My Tutor Friend

My Tutor Friend


Cast:

Kwon Sang Woo
Kim Ha Neul

The plot is actually simple. A college student is to tutor a rich higschool rebel of her same age. And as expected, the two fall in love with each other.

Because of his well-built (despite many people's artificial and surgical claims on his image), Kwon Sang Woo is pretty fit for the role of Kim Ji-Hoon, a 21-year old cutie who drages himself into brawls and teenage fights.

Kim Ji-Hoon

Kim Ha-Neul (Choi Su Wan) who plays Ji-Hoon's tutor is a junior English major who does part-time/side-line jobs to support herself in the university.
Kim Ha-Neul

No matter how humiliating delivering chicken and how irritating tutoring uncooperative young students can be, she is compelled to swallow her pride to be able to go through college.

Nothing special in the story. The ending is predictable. There were comic scenes (intended and unintended) from time to time like the matrix-slowmotion/reflex Su Wan showed when her mother threw at her the tongs she uses in cooking as she stealthily entered their home. I also laughed at Kwon Sang Woo's awful English especially when he said, "Shut the f*ck up! I know what I'm doing". I wonder how Koreans here in the Philippines would correctly learn their desired American accent. Next is Kim Ha Neul's lecturing Ji-Hoon about idioms. She mentioned that he must remember the idioms "Be careful, watch out, take care" Ji-Hoon threateningly replied, "That's what you're supposed to do". And what's with the graffiti on the wall in Ji-Hoon's room saying, "Mean people suck" next to a photocopied picture of Che Guevara? And the chasing/fighting scene in the end with the Makjubshi gang. That was off. Really, really off if it weren't for Lee Jong Soo's undying plead for Ji-Hoon to be No.2 or to transfer schools and Ho-Gyung's tantrums when Ji-Hoon chose Su Wan over her.

If there is something conspicuously new in this film that I would take interest in (except for drooling over the bad boy charm of Kwon Sang Woo), that would be the unlikely character of Ji-Hoon. His mother is right when she said in the story, "He had some fights but he didn't start them." He is a rebel child who has no reasons to rebel.

Teacher and Student

Maybe the lifestyle and culture of American people influenced him to project the image and demeanor he brought back home in Korea. His family is a normal one. His brother is cute and timid. His mother is friendly. His father (although he said is really really scary) is actually funny. He is really scared of his father because he has the power (not to hurt him) but to take away his wealthy and worldly sustenance. There was this scene when Su Wan was invited over for dinner. She witnessed that the entire members of Ji-Hoon's family were present and Ji-Hoon's father even led the family for a prayer before supper.

I don't know if this was intended but most people would wonder what is with the chicken symbol? I guess one reason would be, it is the bread and butter of Su Wan's family. Another is how Ji-Hoon would refer to her as "Country Chick" Nevertheless, I like the portrayal of women in the movie, too. Most Korean movies and series show how weak women are. The piggy-back rides and all those submissive and helpless scenes that involve women are not evident in Su Wan's role.

As a conclusion, no moral lessons, no edgy plot and no interesting dialogue. A so-so movie I guess for my so-so review.

Kim Ha Neul and Kwon Sang Woo