Rules of Dating (연애의 목적/Yeonae-ui mokjeok-2005)

Starring:
Hae-il Park - Lee Yoo-rim
Hye-jeong Kang - Choi Hong
Dae-yeon Lee
Grina Park
Yeong-hwa Seo

LEE Yu-rim is a high school English teacher. He's cute, clever... and shameless. CHOI Hong is a student teacher, even though she is one year older than Yu-rim. She's cynical and always plays hard-to-get when a man shows interest in her. While going out for drinks one night, Yu-rim suddenly tells Hong that he wants to have sex with her. Hong is hardly impressed. And so begins a battle of will and wits, both between each other and within themselves, as both Yu-rim and Hong are unsure of what each other wants and what they want themselves. Dating and desire mix explosively. What is the point of this strange relationship? What is the object of their desire?

I was astounded to fing out I really, really, really liked this movie. I guess Yoo-rim's actions at first were terribly funny. I mean, come on!, what man is that straight forward? I'm surprised Hong held off as long as she did. LOL! I don't think I could have.......

Even though most of this movie was funny, the serious undertones were not smothered with comedy. Rumors, even if innocent, can harbor a lot of pain and suffering for some people. This is what the story is about. Hong and the pain and anguish she went through because a horrible teacher spread rumors about her, that weren't innocent by all means.

The very end of the movie I sort of got confused because even though Yoo-rim was actually falling in love with her and tried to protect her, she betrayed him. Then it hit me! *Bam!* Yoo-rim carried her pain (like Jesus and the cross) and suffered for it....for Hong. He truly experienced what she went through. And even though he hated her, I think that is what extinguished all suffering for both of them.

I really loved the ending. Beautiful and funny at the same time. This was a really good movie. Not for kiddos though, some serious sex scenes in them. *What is up with Korean movies and soft porn?*

Park Hae Il