Fan Club Goodies

 Happy End

When the making of this film was first announced, most assumed it would be fairly conventional, the story of an extramarital affair. As it neared release, however, it became apparent that the film would have teeth, and it has emerged as one of the strongest art films of the past several years.

Happy End is the debut work of director Jung Ji-woo, who won acclaim with an earlier short film titled A Bit Bitter (literal translation: "Ginger"). This new work focuses on three characters: a banker who loses his job but finds a sense of fulfillment in his new life at home, taking care of his daughter and reading mysteries in the park; his wife, a successful career woman who manages a language institute; and her ex-boyfriend, with whom she became separated years earlier when he was drafted into the army.

Happy End marks the maturation of a new generation of filmmakers who began their careers in short film. Although Jung is obviously not the first director to follow up a successful career in short film with an acclaimed debut (other notable examples include E J-Yong with An Affair, Park Ki-hyung with Whispering Corridors, and Hur Jin-ho with Christmas in August), he is nonetheless the first to infuse a full-length feature with the aesthetics and vitality of Korean short film. The tight form and emotional intensity of Happy End, together with the ambiguous manner of its resolution, give audiences a more concentrated viewing experience than most feature films.

The acting in this movie deserves special mention, with two of Korea's most talented actors giving virtuoso performances. Following up his popular success in the movie Shiri, Choi Min-shik takes on a hugely difficult role as the husband who discovers his wife's infidelity. In addition to the emotional range required by the part, it is also clear that the situation faced by the husband carries a symbolic weight in the film. Choi's haunted, suffering eyes bring forth an tremendous empathy in the viewer. Opposite him, actress Jeon Do-yeon shatters her earlier screen image with a daring, mesmerizing performance that sets her on a level apart from other actresses of her generation.

Happy End pulls no punches in its delivery, straining its viewers' emotions as well as pushing the limits of the film's form. In its art and its impact, it is an unforgettable film.     

(Darcy Paquet)