermint
Candy) and Jeon Do-Yeon (Happy End). In their first crack at romantic comedy,
Sol and Jeon take on parts which, although lacking the emotional extremes of
their previous roles, are nonetheless the very heart of this film.
Sol plays a lovesick bank teller who can't get marriage off his mind. He records
videos for his future wife, telling her how curious he is to find out who she
will turn out to be. When he meets a former classmate (played by Jin Hee-Kyung),
he thinks he's finally found his match. Jeon, meanwhile, plays a teacher who
works across the street from his bank. After a few accidental meetings, she
works up the courage to ask him out, but is rudely rebuffed.
This is the debut work of director Park Heung-shik, who apart from making short
films also worked as assistant director to Hur Jin-ho for Christmas in August
(1998). The influence of the latter film can be seen in I Wish I Had a Wife: in
its visual style, its grounding in everyday life, and also in a subtle reworking
of Christmas's famous umbrella scene.
At times the film's music recalls a Sleepless in Seattle or When Harry Met
Sally, but I Wish I Had a Wife is a much different kind of movie. Content to
revel in the ordinary, it lingers on unimportant details and its heroes' various
quirks. Although at times this comes at the expense of plot, it imparts to the
film a sense of honesty, as well as an unhurried pleasure. By the latter half of
the film we begin to feel quite intimate with the characters.
Ultimately this movie feels like a comfortable old pair of jeans. While it makes
no effort to jump out and grab one's attention, viewers will be pulled in by its
light humor and the way it makes its characters' lives feel so familiar.
Kim Bong-soo is a manager who has been working at a small bank in an apartment
complex for three years. For three years there, or for 23 years if you count his
school days, he has never been absent or late. However, he purposely decides to
skip work one day. There is only one reason. Inside a subway train that has
suddenly stopped on his way to work, everyone around him reaches for their cell
phones to call someone. At that moment, he realizes that he does not have a
single person to call. But he does not know that inside a private educational
institute across the street from the bank that he works at, there is a 27-year
old woman who is looking over to him. Her name is Wonju. Bong-soo and Won-ju run
into each other every day, at the noodle restaurant, at the bank and at the bus
station. When Won-ju tries to make overtures to Bong-soo, he unconsciously spurs
her. The two run into each other repeatedly but Bong-soo is till oblivious to
Won-ju. One day, while looking over the bank's security camera tapes, Bong-soo
finds someone pitifully calling out his name to the small, closed camera that
does not even record sound.
Audio Format: | DD 5.1 Surround |
Video Format: | Widescreen 1.85:1 (Anamorphic) |
Languages: | Korean |
Subtitles: | English, Korean |
Country Made: | Korea |
Region Code: | 3 |
Year Made: | 2000 |
Running Time: | 106 |
Special Features: | Theatrical Trailer, Photo Gallery, Cast & Crew's Filmographies, Making of Film, Director's Audio Commentary, Music Video |
Availability: | Usually ships in 5-10 days |
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