Miracle in Cell No. 7

For the first time in 2013, I watched a Korean movie. Miracle in Cell no. 7 is the official English title. I didn't plan to watch it at first, but my unnie (since it's a Korean movie, might as well use Korean terms) kept nagging me to buy the DVD or download it. So i chose the later. To give a brief perspective as to the storyline, here I present the summary of it, taken from wikipedia with a little editing and addition:

Miracle in Cell No. 7 is a 2013 South Korean film starring Ryu Seung Ryong and Park Shin Hye. The film is a heartwarming comedy and family melodrama about a mentally challenged man wrongfully imprisoned for  the abduction, rape and murder of a police officer's daughter that he didn't commit. 

The notion of a mentally challenged man being wrongfully accused and mistreated has heightened my emotion since the very beginning of the movie. Yong Goo's (Ryu Seung Ryong) intimate relationship with his beloved daughter Ye Sung (Kal So Won/Park Shin Hye) was portrayed beautifully and appealing to the audience, gathering even more sympathies towards the two impressive actor and young actress (as though his mental state wasn't enough). Even if it's stated that the lead actress is Park Shin Hye, from my point of view, the older actress is completely over casted by the outstanding acting skills of her younger self, played by Kal So Won. It was this little girl who really managed to show us the true, unconditional love for a father, that Shin Hye failed to completely pull of, thanks to the limited screening time and portion. Thus, all my tears were reserved for the father-little daughter scenes, instead of Shin Hye's scenes. 

It's embarrassing to mention that my eyes were swollen from crying too much and too hard while watching this melodrama comedy. I was laughing as much as I was crying. Pretty confusing, I must say. But that's exactly what most women and probably even men (especially for melancholists) will experience. Prepare tissues, for you will sob and your heart will ache and be broken for so many times. Laughter will definitely come, even right after you cried, and we've got the 5 ingenuous cell-mates to thank for. A lot of genuine comedic acts and body gags are found in our 5 sidekicks, and you will not be disappointed. The 5 unlikely friends are played by Korean's veteran actors, so acting skills are out of the question. 

Ye Sung and Yong Goo singing and dancing to Sailor Moon's theme song

(SPOILER ALERT! THERE I SAID IT)

Do not expect for a Korean drama's usual happy ending where bad guys will be served right and good guys will come out alive no matter what. I hate to spoil the ending here, but seriously, this movie serves to present the harsh reality of laws and justice, where a handful of innocent people were labeled criminals for political, personal, and even no apparent reasons, and thus convicted guilty, where some even died in vain for crimes they didn't even commit. Yes, in the end, justice was served right in the movie, though it was much too late for our hero. But at least the public knows the truth, and his name was cleaned from any wrong-doings. It's the least they can do to make up for the wrongs, since they could not bring him back to life. 

In conclusion, I am very much pleased after watching this movie, pleased enough to set aside all the flaws I found. What do the movie lacks, you ask? Nothing, as far as entertainment concern. I'm not a movie critic. It is enough for me that all the actors have nailed their characters, allowing me to really feel a surge of heartwarming emotions that are real and sincere. I gotta say Jjang! for that factor. Surely, the stories could have been even more solid and compliment more from additional defense court scenes, where Shin Hye could have given more meanings to her role as a lawyer, but I will not complain about that, as the movie has served its main purpose with just the right emotions. For that very purpose, I will give this movie a 4,5 out of 5 stars. I can clearly see why the movie is so successful and well received in South Korea. It's going to receive and probably sweep up so many awards this year, I believe. 

PS: It's noteworthy to once again praise our little Ye Sung for her incredible acting skills, and Yong Gu for a very believable mentally-challenged man. What a tear-jerking movie. I didn't regret downloading it. :')

One of the most heartwarming and heartbreaking moment in Miracle in Cell No. 7