Movie Review: The Story of Mr Sorry

Date: 17 April 2009
Time: 11:30 pm
Location: National Museum Gallery Theatre
Kaki: YD
Rating: 4 stars
Language: Korean, with Eng Subtitles

Synopsis:
A timid ear-cleaner discovers that there is dirt not just in the ears, but also in the souls of his colourful customers. A Korean animation film like no other, this is the surreal and twisted tale of an ear-cleaner who rises from obscurity to becoming an Ear Waxernator, a tour de force in the business of cochlear excavation, as a result of a bizarre scientific experiment. But he is also a brother looking for his older sister who left him as a child. The deeper Mr Sorry digs into the heads of his clients, the more he unwittingly learns about their hidden desires, and in the end, he discovers something shocking about his own self that changes him forever. Based on a short novel by singer Lee Jeok, The Story of Mr. Sorry is produced by the Korean Academy of Film Arts and is co-directed by Lee Sung Kang, who also directed the fantasy-animation, Yobi, the Five-Tailed Fox.

Review:
The movie was extremely interesting as the animation style was very unique. It was a mixture of mosaic and water colour. Just for the artwork, this movie would have caught my attention. The story was sufficiently fluid, so even though I was darn tired, I didn't really feel that I was going to fall asleep (although I admit to closing my eyes to rest for a while, but I had to open it again as I didn't understand Korean.

For me, it was interesting as while Mr Sorry was exploring the minds and thoughts of others, from our point of view, we were examining him. His stupidity about how the world works, how he is a loser, from start till end, and even his rather incestuous obsession with his sister. His naivety sets him on the road towards self destruction, a typical example of how a person who has low EQ and near to zero ability to live with the world around him. I mean, his closest friend is a spider! Anyhow, I was rather perturbed by the ending, as he only obtains release upon death, and he enters a world that is happy and beautiful (to him) again. I thought that was kinda silly, since it just means he goes back to the bubble that he lives in, once again estranged from reality.

But I have to warn you that as it was a film fest type of movie, it's rather slow. Sure, the story moves along, but it's somewhat slow-going, and it would be at odds with the other anime/cartoon you may have watched.

Well, it was most unfortunate that the movie happened to fall in the week where it was rather intense at work, resulting in my having had an average of about 3-4 hours of sleep per night (and we all know that I am the sort who needs plenty of rest).

So, I had a cancellation of a ktv session that Friday, and I recalled that I was supposed to meet another group of friends for dinner. So I thought, great, no clash, since the movie only starts 1130. What I didn't expect was me working till about 930, getting home about 1020, cuz I dropped by subway to pack a late dinner. And so, instead of having plenty of time to shower and laze before heading out to meet YD for the movie, I swallowed my dinner, took a quick shower, and took a cab to the museum for the movie.

And I wasn't much company since it was pretty much, meet at 1120 for 1130 movie, sit down, chatted a little bit with YD before the movie, then it was goodbye, and I am off after the movie.
Still, interesting movie, am glad to have watched it, depressing as it may have been. :P