Directed by SONG Hae-sung (Chara), the film is about a hoodlum who is passed his sell by date and is referred to as all talk and no action by the young gang members. His life is pretty low and he has nothing to live for as he dreams of retiring on a boat somewhere by the sea. The first half of the film concentrates on building up the background of the lead actor.

Just when the lead actor is about to sacrifice his life for his gang boss he receives a letter telling him that the wife he married from China 1 year ago for cash (to flout S. Korean immigration laws) has died leaving him a letter that has a profound affect on him. The film takes a turn and begins to tell the story of Cecilia Cheung ... she lives a simple naive life and is forever grateful to the lead actor who married her although they have never met.

It is from this point on that the film becomes an interesting study of characters and this is when it really takes off.

A great film with a great latter half. Recommended ... (Highly recommended if you like Cecilia Cheung)

Kangjae (Choi) is a hot-headed, unrespected member of a local gang. After his boss and long time friend kills someone, he asks Kangjae to take the fall for him - promising to help him buy a fishing boat to settle down with after he gets out, as he had always wanted. Just before he is ready to go in, he finds out that his wife, Kang Failan (Cheung), has died. She had come to Korea to find family, who had all gone. He had married her as part of an under-the-table business arrangement so she could stay in the country and work. He must go and make arrangements after her death, but finds out much about her life, and about himself, along the way.

REVIEW:
Failan is a very unique drama. It has got its share of the Korean gangster lifestyle (and not in a glamorized fashion) and many standard drama elements. But, at its heart is somewhat of a romance without any romance, as strange as it sounds. We see two people who never really meet develop feelings for each other, as it in some way affects their own lives.

It's fair warning to let people know that this is a very slow moving film. This is necessarily so, though, to properly develop the characters, who are the heart of the film. The film takes plenty of time in the beginning to set up Kangjae's character and the lifestyle he leads, particularly his relationship with his gang. He is a angry-tempered at many, while seemingly helpless with his boss. He is considered useless to most of his fellow gang members. Yet, this is all portrayed at such a raw level that we can feel that there is something more inside him. As discussion of going into prison for his boss comes up, we start to hear more of his aspirations and such and feel him as more of a real person.

After significant time is developed to Kangjae's developement, we finally dive into Failan's life. Through flashbacks, we see her story as a newcomer in Korean with no one close. She must do what she has to survive, but is obviously struggling without anyone close. It is interesting to see her form an emotional bond with her convenience husband as a way to help her through this.

As Kangjae goes through his travels and learns more about Failan's life, he starts to open up. Between this and the reality of what he is about to do for his boss, he starts to see what is important in his life. The dynamic aspect of Kangjae's character and how all of this brings this about is what the true heart of this film is, and where its brilliance lies. After such lengthy introduction to his character early in the film, we appreciate the changes in his character even more.

The film takes a very raw, realistic approach to everything. The characters are real, the locations are real. Nothing is glamorized. Gangster life is not made out to be like it is in many action films. Locations are left as dirty or harsh as necessary. The actors even seem to be wearing little to no make-up. All of this contributes to the reality of the story and makes it even better for a viewer to associate with. Choi and Cheung both also put in amazing performances that push this even further and bring the characters to life.

This movie probably isn't for everyone, as it is a very slow-moving drama and I understand that there are people that have trouble with such a pace. But, I do believe that it is worth the patience and the end payoff is more than you could ask for. I love my comedies and action films. But, I appreciate a good drama, though I'm a lot pickier about the dramas I sit down with. This one really hits where it counts and deserves a place on any Asian film fan's DVD rack.

Not a romantic setting and certainly not a typical movie plot -- which is why it was so shocking that the film was so good. This is the kind of movie that takes hold of you, haunts you in your dreams for days and makes you really, really think about what love is (when was the last time a Korean film made you think about anything at all?).

The film's main character is Kang-jae (Choi Min-shik), a fashion-defying bum who spends his days playing video games, beating up kids half his size and running for his life when he sees his ex-buddy-turned-boss coming around the corner.

So not tough is he, in fact, that when a middle-aged supermarket owner beats him and pulls his hair, all he can say is, "What can I do? She's my mother's age?"

Thus, it's not surprising that when his gang leader friend asks him to take the blame for the murder he committed during a drunken rage in exchange for a large sum of money, he agrees, calculating to himself, "10 years behind bars is not a bad price for a ship."

What stirs an unexpected storm in his grim life, however, is a letter -- from his wife.

Wait, did he have a wife? He barely remembers, but then recalls a small wad of money he pocketed for marrying a Chinese immigrant who was stranded here without family or a visa. Apparently, she has died of a fatal disease and the police was summoning him to identify her. This is to be his last trip before heading for prison.

The journey turns out to be something else altogether, though. It begins with the letter addressed to him that the police brought. In it is a letter written in childish Korean script, "Dear Kang-jae ... Thank you. I was able to work here because of you. Everybody here is kind. But you're the kindest because you married me." A love letter never sent.

These words touch Kang-jae, who slowly learns that the poor, lonely girl secretly loved him for his act of great kindness, not knowing that he hasn't thought of her once since signing the marriage papers and taking the fee. In her belief in him as the "kindest man" and thus a man worth loving, however, he sees himself anew.

He also realizes he has lost the chance to love such a pure-hearted woman. This is overwhelmingly clear when he meets his wife face to face for the first time: standing in the dark, cold mortuary where her corpse is wheeled out to him for identification. Later, when he visits Failan's house and her landlord cries, "Why do you come now? She waited for you for so long," he breaks down and weeps.

There are a number of wonderful things about this film, the greatest of which is the structure. Telling a love story between two people who've never met, and so realistically, is a great feat in itself, but even more impressive is how the director brings together the framing story and the romance. The film has the kind of conclusion that sends chills down one's spine for its poetic perfection. The little bits of flashback scenes showing Failan falling in love with Kang-jae are also memorable and touching.

Perhaps the quality of the script is not at all surprising, though, considering that it was written by Jiro Asada, Japanese writer famous for "Love Letter" and "Popeya." In fact, it's not hard to detect the same tragic air that perfumed "Love Letter" in "Failan."

If the writing credit goes to Japan, however, the acting and directing talent are indisputably Korean. Choi (who is famous for his comical role in "The Quiet Family," chilling North Korean spy in "Swiri" and a murderous husband in "Happy Ending") is nothing less than brilliant in this work, playing a third-rate sluggard like it's his real job.

Director Song Hae-sung, who debuted with another romantic tragedy "Kara" in 1999, also showed surprising maturity, replacing prettiness with more genuine beauty -- real life, with its rotting parts and all.

Last but not least is the actress of the title character Failan, the gorgeous Hong Kong star Cecilia Cheung of "Songwon" and "Twelve Nights." Appearing without any makeup, she manages to look beautiful while poisoning the film with such quiet sadness that she will likely replace Korea's most popular actresses as the most memorable heroine in Korean cinema ever.