SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Yonhap) -- When you fall in love, your world turns brighter because of your sweetheart and you tingle all over. And that feeling will be the same even when you get old, as attested by the movie "I Love You."
Directed by Choo Chang-min, the movie is based on a popular online cartoon of the same title written by Kang Pool. The stage adaptation of the hit cartoon has been one of the steadiest plays in years since it premiered in 2008.
The film follows two senior couples who start love and develop their emotions as time passes. To say that older people can love as deeply as young ones is needless in this day and age, but not many can deliver the message so strongly.
A stubborn, foul-mouthed milkman Man-seok (Lee Soon-jae) meets I-pun (Yoon So-jeong), who makes a living by selling scraps she picks up off the streets, on one snowy day. He helps her down an icy slope with her handcart, and small talk leads to serious love gradually budding between the two. Man-seok writes a letter to ask I-pun out on a date and gives her a birthday present.
The feelings of love bring out laughter from a man who only knew how to cuss.
Gun-bong (Song Jae-ho) is a small-time valet parking attendant who devotedly looks after his senile wife suffering from dementia, bearing the monotony of feeding her dinner every day.
When his wife gets lost, he searches frantically for her and sheds warm tears after discovering that she is safe. He tells her, as he always does, that he will never let her leave him.
Romances between low-income elderly people are no magnet for young viewers, but the movie is still warm. Their love is truly human in character and feelings, and good humor is woven into the plot to make the audience smile.
Although the film's storyline is relatively simple and plain, the film's four veteran actors and actresses put on a splendid display of acting to enliven the movie while adding their own individual characteristics to it.
"When I read Kang's cartoon, I was anxious to make it into a film," said director Choo. "I tried to create more colorful characters than those in the online cartoon."
"I Love You," produced by Saint Paul Cinema and distributed by Next Entertainment World, is set for cinema release on Feb. 17.
 |
Director Choo Chang-min (L) and actors and actresses of movie "I Love You" speak at a press premier on Jan. 27. (Yonhap) |
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)
