[Confession] My Annoying Brother
*minor spoiler alert*
Ah~ another family movie that expects to bring tears to its viewers. I looked it up and definitely saw that it's a comedy genre and everything about the promotions pointed to this film being a comedy.. so why the hell are my eyes wet? Care to explain, My Annoying Brother?! - well, it's not that I don't like it. Haha!
Here's the synopsis of the movie:
Doo-Sik (Cho Jung-Seok) is in prison for fraud. His younger step-brother Doo-Young (Do Kyung-Soo) is a promising judo athlete, but an injury during a competitive match causes Doo-Young to lose his eyesight. Doo-Sik appears in front of the parole board and uses his step-brother's injury to plead for his release. Doo-Sik gets his release on the condition that he takes care of Doo-Young for 1 year.
Doo-Young lives alone in his family's home. Both of his parents passed away. Since losing his eyesight, Doo-Young has shut himself away from the world. His former judo coach Soo-Hyun (Park Shin-Hye) is the only one that still keeps in contact with Doo-Young. After 15 years, Doo-Sik suddenly appears back at home and the two brothers begin to live together again .. even though they hate each other.
When My Annoying Brother (or simply Brother) had a blast of marketing ploy by appearing everywhere (Running Man for example), I knew everybody are fired up with excitement. Perhaps because everybody has this expectation on their on-screen bromance and moving acting - now we just have to find out where the story is coming from.
The first half of the film fits the promoted genre - which is comedy - poking fun at the hostility of the Brothers. It's fun to see Jo Jung Seok bring a role so out of his league character. We knew him already in the entertainment industry, well known for his variety of talents as well as his acting range, which was on full display with this role. One second he can be seen cracking jokes involving multiple swear words and the next he is having a tearful breakdown. D.O., even originally an idol, did not back down and matched Jung Seok's acting. Their incredible acting compensates for any downright issues I had with the movie.
My negative sentiments are minimal but should not be overlooked. The first few minutes of the movie didn't have much impact on me. I was staring at the screen for the longest time wondering why I was still not drawn into it. Park Shin Hye and Kim Kang Hyun's character were so minimal that their absence honestly weren't felt. And the last thing that makes it more confusing still is that nothing in the film previously indicates concerns about Jung Seok's health other than a couple of minor stomach complaints. This is not to say that either part of the movie was bad in and of itself, but putting the two together without much transition makes for a slightly odd and emotionally confusing viewing experience.
My Annoying Brother is a proper example of the Korean "template" for a story. Where two (or more) people suddenly crosses path and forces to be with one another even though they hate each other, then they get used to be with each other. But when finally they become complacent, one of them leaves or dies because of unexpected circumstances etc. These plot lines tend to be overused most of the time yet people still takes the bait because that's how the winning template get its audience. It may make you happy at first but leaves you with utterly devastating tears (and snot) on the spot.
Watching this movie makes you happy for some reason. I wouldn't shrug off the fact that this is a family movie and any family movie deserves appreciation despite the things you find unamusing. Give My Annoying Brother some of your time if you miss your brother. Value it as you see yourself torn between laughing and crying. Huehue
My Rating:
Plot: 6.5/10
Acting: 9.0/10
Cinematography: 7.0/10
Characters: 7.0/10
Uniqueness: 5.0/10
OVERALL RATING: 6.9