...Ing (2003)

Genre : Romance, Comedy, Melodrama.

Language : Korean
Country : South Korea
Cast : Im Su-Jeong, Kim Rae-Won, Lee Mi-Sook.
Directed by : Lee Eon-Hie
Run Time : 104 min
Release Date : 24th November, 2003

Synopsis :

“...Ing” (Korean : Ai En Chi), also known as “The Guy Was Cool” or “The Cool Guy” is a 2003 South Korean film that follows the life of young woman who has become reserved and indifferent to the world as a result of her chronic illness and deformed hand.

The film quietly portrays the unconventional, yet endearing relationship between mother and daughter Min-Ah (Im Su-jeong) and Mi-Sook (Lee Mi-Sook) as well as the development of Min-Ah as she is befriended by the high spirited and carefree photographer Young-Jae (Kim Rae-Won) who moves into their apartment complex.

Plot :

“…ing”, oddly as it sound but yet a highly engaging romantic melodrama about living life one day at a time. Kang Min-Ah (Im Soo-Jung) is a pretty high school girl who has had the misfortune of spending most of her life in hospitals, especially during her formative years. Min-Ah has a deformed hand, and unbeknownst to her, a terminal illness within her. However, Min-Ah’s single mother Mi-Sook (Lee Mi-Sook) does know the truth and keeps it hidden from her daughter, instead trying to turn this negative fact into positive motivation. Although hurting on the inside, Mi-Sook puts on a brave face, encouraging her daughter to take life by the horns and live in the here and now. Min-Ah is skeptical, but soon finds the possibilities of life re-opening to her.

On the way to school, she finds a person who lost his love in a road-accident at the front of Min-Ah's high school. For this reason, he helps the school girls to cross the road. Min-Ah heard from the teacher that the man lost his girl-friend in front of the school on a rainy day, so in the rain the man cries missing his love. According to Min-Ah, "TRUE LOVE IS NOT ABOUT GETTING, BUT IS GIVING!"


Soon enough, a photographer named Young-Jae (Kim Rae-Won) enters both of their lives by moving into the downstairs apartment. Upon seeing her, Young-Jae immediately does his best to win Min-Ah’s attention, engaging in a series of well-intentioned, but slightly juvenile acts that he hopes will make her change her mind about him. Although highly resistant at first, Min-Ah eventually caves in to Young-Jae’s goofily charming persistence, and the two embark on a tentative friendship. Much to the delight of her mother, the friendship between Min-Ah and Young-Jae eventually turns to love (albeit chaste), and they soon plan a trip to Hawaii together to see the sea turtles. But with the bitter realities of Min-Ah’s fatal illness looming low on the horizon, one begins to wonder if the budding couple will be able to make it to Hawaii before it’s too late..!

Cast :

■ Gang Min-Ah (Im Su-Jeong) 
■ Young-Jae (Kim Rae-Won) 
■ Mi Sook (Lee Mi-Sook) 
■ Kyung-Soo (Yun Chan) 
■ Guard (Kim In-Mun)

Ratings : IMDB.com = 7.4/10;  HanCinema.net = 9.1/10; SpcNet.tv = 4.5/5
[Source : Wikipedia, IMDB, HanCinema, SpcNet]

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