MY NEW SASSY GIRL (2016) Review
Directed by Geun-shik Jo
Following the hit 2001 Korean drama-comedy film, it’s a surprise that they are actually making a sequel, that it’s connected to the first one with a new girl. That alone takes what has been loved from the first one ripped from the fans, the ones who embraced the silly love between an incompetent guy and, well, the Sassy Girl.
The first part of the film felt like it’s going nowhere. There, another Sassy Girl comes in after Gyun-woo was left alone by the first one. The film wanted it to not just be just another sequel of a beloved movie, so they had to put a twist as to why another sassy girl has to come in and save Gyun-woo’s love life.
The first act of the film is a disaster, it felt like it didn’t know which way to go or how to build its main story for it to start its characters main dilemma. It wanted to have the same fun and dynamics the two main characters had from the predecessor, that the audience wanted the moment they knew about the sequel but the first one actually had a decent build up, not something that just happens because we’ve already seen it. I mean, Korean girls aren’t always dominant and wild, right? But here, Gyun-woo falls for the girl or in his situation, falls back to the girl that’s dominant and I guess we can call crazy.
Then the main story enters. The two welcome their married life, not as easy as it may sound because it always isn’t, but they’ve pulled through. The main story here is having a married life, which reminds me of Cathy Garcia-Molina’s A Second Chance, the secrets, the lies and the sacrifices. While the John Lloyd Cruz – Bea Alonzo starrer may have been written more decently, both of the films has the same point. Marriage life isn’t easy, you try hard enough by doing things to make the person you love happy and that results to almost ignoring the same person you want to impress, you want to win. While it may not be presented clear in the movie, there’s enough choices and actions the character does that helped the film express those predicaments.
Though the intentions of how they present the complications of the film were clear enough, there’s a big question running around when the main story started. The sassy girl, only said that she’ll be in Korea for a vacation, for a tour of the country. She also mentions that Gyun-woo doesn’t need to find a job for him to impress her, but why exactly? What exactly is her job and why is she always just at home when they got married? That will always bug you while watching the film and it’s puzzling what the girl actually does with her life whenever the focus of the film isn’t on her.
But if you can get past that, there’s a big chance you might enjoy the film and relate to the sacrifices of life whenever you’re in a relationship or not. There’s something sincere in bringing those sentiments on the screen, that even if you’re questioned by some of its choices, there’s a chance you get to experience its heartfelt message.
2.5 OUT OF 5 STARS
“My New Sassy Girl” is now showing in Philippine cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films. Rated PG by the MTRCB.