You Are My Sunshine - A Review.

Rating: * * *1/2

Just finished watching Neoneun Nae Unmyeong (AKA You Are My Sunshine (KOR)); a story of overcoming immense daunting odds to be by your lover’s side. Apparently, it’s based on a true story.

The lead guy (played by Hwang Jeong-min)is as gullible and as naïve as they come. He isn’t growing any younger and is on the lookout of a life-partner. He’s so desperate to find one that he signs himself up for a service that includes flying to Philippines or Vietnam and picking a girl of his liking. However, he backs out at the last moment. Soon, he comes across the female lead (Jeon Do-yeon), and is smitten by her at the first sight. He does everything in his power to impress her, be close to her and treat her like a princess. At first, she doesn’t give in to his innocent and honest feelings for her, but after his love undergoes trial by fire, she stops holding herself back and takes the plunge. They share the happiest days of their lives, until (it was as good a guess as anybody’s) tragedy strikes. First, it’s in the form of an abusive and beastly ex-husband, and then, the fact that Jeon has contracted AIDS, but she herself is unaware of the same. The domino effect follows and things go from bad to worse, and then they hit absolute rock-bottom. The ensuing events test the husband’s love, loyalty and faith in his wife. He swims through the shards of his family and peer pressure, societal prejudices and the wife’s relentless efforts to keep him away from her diseased and hapless self.

The movie ends the way it should, and there’s nothing else they could’ve done to please me even more. The actors ace every department. Especially, Jeon Do-yeon (obviously), who at instances, would display the rare feat of emotional immunity and vulnerability in the same frame. Her charm filled every scene and left me enraptured. She was a picturesque sight to sore eyes. Hwang Jeong-min was handsomely competent in his job. It’s not a groundbreaking or an out-of-the-world exercise in film making, but one of those little gems that transport the viewers to a world where it doesn’t hurt to love and be rewarded for it.