I wanted to like "My Sassy Girl." Really. I've seen only a handful of Asian films in the past year so I was hoping to pique my interest in the genre again by watching a film I'd been dying to see based on the many, many glowing reviews I'd read. But Jesus, I haven't seen a movie with characters this grating since I watched "Closer" and the slightly less depressing "Sideways" back-to-back on DVD. (A lot of loathsome characters in THAT double bill, I tell ya.)

Who are we supposed to root for in "My Sassy Girl"? Gyeon-woo? Um, no. He's in his mid-20's; lives at home; gets routinely beaten by his mom; wears pastels and a man purse; frosts his hair; drinks to excess (but calls "sassy girl" a drunk); pouts...A LOT; is a "playa"; and falls for this "sassy" freak despite her abusive behavior (she slugs him in the jaw repeatedly and even pushes him into the ocean and watches passively as he flails away, unable to swim) AND her YEARS-long resistance to his glacier-paced "advances." I mean, they don't even kiss. What a pussy.

And "sassy girl"? If we knew anything about this enigma we might possibly care about her. Instead, all we know is that she is in her mid-20s, her father's an alcoholic, her boyfriend suddenly passed away, she's rude and sadistic and is an absolute fucking LOON. God, I hope in the impending American remake they dial down this character's schtick, because it got tiresome after awhile. The film became more a chronicle of the evil shit she does to girly-man Gyeon-woo than an exploration of these character's "relationship." (Which pretty much amounts to her making him do progressively humiliating tasks like wearing her high heels in public. And to what end? We're to believe she's testing his adoration and being flirtatious, but it's obvious throughout the film she is not in love with him and is merely using him to overcome her grief, and doesn't "come around" until years later.)

I'm not even going to bother with the army deserter, the rampant womanizing and alcoholism, the time capsule, the vomit, the contrived conclusion or the lack of any exposition or character back-story. Like everything else about this movie, it's all pointless.

(For a film that features a quirky lead female, yet handles its relationships and character development far more humorously and adeptly, check out Johnnie To's "Needing You" instead.)

Based on a series of stories that found their way onto the internet, 'My Sassy Girl' focuses on lazy, but likeable Korean student Kyun-woo and his eventful journey on the way home from a meal with his friends. On the platform of the underground station, Kyun-woo saves an angelic looking young woman from drunkenly falling in front of an incoming train, an action that has repercusions throughout the next few weeks. Kyun-woo is eventually saddled with this inebriated beauty and decides to take her to a motel for the night rather than leave her at the mercy of the stations less savoury clients. Kyun-woo thinks that is kind act is an isolated incident, but finds that this mysterious girl continues to re-appear in his life and have an increasing say in what he does. Eventually the two become romantically linked, though the girl continues to mistreat her new boyfriend by persuading him to engage in bizarre tasks for her enjoyment. It is only after a series of unusual escapades that Kyun-woo begins to understand the enigma that has entered his life.

'My Sassy Girl' crams just about every genre or sub-genre into its story. From broad comedy to delicate moments of romance and near-operatic melodrama, this is a production that tries to elicit nearly every human sympathy known to man. The most astonishing thing is that, for most of its needlessly bloated duration, it actually comes very close to pulling off this mean feat. While lesser productions struggle to cope with even the subtlest changes in tone, 'My Sassy Girl' juggles every idea with an earnest zeal that is hard to dispute.

The narrative is episodic in nature, but each little vignette is properly fastened to the storyline and has some impetus to it. Whereas using such a hit-and-miss format is a risky venture, director Jae-young Kwak manages to keep the film's final destination fully in view and never is the story allowed to get too caught up in unimportant sub-plots. Though a few of the latter moments do verge on becoming repetitive, there is still a genuine interest in the outcome of events.

Alfred Hitchcock always championed the idea of taking a normal 'Average Joe' and putting him in an extraordinary situation and the concept works very well here too. Such a device is so effective in a thriller as the audience can empathise with the hero before his adventures begin, while a comedy like 'My Sassy Girl' uses this idea equally fiendishly. After only a few minutes, Kyun-woo is well established as the awkward, gawky protagonist and it's impossible not to be fully sympathetic to the outrageous situations he finds himself in. The strength of 'My Sassy Girl' is that the more challenging character of the eponyomous heroine is not allowed to descend too much into caricature. There is a danger that her aggression and contrary behaviour might verge on the dreaded tag 'kooky' or plain annoying; this does periodically happen - even the most benevolent man surely wouldn't put up with too much of this treatment. However, the final thirty minutes do go some way to piecing together the puzzle behind her nature.

'My Sassy Girl' elevates itself above its contemparies due to its wit, pathos and moments of typically Asian humour. The marathon running time is a problem, though, and does test the patience of the viewer; two hours is far too long for what should be a snappy, sassy (pardon the pun) production. The final act is particularly drawn out and soaked in the kind of melodrama that is difficult to sustain over a long period of time. Some might argue that a tighter edit may have hindered creativity, but it would certainly have helped maintain the momentum that the film enjoys early on.

This isn't a perfect film, but it's got more imagination and energy than most of the rom-com genre efforts of recent years put together. Jae-young Kwak has fashioned an emotionally ambiguous, memorable hit with two leads who are perfect for the respective roles. 'My Sassy Girl' is worthy of its reputation and praise despite its faults.

Here is not the perfected tale of a confused love affair as seen in Aubrey Lam's "12 Nights". Nor is it the cupid-like romantic gesture of Johnny To's "Needing You". "My Sassy Girl" is an extremely odd tale of coincidence, fate, loss, true love and LOTS of weird shit in between. At times, it has the feel that it should be on the National Lampoon's label, at other times, it's strange bits of melodrama and dreamy romance throw you off the map. As goofy as the film's structure may seem, it's bound to hit your sensitive spot at some point. It's also guaranteed to give you some nice laughs and sweet, unexpected surprises.

The two stars have chemistry that's just as balanced as the Yin & Yang symbol. Their outstanding performances were equally important as the direction and fresh script, which made this film a solid piece of entertainment.

"My Sassy Girl" is based on stories by Ho-sik Kimwhich were posted on the Internet in "diary" form. The stories were so interesting and gained so much attention that they were made into this movie. Currently, this film is in pre-production to be made into a major Hollywood film. All I gotta say is, don't wait for the Hollywood version, grab the Korean version now and get ready to appreciate a fantastic film!