DVD review: Petty Romance (3 out of 5 stars)

Harping back to the Hollywood comedies of the 1960s, this South Korean movie is one of those rare films that manages to cross cultural divides.

Petty Romance was the country’s biggest box office smash, even though it received quite a restrictive rating.

Terrcotta has released a BLU-RAY version with a bunch of extras that will delight quite a large audience.

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The content that proved quite extreme to South Korean censors will hardly make a teenager blink over here, hence the 15 rating.

The plot sees a sex columnist Da-rim (Choi Kang-hee) team up with a comic book artist Jung-bae (Lee Sun-Kyun) to enter a competition to create an adult cartoon.

The problem is that Da-rim’s knowledge is based purely on what she has read in books and magazines.

Will romance blossom as the two try to win the prize?

It’s almost a Rock Hudson/Doris Day scenario, just placed in the 21st century.

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The two actors are excellent with a great chemistry making the movie really enjoyable and often very funny.

There’s also a nice touch with manga-style live animation as the comic book is pieced together.

Overall, an entertaining and enjoyable effort from first-time director Kim Joung-hoon with good acting and a comic style that translates well for a European market.

Petty Romance (cert 15 - 118mins) is distributed by Terracotta distribution.

Steve Payne

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