Supplements:

Product Description: With his masterful, multi-award-winning vengeance trilogy, Park Chan Wook won accolades at home and abroad, and became the object of cult for many film fans, from the grindhouse aficionado to the arthouse purist. Following the anger and violence of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, and Old Boy, however, Park was ready for something new - a romantic comedy, albeit one like no other. For his whimsically titled I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK, the director enlisted versatile actress Lim Soo Jung (Lump Sugar, Tale of Two Sisters) and film newcomer Jung Ji Hoon, better known to fans across Asia as Rain, as his mentally ill romantic leads. A cyborg romantic comedy starring Rain? If anyone can pull it off, it's Park Chan Wook! 

 

 

 

The Film:

This is quite probably the weirdest love story you’re likely to see. It takes place in a mental hospital, between an anti-social schizophrenic and a girl who thinks she’s a cyborg. This, though, is okay, because they’re both comfortable with their situation. They never question things or cause much trouble. They go on with their lives, not really caring or questioning what’s going on. So, it’s okay. In fact, the title is a lot more appropriate that it may seem at first.

The movie starts out simply, with a lady wheeling Yeong-goon in the floor, explaining who everybody is. This, we learn, is trash, as the doctor quickly comes in and tells Yeong-goon that his lady invents stories to make up for lost memories. What, then, should we trust, if the first explanation of the movie is false? Perhaps, not trusting anything is the best way to go about your life.

Watching everything, insinuating itself everywhere is Park Chan-wook’s incredible visual style. With a camera following, bobbing and weaving through patients and walls, it’s both creepy and stylish. There are no secrets here, and the camera makes sure it stays that way. The music, in contrast, is light and jazzy. A strong counterpoint to the serious matter, it lightens the tone, making everything seem normal and natural.

In his first feature film, Korean pop star Rain (Jeong Ji-hoon in the credis) gives a great performance, subtle but layered. His willingness to help others is commendable, and especially his commitment to Yeong-goon, played by Lim Soo-jeong (who wowed me in ‘A Tale of Two Sisters’). They’re very natural living inside characters that live in their own logic with heir own rules. They play these strange characters, yet feel very natural.

We all have problems. Sometimes, others can help us, but ultimately you’re the one that has to solve the difficulties in your life. I find it interesting that the person diagnosed as being anti-social goes around trying to help everybody. Whether he succeeds or not, I suppose, is not important. It’s the act that counts, right? He falls for this girl wearing dentures and wanting to find out her purpose. He’s nice and understanding, but she’s the only one that can figure out who she is. So, Young-goon is a cyborg, but it’s okay.

Extras:
Supplements include a 'Making of...', a translated Q & A session (almost an hour) and two trailers - all in PAL, standard definition. We get none of the three commentaries available on this SD edition. There are no Blu-ray specific features - nothing in 1080.