My Wife is a Gangster

	Review by Howard Anderson © 2002 Howard Anderson

Story

When Cha Eun-Jin (Shin Eun-Kyung), the right-hand woman of one of Korea's most powerful crime families, learns that her long lost sister is terminally ill with cancer, she finds herself with no other choice but to grant her dying wish: To find a husband and settle down. Now Cha must come up with a suitable candidate for marriage and at the same time defend her turf, as it is being encroached upon by a rival crime family. But Cha's experience with men is equal to none, therefore her subordinates are given the task of picking out her future husband, and when they literally stumble upon a civil worker named Kang (Park Sang-Myeon), they figure they've found a safe enough bet for their Cha. But unfortunately married life prooves itself to be a much more complicated affair that first thought, especially when you're also living the life of a gangster and you're trying to keep that fact hidden from your husband.

Review

Take note, as "My Wife is a Gangster" is yet another South Korean film that succeeds in making a more than solid statement about the tremendous movie making capabilities of said nation. After bursting onto the scene with films like "Shiri", "Joint Security Area" and "My Sassy Girl", more and more people are now opening their eyes and beginning to take notice of this relatively new and increasingly strong cinematic presence on the world stage.

"My Wife is a Gangster" earned itself the recognition of being one of the most talked about films in South Korea last year, and let me tell you, there is a very good reason for that, as director Cho Jin-Kyu has been able to piece together a remarkable mix of martial arts action, laugh-out-loud comedy, fascinating characters, and coolness aplenty. And believe it or not, but he was even able to insert a few emotional moments into the film that I found to be genuinely touching, and not at all disruptive or out of place next to the many comedic and action oriented elements that make up most of the story.

The film opens with an intense and highly charged fight sequence that is choreographed and shot to perfection, and gives the viewer an introduction to the character of Cha Eun-Jin, played by Shi Eun-Keung, that will not be easily forgotten. The scene is set up as two of Cha's men are being beaten and axed to death by rival thugs. Her entrance is first herald by a pair of flying scissors, cutting through the rain-drenched night and brutally taking out their intended targets. Then there is a brief moment of calm, before the music picks up with a punishing beat and she comes leaping into the battle in a fury of fast flips and powerful kicks.

But as cool as the action sequences are, this film is just as much about the characters and the comedy, and that is part of what elevates "My Wife is a Gangster" even further. The comedy is most often found in the rich distinctiveness of the characters, and from the various awkward situations that they sometimes find themselves in. There is nothing here that is overly silly, as most things are played out in a very straight forward manner. For example, one of the things that kept cracking me up again and again, was Cha's forced smile whenever an interaction with her husband would truly call for it. It's just one of those things, you know, and that look on her face when she had to, for just a moment, drop her tough-as-nails attitude, is simply beyond description.

"My Wife is a Gangster" features several talented actors that all deliver strong performances, but from the word go this film belongs first and foremost to Shin Eun-Keung, to the charisma and presence that she radiates every second she is on-screen, to her perfectly timed comedic skills, and to the immense ass-kickage that she is capable of handing out to whoever is stupid enough to take her on. With Miramax now having bought the remake rights to "My Wife is a Gangster", I find it near impossible to imagine anyone else doing justice to Cha Eun-Jin like the original, who, just like the film itself, is simply one of a kind.

Image

With each new release the Korean DVD standard has just gotten higher and higher, and as such, "My Wife is a Gangster" has been given a top-notch transfer that is right up there with the best of them. Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, the image displays a great deal of detail, with strong use of colors and solid blacks from beginning to end. There was a small amount of grain evident in a few scenes, but overall this is a very impressive and nearly flawless presentation.

Sound

"My Wife is a Gangster" comes with the original Korean audio both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 formats, and the sound instantly makes its presence both heard and felt during the opening sequence, as every connecting punch and kick offers up a low-end that hits you right in the chest. And from there the soundtrack stays fairly active throughout, but it's especially during the action sequences that the surrounds are used most effectively, making you feel as if you better start blocking some of those kicks and punches, or the next one could land you unconscious. The Dolby Digital and DTS tracks both sound absolutely amazing, but in my opinion the DTS track was able to deliver a slightly stronger bass and better envelopment for an even more intense experience.

Features

This is a 2-disc set, and most of the extra features are found on the second disc. On disc one, however, you'll find English Subtitles for the feature presentation, as well as the Theatrical Trailer. The subtitles do suffer a few misspellings here and there, but it's not often and I didn't find it that distracting. On disc two there is a Making-Of section that is separated into three different subsections: Gangster in Action, Comic Situation, and Etc. The first two are self-evident, but the third subsection covers everything from the application of tattoos, to your ordinary, run of the mill behind the scenes footage. There also a selection of Outtakes included, where you get a kind of behind the scenes look at sequences that didn't make it into the movie. Promotion Data covers everything from the film's press conference, to Shin Eun-Keung posing for promotional photographs on a rooftop. The feature that's been called "Interview with Gangster Family" offers up interviews with most cast members, but this is all in Korean, and none of the extra features come with English subtitles. Cast & Crew information is also in Korean only, so unless you know the language, it really doesn't do you any good. But personally I think it's still nice to see these features included.

Overall Opinion

"My Wife is a Gangster" is a fun, engaging, and extremely entertaining movie. The fight sequences kick-ass, the comedy is a riot, and the actors are all great. The DVD, especially the sound mix, is near reference quality, and on the second disc there are some nice extra features that are fun to take a look at even if you don't speak the language. This film comes highly recommended, and all though the DVD is marked as a Region 3 release only, it is actually an All Region disc.