Fridae

The Koreans' skill in making genre pictures never ceases to amaze. Be it horror, romance, action or comedy, their filmmakers often figure out how to tell an old story in new and entertaining ways. There's no doubt about it, South Korea is the new Hollywood of the East.

In the exceedingly well-made romance Once in a Summer, Lee Byung-hun plays a middle-aged professor who cannot quite forget his only love (Su-Ae) after she vanished from his life years ago. He fears that he may never see her again, so he enlists the help of a TV station's staff to find her.

When a TV scriptwriter visits him to talk about his past, Lee starts to recount the heady days of 1969 when he was a young university student visiting a small village to help farmers. That was where he met Su-Ae, a sweet and shy librarian whom he was instantly attracted to.

But after only ten days of blossoming romance, the chaotic political events in the country drive a wedge between the lovebirds. Su-Ae hides a dark secret: Her parents are Communists who had left her behind in the village to go to North Korea. Unwittingly, Su-Ae becomes the subject of witch trial...

Though the premise seems predictable, the beautiful-written script and fully-developed characters are nothing short of ingenuous. Jaded viewers who are typically cynical of romantic movies may find their doubts quelled and expectations overturned. As for romantic LGBTs, this is easily the must-see movie of the week.