Manga Boy!
22/08/2006
The King and The Clown
Is based loosely, I think, on sorta historical accounts of some Korean king and his reign. It’s pretty amazing how familiar period Korean dramas are to period Chinese dramas. But I suppose them ancient Chinese folk did travel a little. In this story, the King is a tyrant, psychologically scarred by childhood events and spends more time with his concubine than attending to the needs of his people.
In come the minstrels, roving around the country and countryside. In particular, a pair long-time companions – Jang Sang (Kam Woo Seong) and Gong-gil (Lee Jun Gi, my Manga boy) – an established act, are forced to move to Seoul after an accident. At this point you should know that Gong gil is the gentle, sensitive pretty one who plays the lady (or whore) in their acts.
So anyway, through a series of events the King meets these two minstrels, and appoints them as court jesters. In the meantime, the King develops a crush on pretty Gong-gil, while the Jang Sang is arrested and tortured for trying to protect Gong-gil.
Anyway. I kinda thought this would be an action drama. I didn’t really expect it to be Korean Farewell To My Concubine. In any case, my Manga boy is a little too masculine to do the excellent job Leslie Cheung did in his role as Cheng Die Yi. He tries, but little little details spoil it for him. The way he walks, the way he smiles, well. Testosteroney is good.
I am still undecided about what I think of the movie. In true Asian cinema tradition, the sets and costumes are lavish. The cinematography is superb. It’s a pretty pretty movie. That said, like the other post-Crouching Tiger Asian movies like House of Flying Daggers, and Hero, they lack a little something that makes you fall in love with the movie.
I hate to say it, but most Asian movies are like air stewardesses. Sorry. Flight attendants. They’re all manicured, and pretty, and they say and do the right things. They smell good. But you can’t have a meaningful conversation with them. Mostly because you’re only there for like 16 hours, and you don’t really want to talk to them, and they’re going through the motions. They’re not there to make you feel at home. They’re there to get paid.
So yeah. I’m a little disappointed with the movie. I think Manga boy could’ve done better, but still it was a good attempt. He probably had to have his ears pinned back for the movie, poor thing. So that should account for something.
His counterpart Kam Woo Seong did a commendable job, playing his over-protective, probably in love with Manga boy companion, but I saw little chemistry between them both. Neither as a lover, nor as a brother.
The psycho king was played by Kang Seong Yeon, and the only thing I can say about him is, damn I didn’t know he was my age. He looks old! But then again, that’s what a fake moustache does to a guy.
Final rating: 3/5 stars. Flight Attendant. Not something go nuts over.
