My Sassy Girl - The Rom-Com Remixed

As a genre, romantic comedies are often commercially successful, but rarely are they critically acclaimed. The majority of “rom-coms” follow the template to a fault, making for a boring, predictable watch. Boy meets Girl, will-they-won’t-they, misunderstandings ensue, big romantic gesture, happily ever after.

This narrative arc has been the same since the 30s, Being less limited by American concepts of normal, world cinema has brought forth different spins on the genre: France’s Amélie, Germany’s Head-On, Japan’s truly nuts Love Exposure. One of my favourite examples is South Korea’s My Sassy Girl.

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[ronbo]

~4.5 years after you posted this, I scrolled to the bottom of your history and found it. I discovered "My Sassy Girl" near the beginning of the pandemic when I unexpectedly had more time to explore foreign entertainment. It was an early introduction to Korean films which led to the rich territory of K-dramas as well. Anyway, the performances of Jun Ji-hyun as The Girl & Cha Tae-hyun as Gyeon-woo are unforgettable, hilarious and touching. It remains a favorite Korean film of mine. They are both still doing well and I recommend watching "Jirisan" a 16 episode, action/mystery K-drama from 2021 that Jun Ji-hyun starred in just to see her in a great serious role.

[BigJoel]

This is honestly one of my favorite movies. The American remake is hilariously bad too.

[thedoctor]

My Sassy Girl is fantastic and a great intro to Korean cinema.

[Zentagon]

My Sassy Girl definitely seems like an interesting film. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Good vid

[shotsoju]

Mettre la musique « d’Emélié » pour accompagner les scènes d’exposition de My Sassy Girl : ingénieux ~~

[janedoe]

I have to point out that your use of Zoey in 500 days is not the best example. She is a manic pixie dream girl, but only to Joseph. She has her own goals and life, and Tom completely ignores this and makes her into that girl. She doesn't fulfill that need for him at all. She takes it away and makes him an individual again through failure. At least in that film, she is just a false MPDG. This is a purposefully made decision to subvert that trope.

A better example would be Garden State's Nat Portman, who has a true 'meet cute, ' and becomes his life and savior.
I also love High Fidelity for subverting the MPDG expectations by having a love story that says it won't work.

[CinemaDebates]

This is the first I've heard of My Sassy Girl, it seems interesting, I might give it a watch.

[sujimtangerines]

As big a fan as I am of BTS, I've yet to feel the pull of KDramas at all, and was only momentarily intrigued by Squid Game - and that I Never got around to because I felt there was a whole cinematic tradition, a progression thru the genres that built upon itself... And I'd be coming in at the end, not understanding what powered the show (or the legacy impact of previous films, were I to start with Parasite).

I think you have identified a possible jumping in point with a story that appears intriguing...and somewhat relatable? When I dream, I'm me. Always. But the me in the dream is almost always male - sometimes in an epic scene of what seems a grandiose life & other times a mind numbingly ordinary moment in life that's also somehow fresh and new to me because I'm experiencing it as a guy. So yeah, subverted plot is all kinds of win.

Anywho, watched a few of the music oriented vids, got blown away by the insight & commentary... Decided to see how the channel started. Not disappointed at all. Thanks.

[OngoingDiscovery]

Such a good movie. So surprised to see anyone has made a video essay about it!

[danielleigop]

another good one is Yesterday Once More (2011)

[c.i.demann]

She's a nightmare. She's physically, psychologically, and emotionally abusive. Imagine the film if the genders were reversed. I hated her the entire film. It was hard to finish.

[pete]

So you find watching two hours of an abusive borderline personality female beating the crap out of an emasculated man entertaining? Allow me to introduce you to my ex-girlfriend...