So I finally sat down to watch MIRACLE IN CELL NO. 7.

@jhingnigami: I thought you’ve watched it?

Me: I was scared of watching it.

@jhingnigami: Why were you scared? It’s not a horror movie.

Me: I’m scared of crying.

 

 

I hate sad movies.

The world is already sad so why torture yourself further? It’s an occupational hazard. I handle sad news every day from crimes to tragedies and political dramas that in my downtime, I don’t want to be depressed or upset, especially over things that have nothing to do with me or I don’t have control over.

But I was so wrong about MICN7.

It made me cry. But it also made me laugh.

In fact, the box of tissue I had prepared (@jhingnigami said I should prepare a blanket) was not used up.

Half of the time, I felt like a lunatic, crying one moment then laughing the next.

I love how they threw in fantasy realism and comedy into the plot. Sure it had its share of melo. But I was so wrong about it being outrightly sad. It was uplifting and heartwarming, and fresh.

I love the prisoner characters. I kept figuring out too where I’ve watched them (only shows I’ve watched too many Korean dramas and movies).

 

 

There was Oh Dalsu who played the wacky and soft-hearted cell head So Yangho. He was in THE THIEVES, THE HOST (as the monster voice) and SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE, though I don’t remember him in any of those movies.

 

 

I remember Jeong Mansik (the whiny Shin Bongsik) though as one of the North Koreans in THE KING 2 HEARTS and the villain in KING OF DRAMAS.

 

 

I loved the character of Manbum, played by Kim Jungtae who was in two of my all-time favorite Korean movies: THE CLASSIC and WINDSTRUCK (I don’t remember him there either).

 

 

Park Shinhye’s appearance was short and sweet since she played the grown-up daughter Yesung. But her presence lighted up the ahjussi-dominated film it was refreshing to see her onscreen.

 

 

Of course, the star of the film was Ryoo Seungryong, who won best actor in the Daejong Awards (Grand Bell). He owned the film as the mentally handicapped father who was wrongly convicted of a crime.

 

 

I’ve always loved ensemble productions and MICN7 is no exception. No wonder, it’s one of Korea’s all-time boxoffice hits. But at the end of the film, I couldn’t help cursing.

Damn that Sailor Moon kaban.

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