[KFCC] Crazy Marriage Review

Story: CRAZY MARRIAGE (a.k.a. MARRIAGE IS A CRAZY THING) follows Yon-hee (Jeong-hwa Eom) and Joon-young (Woo-seong Kam), two single people fighting a loosing battle in the dating game. Joon-young is the “lonely bachelor-type”, Yon-hee, the “late twenty-something, ticking biological clock-type”. Being the eldest son, Joon-young finds himself under constant pressure by his family to settle down and find a wife. Thanks to the help of a friend, Joon-young finds himself on a blind date with the beautiful Yon-hee. One thing leads to another as the two embark on a journey into learning all about the simultaneous joy and turmoil that love can bring.

Review: Up, down, up, down, up, down, up. No, that is not a video game code. That is a description of the emotional ride that is the film, CRAZY MARRIAGE. Anyone who has ever been through the rollercoaster that is a relationship can vouch for that. For those of you that haven’t truly experienced that wonder, watch this film. It will never substitute for the real thing, but I assure you that it will give you more incite into man’s greatest joy (and tragedy) than this reviewer can ever hope to bestow through words.

From the beginning, we are shown that dating is not all roses and candy. Joon-young and Yon-hee are not looking for love at the start of the film. The pursuit of the opposite sex has become a bit of a hassle for them and their response towards one another during their first date reflects that. Yon-hee acts as though she knows what it is she wants, as she cuts to the chase with her abrupt game of “twenty questions”. Joon-young sizes her up accordingly and assumes almost immediately that his chances with her are slim to none. A routine date follows suite, as the two bounce from one typical activity, to another. Only after some alcohol is thrown into the mix, and inhibitions are dropped, does the chemistry between these two begin to take form.

Even with the presence of Yon-hee’s inquiries and Joon-young’s retaliatory responses, the two do not appear to truly know what it is they are after. During their first coital encounter, the two actually find themselves pondering what the day would have brought if they would have followed alternate avenues of love. This scene actually sets the tone of the rest of the film, with the presence of fiery passion conflicting with a constant after thought of uncertainty. Uncertainty aside though, these two characters know that relationships come with plenty of obstacles and it is that knowledge that actually provides the quandary, and in turn, the detrimental conflict that keeps the story interesting.

It is refreshing to see a cinematic approach to the dealings of love, particularly coming out of Asia, without the over abundance of silly comedy. The comedic elements are there, but they work so well with the story that they end up coming across in a more natural light than Hollywood’s typical entry into this sub-genre. At its deepest moment, CRAZY MARRIAGE is a film about two people wanting to be with one another, but finding themselves incapable of overcoming their hang-ups. That hurdle lends itself to fueling both moments of humor and despair.

A film of this nature must perform at a different pace than its brethren if it is to outshine the pack. It would have been easy to just solely focus on the bickering of our two main characters, with their continual bouts with the “make-up, break-up” syndrome, but director Ha Yu has managed to flesh some life into the characters and the situations around them, ultimately adding some muscle to a potentially puny premise and delivering a genuinely realistic look at the complications that come with love.