In other words, it's a film like this that really makes me hate giving a numerical score to film reviews. When "My Sassy Girl" is in a good moment, it's spectacular; but there are a few unforgivable scenes that would knock it down from a 4.5 to a 4 for me without placing this review in the context of director Kwak Jae-Yong's subsequent work and its importance within contemporary Korean cinema. In particular, there's a short montage of the two friends goofing around at an amusement park that looks like it comes straight out of a made-for-TV movie.

There are many unexpected twists and turns within "My Sassy Girl" that one would not expect in the typical romantic comedy narrative. This formula is actually rather successful overall, and while the second half takes a turn for the more dramatic, the characters have become so well defined that the melodrama is well-earned.

For those that don't know the story was written on the Internet and then made into a film. The story has a great combination of comedy and romance. The acting was spectacular: Cha Tae Hyun's facial expressions drives the movie. The chemistry between the main characters can be turbulent yet believable; but that's the fun behind this witty movie.

Most people would be content watching it the first time but I challenge anyone to watch it multiple times and not get something new out of the plural viewing. Regardless of whether watching the movie for the comedy or the romance, "My Sassy Girl" will not disappoint.

I wonder; dare I say it? How dare I call this film - such a film, without any somnolent artistic pretensions, yet art nonetheless - brilliant. We forget that it is terribly easy to bore, but terribly difficult to simply, well, entertain. And how it entertains. This film uses nothing less than the seemingly irreconcilable instruments of absurdity, exhilaration, perversion, wit, terror, love, pain (on EVERY level) and - of course - vomiting. (Lots of it. Lots and lots of it. Lots and lots and lots - sorry. Had to get it out.) Throw in philosophy too: the audience ruminates (almost against their will - they cannot help themselves) on the strange workings of fate, destiny and sheer, dumb, horrible luck. Perhaps the only real complaint I can muster is the pacing - how fast it was. Imagine how it is to hear screams of laughter and then sobs emanating from humans all around me in darkness in intervals of all of - one minute. Throughout all of 137 minutes.

Now, who should I credit for the film? Reviewers always seem to feel the irrepressible urge to find somebody to credit (the synonym of blame, really) but I must confess I feel utterly lacking in that aspect - at least with regards to this film. Was it the director? The actors? Even the SHOES in the show seemed to be doing their part to make me tear in laughter and grief. In other words, all the parts and pieces of this particular puzzle showed their best sides. They fit together excellently - so oddly. How many of us can make another laugh, cry and cringe in one and the same breath? Perhaps this film is something like that one strange love affair in your life you can never truly forget.