Random K Movie Recommendation or Not: You're My Pet

Title: You're My Pet
Release Date: November 10, 2011 (South Korea)/ January 21, 2012 (Japan)
Distributor: Lotte Entertainment
Director: Kim Byung-gon
Writer Yayoi Ogawa
Producer: Lee Seung-hoon
Main Cast:
Kim Ha-neul (Blind) as Ji Eun-yi
Jang Geun-seok (The Case of Itaewon Homicide) as Kang In-ho

Not like K drama, I don't watch many K movies. I watch it once in the blue moon. I pick carefully K movie that I will watch. If it doesn't have good recommendation, for example a movie that got awards in so many film festivals, a movie that has good record in Korean box office, a movie that has good mouth to mouth recommendation, and not to forget a movie with Remake! Remake! Remake! No matter how bad the remake is, I simply just don't watch it.

110 Minutes Drama

A lot of say that Matsumoto Jun was perfect as Momo in
Kimi Wa Petto, J Drama (2003)

Because the hype and I like Kim Ha-neul and Jang Geun-seok, I was pushing my luck. Despite most people said bad thing about You’re My Pet, I allowed my self to spend 2 hours of my K drama watching time to watch this. That was a mistake, I run off my luck, I want my 2 hours back. It does feel different between watching bad movie and bad drama, my eyes feel more sore at the first. Ouch! If I can shrug off bad K drama for its cliché (Nope, who said I dislike cliché, they are quite fun once in awhile, just laugh them off, and let K drama land be a better place), I can't seem doing that to a movie.

I have not watched Kimi Wa Petto, the dorama, or read Kimi Wa Petto, the manga written by Yayoi Ogawa. So, I won't make comparison study or something about this. For refreshment: The story is about a carrier woman who is perfect, tall, beautiful, and successful. She is Ji Eun-yi (Kim Haneul). One day she stumbles at work and she realized how lonely she is. She doesn't have someone she can turn to, not her envious office friends nor her married girl friends. Her loneliness leads to depression. One of her friend advices her having a pet might help. In the rainy day, in front of her door, she finds a blue box. Once she opens the blue box, there's laying inside, a boy, wet & shivering from the cold, half-unconscious. Helping a girl harassed by some bad guys leads him being chased after and ends up hiding inside the box. There’s no better reason to put a boy inside a box than this, is there?

The boy is Kang In-ho/Momo (Jang Geun-seok). He is a talented dancer who has been kicked out from his apartment (for the reason I’ve yet to figure it out, in chase of this movie). Once he ever had had a girl as his partner in dancing for a musical, but unfortunately she got an accident during practice that caused her have to let go her career in dancing for the entire life. Seriously this makes Momo refuses to have a girl as dancing partner ever again and seriously it never get over my head what is the need to add this story to this movie. I mean this is a movie, not 16 episode of drama, or 14 book of manga, you only have less than 120 freakin’ minutes. Long story short, a boy who wishes someone who to take care of him meets his match, a woman who wants a pet as companion. And the live-in-together hijink begins. . . .. Well what is supposed to be hijink.

Sure, the story's premise is as wacky as it might be. You know: "Whoa owning a pretty boy as a pet!" How crazy is that? What do you recall if you're an Asian entertainment fan when somebody says: "a pet boy"? Kimi Wa Petto. So is it famously wacky and crazily good? Yes, it is. Is it original? Yes, it is. Is it a remake that everybody knows about everything about it? Yes it is! There's almost no such a thing called spoiler anymore. More over like others romantic comedy movie or drama, I bet most of you know before hand who will end up with who, right? How the story will be end, right? So it is less about plot, but more about the execution, the script. Making the script good & meaning-full is the key. Oh well if be meaningful, it can not, but at least be funny, be one that makes me LOL, LMAO, ROLF. And what You're My Pet K movie does? It neither goes meaning-full nor goes funny. It goes to make me bloody hell boring.

The hybrid of melodrama and comedy

Like I said before I have zero expectation about this remake. I don't know how this Ji Eun-yi (Kim Ha-neul) character supposed to be acted out as a boy pet owner. I remember she was good playing spoiled brat actress in On Air. She captured my heart as blank, flat, and cold Ji-hyeon in 90 Days Time for Love. So I put so much hope no matter what direction she chose to carry the role, it would end up well. Hope remains as hope. Here she came, looking flat & blank just like her in 90 Days Time for Love. Hell yeah, that expression remind me my self when I've been through the same kind heart broken and depression. When suddenly the tears were falling down her flat-blank face out of no where while everyone laughed, it ripped my heart out and I cried a river back then. But I cry for boringness this time. Ok, fine if she wants to bring out the depression side of the character, but... It ends up feeling like she is confused to where she should bring the mood of scene. As a result I am as a viewer, confused as well. Momo is merhong-ing and scrawling on the floor and she is there, looks blank. Is it supposed to be funny? Is it supposed to be hot? Is it supposed to be romantic? I have no idea. I don't laugh. I don't cry. I don't feel any spark between these two. One looks like a character from a comedy, the other looks like a character from a melodrama.

Prince of Perm

Where are you going?

Jang Geun-seok oh Jang Geun-seok, I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you. I wasn't impressed by him in Hong Gil Dong as cold and suffered Lee Chang-hwi. He started gaining my love in Beethoven Virus as Kang Gun-woo a.k.a Jang Geun-seok, the brother, though not so much (Kim Myung-min anyone?! What's not love?). And then my love for him accelerated after You're Beautiful. But then infamously 2010 train wreck Mary Stayed Out All Night successfully has planted an idea in Jang Geun-seok’s mind that dressing too-pretty-for-a-boy and long golden bronze wavy perm are perfect forever last.

I miss your brother already :(

From 2009 ahead, the trace of Jang Geun-seok, the brother is no longer to be found (Where do they kidnap your brother, sista Mu-gyul?). And starting from the same year, there's a common conception that Jang Geun-seok is all about the hair! It is like Lee Min-ho (City Hunter) and his pants but in the higher level. Hwang Tae-kyung's hairstyles in You're Beautiful drew a lot of interest from fans. Well, he seemed enjoy it, toying with his hair and gaining a lot of attention from it. Good for him, but not for me. There's no doubt about his acting ability. I consider him including in born-in-late-80 golden actor generation together with Lee Min-ho, Jung Il-woo, Yoo Ah-in, Song Jong-ki, Kim So-hyun, Moon Geun-young, Moon Chae-woon, and several other that need to be preserved in this kind of era with the high influx of idols try to be an actor. But honestly, I start to think his stellar acting in You're Beautiful and Mary Stayed Out All Night is coming from his real life personality. Hmmm....I mean it comes to the point that in every role he takes, it is not about acting any longer but the character's appearance. This is just a waste.

I dig Lee Min-ho and his funky pants

Somebody said being type-casted is a career suicide for an actor. Let's look back on role that Jang Geun-seok has taken in these four years: Beethoven Virus as trumpeter, You're Beautiful as vocalist of idol band, Mary Stayed Out All Night as vocalist of indie band, Momo Stayed In All Day You're My Pet as a dancer. See the pattern now?

Trumpeter + Vocalist + Dancer = Artist

Mugyul = Momo = Jang Geun-seok

I think I've watched it before? Hmmm...

At first it was fun watching Jang Geun-seok goes all wacky and eccentric, but the fun has long gone. What's left is I'm wondering if he chooses all roles based on whether he can play as himself, as what he desires in real life, not act, nor give himself a challenge to be a better actor. I'm always excited to see what he got in his hands for fashion. He can be as androgenic, as eccentric, as questionable, as he can be in the real life if that what he wants, I don't mind. But for movie or drama character, I want him to be versatile, acting all type of character. I digress the rampant stereotypical chaebol character in K drama but for Jang Geun-seok only I would say this: Please once in a while play a chaebol, it wouldn't hurt your resume!

I do think these scenes would be a lot of funnier if they were played by other than JGS,

you know It Is JGS.

I think about Cha Seung-won or Song Seung-hyeon or...

Pretty please

When the script doesn’t work well, the acting confuses me, I hoped there’s something in cinematography. But even the cinematography of this movie failed me, it felt like no different with the tv show, what's the point watching a movie then? The only saving grace for the movie is the pretty prettyyy. The rumor about this Kimi Wa Petto remake started from so long ago, till I forget Choi Jong-hun from FT Island was supposed to be one of the cast. And he is absolutely pretty, but his acting is absolutely cringe-worthy.

I always think Kim Haneul is pretty. But her prettiness combined with those beautiful dresses, that just struck me awe. Gosh those dresses and cloths. The short skirts are just perfect for her killer legs. They make her looks chic, young, and fabulous.

I guess I just take what I can get. I hope I'm luckier next time in the part of K movie watching.
*shrug head*

Linus Blanket - Don't Call It Puppy Love
[lyrics]

I'm puppy, You're a kitty
Don't you think, It's a big tragedy?
Feel like I'm in some language hell

We'll over come our taste barrier
Remember I'm a yorkshire terrier
Picky yorky mostly like you dear

Let me share my doggybag with you
Can't you see my tail wagging for you
Don't call it puppy love

Let me share my doggybag with you
Can't you see my tail wagging for you
You'll never be gloomy again
We will be happy always
Tell me you won't call it puppy love