He Was Cool (2004)

First of all, I want to make one thing clear: "He was cool" should be treated differently from other movies. Why?
Well, first of all, you have to consider the time when it was released and the intention.
Because of my many reasons this movie will remain as my favorite one. Let me explain why:
1.The topics
Even though this movie's main target group might be young people, it also deals with very "mature"/serious topics.
The first time I watched this movie ( as a teenager) I didn't realize that this movie was kind of revolutionary or daring comparing to other Korean movies.
On the one hand, serious topics like AIDS and prejudices were shown. And on the other hand, it is also about a teenager's problems and everyday/love life.
For me, it was interesting to see how those "serious" and "ordinary topics" ( I can't think of a more appropriate word) were connected.
Apart from that, this movie was some kind of a roller-coaster ride: It was funny, sometimes sad and then it was funny again.

2. The characters
Apart from the great mix of the topics, the main characters were really...well, it is hard to describe each of them with one word.
The male lead did a great job as an actor considering the fact that it was one of his earliest work. Moreover, his character wasn't presented in a superficial way. As a viewer you could see and feel all his feelings and the changes he went through during the movie:
For instance the shyness when it comes to showing affection or even accepting it.
Actually, the movie helps one to understand his personality that seems to be a bit weird in the beginning: Sometimes he is nice to the female lead and sometimes he isn't nice. In many ways he is a immature young male and but in some ways he is more mature than his friends.

Even though the relationship between the main leads was one the weirdest one I've seen, I could feel/see the romance. You might wonder, why it was weird: The whole relationship between them was rather forced than planned at the beginning. But you could tell that it changed after some time.
For me it was kind of amusing to watch those two arguing,making up and once again arguing. It somehow reminded me of the young boys in the kindergarten who prefer to annoy the girls they like instead being nice to them.
The female lead: She acted pretty well. Even though she played the role of a rather immature student, she was able to show various emotions. I think, I will never forget certain scenes she played with all her heart like jumping up and down with weird clothes on in front of the school jard. Just the thought of it makes me laugh.

3. The plot
Movies aren't dramas with 16 eps or more. So, I guess, as a viewer I will always have the feeling that everything was a bit too rushed and ended too quickly.
Nevertheless, I liked the way everything progressed. It wasn't dragging or something like that.
Even now, I am able to divide the movie in different chapters.


To sum it up:
This movie is great! It might be a bit weird at first but you will like it the more you watch! Apart from that, a movie's intention should count as well. And this movies proves that you can make use of serious topics in a way that you don't even realize that you are learning something new.

Read More