Bora,Kim and Min-ki

Desertman84

Happy End is a South Korean film about a woman who's having an affair while her husband is unemployed.It stars Choi Min-sik, Jeon Do-yeon and Ju Jin-mo.It was written and directed by Jung Ji-woo.

In the movie,Bora is a successful career woman who becomes involved with her destructive ex-lover, Kim. Bora's home life is a snore: she's mother to an infant child and her husband, Seo has lost his job, leaving Bora as the family's sole breadwinner. The jobless Seo hasn't been just wandering around parks and reading romance novels as first thought.One day, Min-ki accidentally stumbles upon a key, that belongs to his wife, and is unfamiliar that realizes that something is going on, and he's collecting evidence.

Happy End centers namely Bora,Kim and Min-ki.They are imperfect people but not despicable human beings. They are all very much human in every way that matters. As a result of all of these humanly needs and wants, Bora is unable to stop going back to Kim even though she seems physically and emotionally damaged by their continued affair. Kim has realized that he is hooked on her, and is very aware of his (jealously- driven) actions toward her and her family. Without each other, they have no passion in their life, and so they must keep going back to each other.While Min-ki is depressed with his inability to find a job and stuck who so-called "feminine" chores like grocery shopping, cooking, and doing the laundry.Unfortunately,this is a big letdown especially in a patriarchal Korean society.Aside from that,it also damages his confidence that his wife has lost interest in him.The movie tries to bring these people to the viewers and the humanity of these characters.Also,it brings about how these people are susceptible to wrong doings and immoral acts brought about by their weaknesses and their situations in life.The film has explicit sex scenes and violent acts.But overall,it was an exploration of human behavior in the three main characters presented in it.What makes this film effective as well is the brilliant acting of the actors and actress involved which makes it absorbing from beginning to end.I definitely would recommend this to anyone who loves great films.

score 10/10

Desertman84 2 December 2011

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2526684/