Yicheungui akdang

Though one could compare to the classic British comedy "The Ladykillers," Jae Gon Son's film "Villain and Widow" is quite a delight for Korean movie lovers. It borrows elements from genres like comedy, romance, and drama to make a film that doesn't quite fit in any genre but is quite satisfying in the end.

A cultural artifact smuggler tells his partner (Suk-kyu Han) that he obtains a very precious tea cup from China, but hides it in his home without his family knowing it. In a hilarious manner he passes away while his partner is hauled away to jail yet is the only one who knows the secret. Few years pass, the widow (Hye-su Kim) and her teenage daughter are in desperate financial straits and want to rent out the now vacant room in their house to help pay their debts. In a deal with a rich person who wants the cup for his gallery, Suk-kyu Han moves in with an alias and proceeds to search for the tea cup.

What happens next is quite surprising, with director Jae Gon Son delving into serious themes like suicide, depression, and dysfunctional family relationships yet maintaining light-hearted elements. Though the ending seems inevitable, I give credit to Jae Gon Son for an ending that is not quite a happy ending and yet suitable for the smuggler and the widow. If you are reading this, then it is most likely you have an interest in this film and I say go see it now!

This movie was pretty dull and the Korean humor in this didn't really work for me most of the time. But I give it props for having few clever scenarios which put a grin on my face. The thing is despite the premise sounding a bit interesting and all, although it has been done before just wasn't executed in a way where it's entertaining to watch. The main characters are not likable, just a bit on the crazy side. In fact almost none of the characters are likable. The movie is almost 2 hours long but shortening it to a hour and a half would have done the movie better. The main thing that is driving this movie is the few clever scenarios. The main thing that kept me watching was the wondering of how it was all going to end, the last 30 minutes sort of picks up and gives off few messages. Not a good dark comedy, but probably worth at least one watch.

5.8/10