synchronicity comes full circle

This drama is outstanding and has earned its place as one of the greats. It is incredibly rich, incredibly layered and ultimately incredibly satisfying.
It showcased all the typical kdrama tropes while still remaining fresh and addictive; the tropes I identified are: impossible love, chaebol family, cohabitation, a past, barely remembered meeting between the leads, arranged marriage, fake engagement, truck of death, riches to rags, adopted love child, sibling succession wars, fate or destiny; I'm sure there are many others.

This is a story about love in all its different facets, romantic love, familial love, love between friends, love between co-workers, love of your immediate community, love for your country and finally love for oneself. On the flip side the drama also explores destructive love for example the love of money, power or revenge.
Ultimately the drama strives to portray a love that is protective, selfless, healing, enduring, patient and a love that seeks to build it's object up rather than tear it down.
Jung Hyuk and Se ri's love and to a certain extent Seo Dan and Gu Sung Jun's love shows that as long as your heart is open and you're looking outward toward the object of your affection and putting them first, then your love will be rewarded, it will continue to grow and your life will be enriched as a result. I also particularly loved how Gu Sung Jun found his humanity in North Korea and I applaud the writer for not romanticising him by allowing Seo Dan to fall in love with him just as he was.

The cast and acting are what makes this drama special, not just the leads ( who are truly outstanding) but the entire cast kept this drama exciting, relatable and so heartwarming to watch; there is a commitment to the narrative that is evident in this show, each actor is so diligently and charmingly immersed in their role that as a viewer you cannot fail to be captivated.
The village ahjummas and the lovingly dubbed 'ducklings' literally steal this show with their sometimes hilarious and other times poignant and heart tugging performances, I truly adored this aspect of the drama and was never impatient to get these characters off the screen.

The treatment of the North Korea aspect was handled in a very sensitive manner, I appreciate that the writer depicted North Koreans as normal people who live their lives working hard and loving their friends and families just like any other people on this planet, this is important because oftentimes North Korea is caricatured and stripped of any normal commonplace attributes.

I also enjoyed this drama because I could always make sense of what I was watching, and all the nods to other kdramas and kdrama characters in the form of cameos, guest appearances or references were truly appreciated.
Although this is a drama with many goodbyes, each goodbye led to another level of love where the characters discovered more of themselves and what they are capable of enduring.

I do have a small criticism to make, I personally think that the synchronicity of the main couple's story regarding their first meeting in Switzerland and how this plays out throughout the drama is a little too neat and pat in the way it all just falls into place at the perfect moment. I don't know that's just me, kdramas love their fated love stories.

A lot of people have expressed some dissatisfaction with the ending, but in my opinion the writer and production team were probably very conscious of giving us a politically correct resolution which didn't appear to advocate anything illegal or insensitive. I think as viewers we are free to flesh out how our main couple navigated the rest of their lives.

The music is great in this drama, I think the placement of the music improved as the drama went on, especially with regard to the tracks with lyrics, not the instrumental pieces.

Overall 9.5 out of 10

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the villains are too villainous..........illogically so

This drama has high production value and is easy on the eyes. The acting is superb from the majority of the cast and the pace is good although it does suffer from the Lakorn tendency to have long drawn out dramatic moments where people stare at each other like statues.

I particularly enjoyed the performance by the male lead, he manages to be convincingly suave, steely and smouldering in every frame, he's definitely a scene stealer and I hope this actor gives us more leading roles in the future, he's still young so I'm sure he has a long career ahead of him.
The leading lady is beautiful but lacklustre, it's a blessing that she and the male lead have great chemistry otherwise it would have been a drag to watch, she's particularly annoying and judgemental in the beginning but she slowly comes around and grows a semblance of a backbone.
The role of Mam is played beautifully to perfection, she was one of the characters I loved in this show (SPOILER ALERT) so imagine my horror at what happened to her, I thought this was unnecessary and was a waste of a great character.

This show had a lot of potential but as with many Thai dramas there is a lack of balance between good and evil, the evil characters get away with too much and only repent or face retribution in the final episode, this makes for a very frustrating watch.

Overall I'll say that what this show has going for it is a great OTP with wonderful chemistry and beautiful interactions, their story has a very happy ending; so if you don't mind extremely vexatious villains, then watch it for the OTP.

I gave this drama an overall rating of 7.

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amorous ghost hijinks meets murder mystery meets HEART...

This is one very rare drama in that the second half was a whole lot better than the first half. This is not to say that the setting up of the story in the earlier episodes wasn't entertaining, it was hilarious; however the show didn't balance the story equally enough between the two female leads. Episodes 1 to 10 devoted way too much attention to the relationship between the ghost and the male lead, a lot of the romantic progression, the little moments that mark a blossoming love relationship were shared with the ghost instead of with the real life person Bong Sun; This was incredibly frustrating. From episode 11 onwards show picked up momentum and sailed to a very smooth ending.

The acting is what makes this drama special, the actors appear to have had a fair amount of freedom to express their roles, this is especially evident in the staff dynamic at Sun Restaurant, I enjoyed the warmth and camaraderie of the whole crew at the restaurant, it felt organic, never forced or practised.

Park Bo Young gives an impressive performance as Bong Sun, she has incredible range, from the shy and reticent Bong Sun to the brash and feisty Soon Ae to the new and improved Bong Sun, she encapsulated them all effortlessly, she's definitely a new favourite of mine.
Jo Jung Suk is such a great actor, so convincing and effortless, the chemistry he had with his leading lady is so natural and warm, they were never awkward, always warm and engaged, such a joy to watch.

All the other supporting cast is great, especially the shaman lady.

This is a solid drama if you're willing to overlook the rather aimless beginning; It has wonderful emotional payoff in the last episodes with an extremely satisfying ending.

I didn't notice the music that much, the instrumental pieces are appropriate where they're used.

Overall 8.5 out of 10

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Because life goes on, and you deal, and if you're very lucky, you get a second chance.

This drama caught me by surprise with its mature, thoughtful and challenging story. It doesn't go out of its way to cover up a character's flaws; it in fact brings to our attention that yes, in reality a person can be weak and it is not uncommon for someone to pick wealth and power over love.

I was often frustrated with the choices the characters made in this drama, but no matter how I disliked the pain they inflicted on themselves and on others due to their selfishness, I loved how each character eventually chose to take the better path.
This drama won me over with its insights, raw emotion, realism and understated, natural and powerful acting.

The cast is excellent from start to finish, especially the four leads. Eric Mun is amazing as Kang Tae Joo, his performance is raw and emotionally charged. Jung Yoo Mi's Han Eun Soo, is at turns vulnerable, resilient, petty, annoying, weak and yet so heartbreaking... a strange mix but she makes it work beautifully.
The two leads are really flawed and make bad decisions, they are not very likable compared to the usual main leads in other Kdramas, but that's what makes this drama special in that it's brave enough to not be pretty.
Yoon Ji Hye's Cha Hye Lin portrays the pampered princess with a chip on her shoulder amazingly well, her character shows a lot of progress and development at the end of the story.
I must give a very special mention to Lee Kyu Han, his portrayal of Shin Joon Hyuk is flawless; I can safely say that this is the first time ever that I rooted for the second male lead right up to the very end. His character is the most balanced and his decisions make sense and you always understand where he's coming from, he's consistent and magnanimous right through to the end.

Que Sera Sera will not suit everyone's taste - but if you're lucky enough to fall in love with this story, I'm confident that it will leave a lasting impression as it has with me.

The music in this drama is very eclectic as coupled with the shows OST, there is a consistent backdrop of the soundtrack to 2007, literally.

Overall score 9 out of 10

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So much heart!

This is not a blockbuster by any stretch, in fact when I got to episode 4 I seriously considered dropping it, but I was compelled to keep watching; I think the combination of just the right mix of comedy, melodrama, romance and a generous touch of realistic human stories grabbed my attention, I watched to the end and was touched in the process.

The story is not groundbreaking ( birth secrets, corporate intrigues, revenge, impostors) but it's told in such a touching human way; a lot of the success of this drama is due to the actors / cast. The lead actor Yeon Jung Hoon is so good in this, he's consistent throughout and really played his character to perfection. The other cast members do hold their own, I especially enjoyed Chief Ha played by Shim Eun Jin, she is hilarious!

The romance is a slow burn so it feels very realistic, I just found it so sweet and sincere.

This drama is for sure under-rated and in my opinion deserves at least an 8 rating on MDL. Watch it if you want a warm, steady, logical viewing experience, no cliffhangers but a lot of heart.

I liked the song by As One: I'm Still In Love, its's catchy.

Overall 8 out of 10

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What's more sacred, love or marriage?

Do we love with our head or heart?
A heart isn't something you can fight for or win, it just comes to you.
These are the themes that this drama explores, amongst others...

The drama crossed genre boundaries, at times romcom and other times drama and slice of life. It's an excellent portrayal of familial relationships and how they can shape a young adult's life and choices. This drama is tightly and so beautifully scripted, the writing is thoughtful, thought provoking relatable and peppered with cultural and literary references.
I enjoyed the way the drama explored all three couples more or so equally, cleverly juxtaposing the main issues in one relationship with issues in another relationship, there is a painstaking attention to detail that is evident in this script and screenplay. Overall the story is very well developed with outstanding plot exposition, development and resolution.

The cast is excellent. The two leads give stellar performances; Lee Min Ki is so consistent in his stoic and awkward portrayal of Se Hee, even when he's acting cute with Ji Ho he still maintains the essence of his stiff demeanour, it's the almost imperceptible changes in his facial expression that give an indication of what's going on in his head.
Jung So Min is wonderful in her contemplative turn as Ji Ho, her narration is filled with nuggets of useful and fascinating introspection.
The rest of the cast was amazing and did such a wonderful job one and all, it's a well chosen cast.

The reason I didn't give this a 10, which I intended to all along was because the 3 or 4 penultimate episodes were a bit draggy and disappointing; first of all the plot started to drag with Ji Ho's sometimes overly contemplative and nitpicky approach to life; secondly given how the story had been told so far, her departure towards the end seemed out of character for the story up to that point, and also she was coming across as passive aggressive in the final episodes, she inexplicably lost the ability to discuss issues with Se Hee; thirdly the product placement was so noticeable towards the end it was off putting; fourth I wasn't sold on the way Ho Rang and Won Seok's story was wrapped up, it just seemed a little convenient and didn't resonate with their previous story arc.

At the end I felt as though the writer just gave us a stock ending which was a bit rushed and included unnecessary angst just for some drama in a show that was hitherto refreshingly free of drama, so for all the above reasons I removed 1 and a half points because I legit wanted to give this drama a 10.

Music is great and matches the wistful yet peppy atmosphere of the drama.

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Life is worthwhile when you have someone or something to live for

This drama was not bad and also not great, it's just ok. I found the beginning slow and a bit boring but it did pick up around episode 3. The business Mergers and Acquisitions premise was well documented and a constant thread throughout the drama.
The overall story though is quite weak, the antagonist didn't make sense, why is he so evil? there is no plausible explanation. The plot device of the company repeatedly coming back from the brink of destruction and bankruptcy also got old pretty fast.
The end of the drama was quite rushed, the time skip was irritating because it was an obvious attempt to bring Min Ho back without a proper explanation as to how he actually survived, super annoying and lazy writing.

Jung Kyung Ho is the standout star of this show hands down, his sometimes dorky, sometimes suave, sometimes deeply contemplative but always cute portrayal of Min Ho is magical and engrossing. That's not to say that his costars didn't pull their weight, I especially enjoyed Woo Sik and Wendy for their hilarious performances and also for their own unique and cute loveline. Woo Sik and Min Ho's scenes together were such a hoot to watch.
Sun Jung portrayed by Kim So Yeon is a great stable character although I wish she had been more casual in the personal moments away from the office, her stiff demeanour just gave the OTP interactions less spontaneity and an unnecessary formality which took away from our male lead's vibrant take on his character.
The two secretaries at the office were very entertaining to watch.
I also loved Senior Ma (Dong Wook's father) he's a great, engaging actor.
The villain of the piece, Joon Hee played by Yoon Hyun Min is inexplicably evil and awful, so much so that I stopped taking him seriously which is such a shame because he's actually a very good actor.

Music is ok, though I didn't notice it much.

This is a pleasant drama to watch but not outstanding. I give it a 7.5 out of 10

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Lovable OTP but............

I'm one of those people who caught on to the TMOPB hype pretty late so I didn't have to wait too long for this drama.
I loved this couple's story, and chemistry in TMOPB so of course I was always going to watch the drama dedicated to their story and I must say I was not disappointed in the OTP. For me the OTP is the best part of the drama, their chemistry, story, banter, poignant moments, all of it is absolutely spot on.

The story is a faithful retelling of the novel, except for some small bits here and there and the mortal realm arc which was expanded (unnecessarily in my opinion, because they could have used those episodes to flesh out the final episodes which seemed rushed) The story of Dong Hua and Feng Jui is epic and their love story is littered with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The best thing about this story is the fact that they defied their unfortunate fate and forged on despite everything, ultimately transforming their fate into something positive and beautiful.

The acting is well done, Dilraba and Vengo shine in their roles and brought a unique freshness to the drama. The rest of the cast is good although some of the roles didn't get much screen time, overall it's a great cast.

I think the production team could have done a better job of editing and the entire post-production process seeing as they had over two years between wrapping up filming and premiering; there's just something lacking in the entire drama, the costumes were mostly cheap looking, the sky kingdom set was a bit too gold, gaudy and fake. I also don't appreciate the fact that some of the teasers they released didn't feature in the drama at all and that's so careless and annoying.

The music is great, although I would have loved it to be more evocative, but that's just my personal opinion. I keep thinking they should have acquired copyright for Dong Hua and Feng Jui's song from TMOPB ( Even If There's No Possibility by Xiang Xiang) that would have added a layer of much needed poignancy.

The OTP moments are everything, and if you love this couple you should definitely watch this drama.

The overall production for me was a let down so I give it a 7.5 out of 10.

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A competent remake

This remake was quite well done. The budget was clearly high because the set was reproduced very accurately (the two lead's apartments) and wardrobe was also good.

The success of this remake is due to the fact that they remained true to the original story, despite the lengthy supporting cast's scenes. The story was faithfully reproduced.

The acting is great especially the two main leads. Hats off to Matt and Nadech they were captivating; in my personal opinion the female lead's performance had a slight edge over the male lead, she was comical and poignant and straddled the two expertly. Nadech gave a great performance but I just found his expressions one dimensional, he lacked nuance especially when expressing pain and the anguish of finding Falada when his departure is imminent.

The supporting cast brought in the Thai flavour.

The music was not great, the background music was typical loud, overdone and insistent, the one ballad was tolerable.

Overall I enjoyed watching it, but if I ever rewatch this story it will be the Korean version.

8 out of 10

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A woman who gives as good as she gets, so refreshing in kdramaland!

This drama is beautifully complex in that the beginning is straightforward but when it gets to the home stretch, things suddenly look a lot different than previously thought.
It's a cinematic feast for the eyes, the production, the costumes, the set, the acting are all top notch. It's a wonderfully mature drama in that it offers no cookie cutter solutions, the characters are multi-dimensional and FLAWED, something which I really appreciated because it makes the story so human and realistic.

I enjoyed the way the show segues neatly from a murder investigation to an exposé of corruption in high places (although this exposé thread was not fully explored at the end, which was disappointing)
I enjoyed the depiction of the truth of life shrouded in uncertainty, the depiction of unpretentious love and the all important life lesson that the choices we make do have consequences.

This amazing drama was brought to life by the outstanding cast. Kim Nam Joo deserves a very special mention for her depiction of Ko Hye Ran, a woman who is unabashedly ambitious and determined to achieve her goals at the expense of everything even love and family, while still maintaining her professional integrity. ( In my opinion she's a character whose integrity is impeccable professionally but not in her personal life ) Her performance is powerful and she is stunning and impressive, a strong woman who makes her own rules and achieves her goals.

Ji Jin Hee as Kang Tae Wook is wonderfully nuanced and subtly resonant, an actor who can act with his eyes, his performance was consistently excellent.

Jeon Hye Jin as Seo Aun Joo is an interesting discovery for me, she is a very good actress and I'd love to see her in a leading role.

Ahn Nae Sang ahjussi deserves a mention here as well although I've only ever seen him in roles where his character is contrary, but he's an excellent veteran actor nonetheless.

The whole cast is superb and they all had great chemistry especially the News Nine team.

The ending of this drama raises some interesting conundrums, first of all there are a few dropped threads and unanswered questions and second I got the distinct feeling at the end that Show was telling me that powerful women destroy men; this contradicted and negated everything the drama had told me in the first fourteen episodes. This doesn't ruin the Show by any means, each viewer can draw their own conclusion.

The music is evocative and fantastic, I loved the violin pieces.

Overall 9.5 out of 10

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Show tries to illustrate that inner beauty is more important than outer beauty.

I honestly started this show because I like Joo Sang Wook and also because I wanted to watch something light.

The general premise of the story is good, a marginalised woman decides to get plastic surgery thinking that once she's slim and beautiful her life will automatically change for the better. She does find love yes, but she also realises that she has to resolve all her issues the hard way regardless of how she looks.
The show does a good job of lauding inner beauty as opposed to outer beauty; Our female lead was not blessed with outer beauty but she has immense inner beauty, conversely the second female lead is blessed with outer beauty but has a rotten heart.

The show delivered hilarious hijinks right up to the 12th episode, after that it started to drag and I fast forwarded some scenes. There is an annoying period where the female lead indulges in some poorly thought out noble idiocy and the villains in this show were irritatingly irrational.

The acting was ok. Joo Sang Wook shone in this comedic role, he was so charming and lovable. Han Ye Seul was ok, bordering on bland. The supporting cast was good, Jung Gyu Woon and Wang Ji Hye were great as second leads.
The chemistry between the leads is negligible, they did a lot of smiling at each other but there was no real connection in my opinion.
This show would have done better with less episodes.

The music is ok, nothing really stuck with me.

This is a pleasant watch.
I give it a 6.5 out of 10

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Live your life with unconditional love not fear.

This drama is delightfully fresh, charming, laugh out loud funny and touching.
I got some definite Sam Soon vibes because of the seamless blending of hysterical humour and heartfelt, grown up sincere emotions; not to mention a spunky and delightfully emotionally messy female lead who's always at 100% not 89%.

I love the message that this drama portrayed, about living life to the fullest, unconditionally, and doing things that you won't regret on your deathbed. Different kinds of love and human relationships are showcased in the drama as represented by the main story as well as all the side stories. I especially love that the characters, including the leads were flawed and on a path to growth and improvement, there's no one character that's perfect. The journey to being better is what makes this show special.

The love story is exceptional in the age appropriate way its handled; I especially appreciate that the characters are grown up and behave as such, they talk about everything that normal couples talk about. I was very impressed with conversations the lead couple had about their sexual frustration, when they would sleep together, when they would move in together etc; this was refreshing as it's so rare to see this in a kdrama; the skinship is also so realistic and natural, the kisses and hugs were some of the very best I've ever seen in any drama.

The acting and cast is great. Eric Mun's taciturn and closed off turn as Park Do Kyung is spot on, he was adorably stiff and it was such a pleasure to watch his character gradually open up and allow himself to feel love and live life fully.
Seo Hyun Jin's unabashed, wholehearted portrayal of Oh Hae Young was the life of this show, she was the perfect foil for Do Kyung and the two of them were magic on screen.

The supporting cast is impressive in this drama, all the side characters had fully developed stories and they didn't taper off at the end, something which I really appreciated because I've watched many a drama where the supporting cast stories are abandoned towards the end never to be picked up again. So well done Show for being consistent.

The drama may have been a tad overdramatic around episode 8 and 9 with too many tears and angst, I felt it was drawn out unnecessarily, and overall there was way too much self medicating with alcohol among many of the characters, the alcohol consumption is epic! My final criticism is with Oh Hae Young's mother, I found her to be too much, considering that Oh Hae Young is 32 years old, she was over-protective and meddlesome. I get that she loved her daughter but I just think maybe she made Oh Hae Young too sensitive with her constant hovering.

Anyway criticism aside, special mention has to go to the OST which was absolute gold; all the songs are amazing and catchy and appropriate.

I adored the vibe of this show, there's just something about it that's so unique; it's very well worth the watch, you will not regret.

Overall score is 9 out of 10.

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Badly written but made palatable by the incredibly talented cast

This drama was an adaptation of historical events ( with a sprinkling of fiction) so I expected a certain level of smooth story telling. From episode two however, I had already ascertained that the love story between Hwi and Hui Jae was superfluous to the story, it was improbable and hastily introduced as a fully fledged romance. Right up to the end I was never on board with this romance, it left me cold. Hui Jae was often the third wheel in the wonderful bromance between Hwi and Seon Ho and I often found myself asking "why is she even in this story?" Show tried to give her some substance with the Ihwaru angle but that fell flat, her interventions, especially in the beginning of the drama often backfired and hurt the people she was trying to protect. In my opinion Madame Seo was much more capable in the role of leader of Ihwaru.

The real romance that would have emotionally resonated with me at least would have been between Seon Ho and Yeon; now that would have been wonderfully conflicted, heartfelt and angsty; I feel the writers hinted at this in the beginning but dropped this thread as they were focussing on the political intrigue, It was a lost opportunity.

The bromance between Seon Ho and Hwi was the real OTP of this drama. The highs and lows of their relationship were very well written and exquisitely acted. This is the only relationship I cared about along with that of Hwi and his band of brothers.

The political aspects of this story were well written although in the final two episodes it felt as though the writers were brought up short by the way they had written Bang Won's character and hastily tried to retrace their steps, this created inconsistency and attempted to introduce previously unexplored aspects of his character at the last minute. In addition, the story of the death of Hwi's father was suddenly picked up again in the final two episodes in a very poorly executed plot twist.

Overall I didn't like the way the story was written; when I find myself rewriting a drama and thinking "they should have done this or they should have done that" then I'm already deducting points because the drama would have failed to grab my attention and immerse me in its world.

Did Show sufficiently illustrate each characters' definition of "what is my country?" Yes Show did this admirably.

The cast is what made this show entirely. Overall all the actors were very good from the main roles to the minor roles. Special mention however goes to Woo Do Hwan who shone so brightly in his role as Seon Ho, I was completely on board with his angst, his anger, his sadness, his loneliness, his fear, his love, his despair, his arrogance and every emotion in between, I loved him, hated him then loved him again - I will definitely be keeping an eye out for his dramas, he absolutely impressed me.
Jang Hyuk as Bang Won was phenomenal, in the earlier episodes he was all that kept me watching, he embodied the role so much that he managed to make me sympathise with an ultimately polarising and maybe not so likeable character.
Ahn Nae Sang absolutely killed it as Lord Nam, I hated him so much sometimes I would pause the show so I could rant and shout abuse at his latest antic; he is a very talented actor.
Hwi's band of brothers were all good actors I enjoyed all their scenes together.

Kim Yeong Cheol as Lee Sung Gye was good in his role although at times I felt the writing of his character was inconsistent especially when you compare the time periods before he became King and after, he mad a great General but a weak King.
Yang Se Jong as Hwi was rather disappointing in his performance, I found him wooden and one dimensional, perhaps this is because he's supposed to be a simple man without ambition? Even if that's the case he had ample opportunity as one of the main actors to show us some texture in his character portrayal, something which he failed to do in my opinion.
Finally Kim Seo Hyun as Hui Jae, was nondescript, the show would not have suffered if her character wasn't in it, I know this sounds harsh but look at it this way, Queen Seon Deok was in the drama for about six episodes but her performance was memorable, she made an impression while she was there, her acting was resonant.

The music is iffy, I didn't like the choice of music for this drama, especially the EDM sounding song and the modern rock one and the one that sounded like bagpipes, these songs created a disconnect between the story being told and the emotions that were being evoked. The songs themselves are not bad, I just don't think they fit well with the drama.

Rewatch value for me is a 4, there were no memorable moments or emotions I would like to revisit, it's definitely a watch once drama for me.

Overall I give this a 7 out of 10. The story was sufficiently intriguing that I'm now compelled to watch older dramas which depict this time period in history.

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Life has a way of coming full circle.

That's the strongest takeaway I got from this movie. The element of fated lovers is present in this story, I choose to view it as fate's way of giving Chul Min an opportunity to right his wrongs ( creating the chain of events that led to Jung Hwa's blindness) rather than simply a tale of two people fated to love each other. He gets the chance to literally give her back her sight which his actions caused her to loose.

The casting was great, So Ji Sub shines in his role of a tortured lonely soul. Han Hyo Joo plays the optimistic blind woman to perfection, she manages to emote and showcase her fear and sadness at the right moments so that her performance is very layered.

Overall I enjoyed this movie.

I would like to point out that there is a Turkish remake of this movie called Sadece Sen, I found out about it after watching this one, Sadece Sen in my opinion has the edge over Always both in casting and acting, the overall pathos in that iteration is absolutely spot on. Check it out on Netflix, I'd be interested to hear what people think about this.

That being said, Always is great and stands solidly on its own two feet.

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A cynical, satirical, burlesque portrayal of glaring disparities between poor and wealthy in society

This is quite the interesting drama, I was prompted to watch it by the extreme publicity and international hype that it's received since it won the coveted Palme D'Or.

Storywise I'd say there's nothing out of the ordinary about this story ( I mean the implied and overt conflict between the rich and poor) the ingenuity comes in with the way the simple subject matter of socio economic disparity between societal strata is tackled. The way a straightforward tutoring job of one family member morphs into the entire poor family of mother, father, son and daughter being employed by the same wealthy family. What struck me the most was the entitled mindset of the poor family, their apparent lack of remorse or shame for their dishonest actions; my attention was drawn to the unusual portrayal of poor people as unscrupulous and dishonourable, this was particularly evident in the behaviour of Kim Ji Sung (the daughter) After watching many a KDrama where poor people are portrayed as principled, hard working and honourable, this aspect of the story was jarring. In this case poverty was debilitating to the extent that they were prepared to do anything to overcome it.

The portrayal of the wealthy family in my opinion was nothing out of the ordinary, just your average rich people living in their comfortable and nice smelling bubble, a bubble where poor people are there as a mod con to make their lives even more luxurious and fuss free. This was excellently portrayed in the scene where Madame calls from the car on their way from the aborted camping trip and instructs the maid that she should start preparing "ram-don" so that as they literally walk into the house, the ram-don will be just ready to eat.

The collision of these two worlds is what makes this movie fascinating; three separate groups of people each with their own set of expectations on what they were hoping to get from their interaction with each other. The fact that the reality falls short of the expectation is what creates the slow motion train wreck that is this movie.

The cast and acting are superb. special mention goes to Cho Yeo Jung who plays the wealthy and luxuriously oblivious wife, mother and madame of the house. Song Kang Ho is brilliant in his role of the poor husband and father who is so inured to poverty, he has developed a sense of helplessness and resentment which culminates in his crass over-reaction to events at the end of the movie, over-reaction in the sense that had he not already reached boiling point, things may not have gotten so out of hand, the same applies to Moon Gwang's husband Oh Geun Sae.

I didn't pay too much attention to the music.

Rewatch value is quite high 9/10 as I would like to see what other observations I can make on a second viewing.

Overall I give it a 9.

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