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Yeopgijeogin geunyeo is one of my absolute favorite films. So when I heard it was being remade, I had the same reaction that most fans of the film did; I was disgusted. How could anyone attempt to capture the true greatness of the film? However, at the same time I did my best to try to keep an open mind. After all, Vanilla Sky is one of my favorite films (as is Abre los ojos). When I heard that Elisha Cuthbert was going to star as "The Girl" (known in the remake as Jordan Roark), I was intrigued. As much as I liked Elisha, I couldn't quite picture her in that role. In fact, it really wasn't until I read the incessant whining that the film was going to be terrible that I realized how ridiculous I was being. I wasn't truly keeping an open mind, I was being stubborn. Now that I've seen this remake, I'm looking at a lot of the current reviews for it, and there are simply too many that compare it to the original. Which is all well and good if you care about that, but it's useless to people who haven't seen the original and have no interest in seeing it. The bottom line is yes, the original is much better than the remake. However that will not effect my review at all.

The first thing I'd like to point out is the great look of the film. It had a very warm feel to it. Particularly the scene at the tree. The entire film was very visually pleasing. I also must say that Elisha looks absolutely incredible in this film. Perhaps more so than usual which is saying a lot. Not only did she look great, but Elisha did a wonderful acting job. I've always felt that she was underrated as an actress; often dismissed because of her looks. And she doesn't disappoint in My Sassy Girl. I haven't seen much of Jesse Bradford before, but I thought he was equally impressive. I especially liked the narration that he did.

Some people may have disliked the sort of "speed" effect that the film used a lot of, but I felt that it helped make the movie more fun. And it looked great. The whole film has a very fun and playful feel to it. There are some very funny parts, but it doesn't fail to hit hard with the drama. I loved the scene with the soldier. I thought it was hilarious and it was fun to see Stark Sands, who has a large role on the HBO miniseries Generation Kill, acting as a more comedic soldier.

Of course, the film isn't without it's downsides. One problem is that it's a bit shorter than it probably should have been and that led to the story feeling a little rushed. Some viewers may like the quicker pace, but I think it would have been more enjoyable with a slower approach. Also, I believe the weakest part of the film was the lead character's friend. He was completely unnecessary since he was really was only there for Charlie to express his feelings about Jordan which could have easily be done through the narration. Because of this he just ends up being a cliché that most American romantic comedies use.

Overall, this is a very good standalone film. However, having seen the original, I may have actually been able to enjoy it more than I would have otherwise. Seeing the story play out in a fresh and visually pleasing way gave me an almost nostalgic feeling. In the end, instead of trying to see this as a film that tries to be as good as the original, I see this as what would have been an above average romantic comedy that is amplified by the great story and spirit of the original. So if you're a fan of romantic comedies, this is a head above most of the average drivel that Hollywood produces. And if you're a fan of the original film, this can be a fun way to relive the incredible story that was based off such a remarkable true experience.

8/10

- T