Meotjin haru (My Dear Enemy) (2008)

88% of users liked it
(244 ratings)

Heui-Su shows up unexpectedly at the betting haunt of her former boyfriend and demands that he pay up the 3.5 million won (about $2,600) that he owes her from more than a year ago. This beautifully crafted film teases out the intricacies of modern relationships as it follows the ex-lovers on an… More Heui-Su shows up unexpectedly at the betting haunt of her former boyfriend and demands that he pay up the 3.5 million won (about $2,600) that he owes her from more than a year ago. This beautifully crafted film teases out the intricacies of modern relationships as it follows the ex-lovers on an unlikely road trip to borrow money from his contacts to pay her back. The natural chemistry between the two leads makes credible a partnership that is by turns prickly and inscrutable, yet surprisingly tender. In Korean; English subtitles. 123 min. --© MoMA

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 3 min.
Directed By: Yoon-ki Lee, Yoon-jin Kim
Written By: Eun-yeong Park, Azuko Taira
Genres: Art House & International, Romance

In Theaters: Sep 25, 2008 Wide
Studio: B.O.M. Film Productions Co.

Critic Reviews

Manohla Dargis, New York Times
It's an artful, slightly absurdist romance, reminiscent of the gender-war comedies of Hong Sang-soo (Woman on the Beach) but more straightforward, with its meanings, and its feelings, much closer to the surface.
Andrew Schenker, Village Voice
It gets by on the subtle interplay of its contrasting leads, a welcome store of deadpan humor and, especially, Choi Sang-ho's gorgeous widescreen photography, which makes even a trip to an impound lot into a luminous, dusk-lit experience.
S. James Wegg, JWR
The somewhat oddball premise of rekindling a dormant relationship by demanding repayment of a year-old $3,500 I.O.U. works remarkably well for director Lee Yoon-ki.