앤티크 (Antique)

Since I live in Korea, I watch quite a few Korean films. I live about 5 minutes away from a small video store. The owner (or who I assume is the owner) and I usually chat a little every time I visit. I always ask him what is good and if I should rent certain movies. Today, I asked if a certain movie was good or not and he paused for a moment then stated, "Not so good." He led me to the DVDs and pointed out one he thought was good followed by, "Popular in Korea." So, I rented it.

The title of the movie is 앤티크 or Antique. It was directed by Min Gyu Dong and is an adaptation of a anime.

Now, when I saw the DVD on the shelf, I was somewhat skeptical. But the owner has suggested some pretty good movies for me to watch and I thought why not. I have to admit I was entertained. The movie is about 4 guys who work in a bakery. It is a crazy combination of a straight man who is tormented by his past, a renowned chef who claims to have "Demonic Charm", an orphan who was once a champion boxer, and then the owner's childhood friend who is sent to watch over him.

This movie was visually compelling. There were some really pretty shots and the acting was good. The story isn't bad although there are some things that kind of threw me off. One of them was the owner knowing French. There is never a hint at why he knows French. It is just shoved in your face when a French man, who was the chef's former lover, shows up to try and steal him away from the small bakery. There were also a few times when the film would break into a musical-esque scene. Other than that, the film really wasn't all that bad.

Overall I would say the movie was fun. It was silly at times but it kept me interested throughout the entire film. So, if you don't mind subtitles or a little cheese, I would say it is worth a watch. Especially if you have a girl who wants to watch a chick flick, you could suggest this. Well, I call this a chick flick, but there is really no romance in the story. The chef does attempt on several occasions to try and get the owner to fall in love with him, but other than that, it is just a story of four men working at a bakery.