My Dear Enemy

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Movie: My Dear Enemy
Revised romanization: Meotjin Halu
Hangul: 멋진 하루 / 멋진하루
Director: Lee Yoon-Ki
Writer: Asuko Taira (short story)
Producer: David Cho, Kwang-hee Jo, Jeong-wan Oh, Dong-ho Lee
Cinematographer:
Release Date: September 25, 2008
Runtime: 123 min.
Studio: Sponge
Distributor: Lotte Entertainment
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot

Thirty-something Hee-Su (Jeon Do-Yeon) is single, jobless, & miserable. She holds a perpetual sneer, showcasing all of the bitterness she holds against life and her ex-boyfriend Cho Byung-Woon (Ha Jung-Woo). Meanwhile, Cho Byung-Woon is a fast talker and a known player with women. He's also a dreamer with little in tangible assets (Byung-Woon is jobless & currently homeless). Approximately one year ago, Byung-Woon borrowed $3,500 from Hee-Su. Since the loan, Hee-Su hasn’t seen or heard from Byung-Woon.

One day, when Byung-Woon cohorts at a racetrack with friends, he turns around to find Hee-Su standing over him and giving him a stare down that's reflective of all the disdain she holds for him … or does she? Hee-Su demands repayment for her loan and not later today or tomorrow, but right now. Byung-woon doesn’t have the money to pay her back, but he does have a lot of other girlfriends that would loan him the money. Thus, Byung-Woon and Hee-Su set out together to retrieve the money and possibly more….

Notes

"My Dear Enemy" was shot on location in Seoul, with 70% of the film shot in Yongsan-gu, Seoul,
Literal translation of the Korean movie title "Meotjin Halu" would come out to "One Fine Day" or "Beautiful Day". The filmmakers felt these English titles were too plain and opted for "My Dear Enemy".

Cast


Image:Mydearenemy-doyeonjeon.jpg\|90px}}
Jeon Do-Youn	Ha Jung-Woo
Hee-Soo	Cho Byung-Woon

Additional Cast Members:

Hye-ok Kim - CEO Han
Oh Ji-Eun - Park Se-Mi
Kim Young-Min - Dae-Hee
Kim Jung-Ki - Sa-hon (Motorcylist / Byung-woon's cousin)
Shin Young-Jin - Sa-Hon's wife
Gi Ju-Bong - Sa-hon's biker friend
Choi Il-Hwa - Sa-hon's biker friend #2
Kim Hee-Jung - So-Yeon
Jo Si-Nae - So-Yeon's teacher
Kim Joo-Ryung - So-Yeon's mother
Jang So-Yeon - Eun-Jung
Kim Seung-Hun
Ko Seo-Hee
Yang Eun-Yong
Bang Joon-Seo
Lee Seung-Yeon
Jeong Woo-Hyeok - Man at Racetrack
Jin Yong-Ok - man at the exit gate of racetrack

Trailers

Image Gallery

Film Festivals

2009 (11th) Udine Far East Film - April 24th-May 2nd (Italian Premiere)
2009 (13th) Fantasia Film Festival - July 9th-29th (Canadian Premiere)
2010 (5th) Korean Film Festival In Paris - November 9-November 16 - Feature Films

Awards

2009 (45th) PaekSang Arts Awards - February 27th
- Best Director (Yoon-ki Lee)

Comments

Comment #2
Jon Pais Says:
Jan 17 2009 4:20 pm

Agree wholeheartedly, one of the year’s best (though it was a weak playing field).
Comment #1
Ki Says:
Jan 15 2009 2:24 pm

“My Dear Enemy” is one of those rare films, like “Lost in Translation” or “Adrift in Tokyo”, that’s able to say so much with so little. The film stars two of South Korea’s most in demand performers: Jeon Do-Yeon and Ha Jung-Woo. For Jeon Do-Yeon, this is her first performance since her Cannes awarded performance in “Secret Sunshine.” Making things even more interesting is the fact the film is directed by Lee Yoon-Ki, already well regarded for directing such indie gems as “This Charming Girl” and “Ad Lib Night“.

“My Dear Enemy” clicks from the get-go, with Jeon Do-Yeon giving a wonderfully low-key performance (the antithesis of her prior performance in “Secret Sunshine) & Ha Jung-Woo seemingly reprising his grifter like character from “The Moonlight of Seoul”. Chemistry between these two is tangible from the get-go, even though their characters can’t be more dissimilar. The film plays off like a road film of sorts, similar to the equally compelling “Adrift in Tokyo”, where two characters travel through a metropolis to discover things about themselves and the other person. Making “My Dear Enemy” even more appealing, the film takes place entirely over a one day period. Whether you have ever come across a former friend or lover, the feeling of traversing Seoul with these two flawed but fascinating characters will make you want want to take such a trip. A feeling that grows within the two main characters themselves.

High tension drama is absent. Crazy plot twists is a foreign concept. Violence is non-existent. Yet, “My Dear Enemy” floors you with a Laissez-faire road film featuring two on the money performers doing what they do best. A striking combination of realism and idealism exists in “My Dear Enemy,” a film that’s easily one of the year’s best.