Review: "I don't have much time... I'm beginning a love which may take a long time.."

At a time where sappy romance films that dealt with a terminal illness reigned (like SWEET NOVEMBER), CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST doesn't saturate itself with the "I love you"'s and the "You're everything in the world to me"'s. Instead, it trades the generic and tired Hollywood formula and creates a bitter sweet film with heartache in the things that are never said. Watching Jung-won and Darim is absolutely heart-breaking. These two were made for each other, but you know they will never live happily ever after together.

This film outlines how fragile and precious life really is. On the outside, Jung-won is a carefree and happy-go-lucky man. However, on the inside, the fact that he will soon pass away tears him up. In action films, you have the heroes who can get shot fifteen times, yet, still be able to get up and jab his fingers into his enemy's eye-sockets while shooting an army of gangsters. In horror films, you have the heroes who can survive ghost encounters and placate their souls. But none of these heroes even compare to the might and courage of Jung-won. This is a man, who instead of trying to forget his condition and live life as if nothing had happened, embraces death and at the same time, makes the best of his surroundings. He never dodges from the inevitable. In one of the scenes, he writes down how to run the photo store he owns so that when he passes, his father could take care of it. For the most part, he keeps his condition a secret from his friends and even jokes about it. During the time he spends with Darim, he never tells her of his condition because he wants the most pure relationship while he still can. Watching him carry on with Darim is heart-drenching, but heart-warming at the same time.

With a film like CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST, if the craftsmen of the film can't hit the right notes, the film would've ultimately failed. Luckily, director Jin-Ho Hur places beauty and elegance into everyday life and makes a world so normal, yet, so magical. The two main actors also does an extraordinary job. In the beginning, Jung-won's character seemed far too happy-go-lucky. With many scenes showing him laughing with joy, he almost seemed to be a one-dimensional character. But as the film moved on, Suk-kyu Han does a spectacular job deconstructing the character in some of his private moments. From the subtle fear of death drawn on his face to the drunken rage in the police station, Suk-kyu gives an unforgettable performance. Eun-ha Shim also does a wonderful job playing the homely yet beautiful Darim. Complete with a beautiful score, all the elements of this film create nothing short of an excellent film.