Instant Favorite.

How sad is this?

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Two thirds of the scenes takes place at restaurants. I cannot stand watching people eat for almost two hours. It is annoying as hell! The obsession with eating is pissing me of. Ruining what could otherwise be a somewhat solid movie. The actors did not impress me at all either as most of them felt somewhat unrealistic and one dimensional. In real life, I would not enjoy their company.I would definitely not recommend this movie. Not as a fan of sad romantic movies nor a fan of Korean movies. Far more better flicks exists in either genre with the only lasting impression with this one being a total waste of potential.I enjoyed the thought of the story more than the execution in the movie itself. The synopsis was the best part of it, and please, put that cookie down!!

This review may contain a spoiler..More than Blue is a lyrical film crafted by Korean poet turned screen writer and director, Won Tae-yeon . It is the story of two individuals, who came together as orphans, nicknamed "K" (Kwon Sang-woo) and "Cream" (Lee Bo-young), and their relationship. While viewers most likely will shed some tears, it is not a tearjerker in the traditional sense, I feel - as the movie is more of a celebration of their lives and the love they shared. I also thought that Won Tae-yeon, in his story-telling, tried to "distance" us somewhat, and remind us that we are an audience, looking at their lives. He does that by the fact the movie itself, is a story telling. The movie opens with two producers looking for a song, and when they stumbled on a song by "Cream," one tells the other the story of her and "K." Also, the camera-work, there are shots that remind us that we are the viewers... One shot in particular allows us to look at them engaging in their daily life together, as if through a screen.... We know pretty early in the film that "K" is sick with cancer, and he tries to make sure that "Cream" is married before he dies, so that she is not left alone in the world, again...Won Tae-yeon takes his time in showing us the beauty of their relationship… how comfortable they are in each other's company and the deep intimacy they share. I have loved Kwon Sang-woo in previous drama I have seen him in, but this was the first I have seen of Lee Bo-young – and I was totally hooked. I don't think this movie would have worked as well as it does, if it were not for their fantastic acting, and character development. Add to that beautiful cinematography, smart writing, and the result is a quiet masterpiece.

SUPER WARNING: I AM GOING TO DETAIL HOW THE STORY ENDED SO IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS AND DOESN'T WANT TO GET SPOILED, DON'T READ FURTHER.A Story Sadder than Sadness is a very appropriate title for this movie. Yes, there is such a thing as sadder than sadness. Although if we come to think of it, it was a happy ending after all. It was rather late, if you ask me, nevertheless, what matters is that both of them have finally known their true feelings for the other. And wow, the last scene, which tells us how much Cream loved K that not even death could separate them deserves a standing ovation. It was also beautifully shot(I may still be at a point of disbelief at this moment but I know how to appreciate beautifully shot scenes)..along with a good soundtrack. I didn't cry but I can very well see where people who cried watching this are coming from.This movie tells a tale of two friends/roommates/lovers(K and Cream) who are on the same boat. But we don't get to realize this until the ending. The first 3/4 of the movie will show the guy's(K) point-of-view. Here we see the suffering of a man, not only physical suffering due to his illness, but more of his emotional pain. That pain of having to let go, and find a guy who could be with his woman forever. A man who can fulfill what he can't. He's dying(never mind the fact that Kwon Sang-woo doesn't look dying at all, unless you count his very sad-looking eyes) and the very thing he wants to settle before he finally dies is seeing that someone will have to look after Cream. So basically we find an unrequited/one-sided love. Or so I thought. Then came the best part..the ending. The ending I never saw coming. I was caught off guard, actually. Because it never occurred to me that Cream loved K too!The director/writer succeeded in the aspect of putting a very effective twist. A twist that will leave you dumbfounded for a couple of seconds, not believing what had just transpired! It was a clean job to be honest. I thought I knew it all and I thought I knew how it will end. The way Lee Bo-young gave life to the character helped a lot too. But I give it all to the director/writer. The way the scenes were shot, along with Lee Bo-young's acting, then having the flashbacks to reveal the girl's point-of-view... everything just fell into place!I'm not even going to talk about cinematography because you'll forget about that word once you indulge yourself in the story. And I'll even forgive them for putting such an irrelevant character such as that Cat Girl and the totally dragging, unrelated, unnecessary scenes of recording some song. I don't know if I made sense, but this is how beautiful More than Blue's main story is that you just can ignore and forget the first part. Believe me, you won't miss anything if you missed the first 5 minutes.There are just so many agonizing and depressing parts in the movie you can feel the hurt and that feeling of hate of seeing them hold back their feelings and pretend. I even came to the realization that their loneliness was self-inflicted. And I think I'm right.lol. No?I thought I've seen all the pain in the first half. But I never expected it would double in the end part. Little did I know that Cream was in equal agony too. And personally, I thought she was in even more pain. I mean, just imagine having to pretend(and I mean pretend effectively, not pretend obviously)....pretend you never knew what your loved one is going through.. pretend you love someone else..just so you can grant his wish and see him die happily. Ugh. Can it get more painful than that?That scene where K and Cream walks down the aisle deserves a standing ovation too. You see the director playing with our emotions..getting sad, getting happy and in love, then getting sad again. Along with the characters and actors who played the shifting of emotions very well. Hurting, smiling, and crying. In the end, I can picture a mix of emotions from viewers. A mixture of disbelief, sadness and awe. 10/10.

This is in the same league as "A Moment to Remember" ... if you like this kind of stuff. It uses the standard 'terminal disease of the week' Korean melodrama template: the first half is fun and lighthearted (to set context and set up the sadness); in the first two-thirds of the second half, we watch the knife go in; and in the final third of the second half, the knife is unmercifully twisted.Honestly, the first act of the film isn't very good. Instead of focusing on the couple that are going to face the agony, the director let's other characters tell their story. Problem is, these other characters aren't that good while the two leads in this film are likable beyond belief and should have been all over the place in our face. Instead there's the wacky guy with a wacky girl, music industry politics, and a sad, second tier guy who knows, and tells, the story of K who has terminal cancer and is in love with his best friend Cream but since he's dying he doesn't tell her. The Korean Times observed, correctly, I think, that while the theme is familiar it "feels more classic than clichéd".After getting all that plot out of the way of the story the director zeroes in on what he really knows: the poetry of sadness and love. When he gets to this point the direction becomes quite inspired, the acting improves, the soundtrack comes alive, and the whole visual experience elevates a notch or two. There's a scene in a church the director takes to Godfatheresque operatic proportions without shame.Sang-Woo Kwon (Once Up on a Time in High School, Volcano High), as K, pulls out the wounded puppy dog eyes to great effect. But we also see that he is full of love. We can see clearly the range and dynamics of his hope and despair. He delivers with great subtlety.Lee Bo-Young (A Dirty Carnival) as Cream, is a Korean actress home run. Beautiful and natural. I was mesmerized by her (performance). Maybe this movie really stinks and I just fell in love with another Korean actress. I don't think so. She wears several different hairstyles in the film. Up, down, all around. They create different shades of her character and don't look like different hair-dos; they look like she's just wearing her hair differently. She seems very at home in her role. She plays lovably, attractively, confidently high-maintenance. And she cries well. She's seductive and childish. She's my everything.Lee Beom-Su (Singles) plays the good man who K tries to fix up with Cream. K wants Cream to have someone who will care for her after he's dead. (Story) Jeong Ae-Yeon plays the good man's fiancé. She's a hot and sexy photographer and she smokes a lot. (Cigarettes and toothbrushes play major thematic roles) She brings more plot to the film. K has to get her to call off the marriage so the good man will be free to marry Cream. She agrees on the condition that K let her photograph him as he is dying. She's intense (she smokes, remember?), and begins to question K's resolve to die without telling Cream how he feels. She calls him a fake and says "When you're hungry, you eat. When you're hurting, you cry. When you're having fun, you laugh. Not hold it in like you. Do you want to Die like this?" When K responds, we really feel the knife twisting.Strange thing though. The film didn't make me cry. I found myself thrusting my fists in the air, in a very sports-like manner, at how well directed, and how well acted were the scenes that were supposed to make me cry. Once this film reaches the second half and leaves the detritus behind it's like floating on a cloud. The director takes a few chances, but he's getting us high so we give him all the slack he wants. He incorporates twists, some in story and some in the telling of it. The film becomes poetic on many levels. If you think the twists work they'll seem brilliant. If you don't, you may frown upon the whole thing. I'm, of course, not going to say what they are, except to say I think they work and give the film a unique spot amongst the ranks of Korean high-art melodrama. 4.5/5 stars (even considering the crappy first half)