Man in Love (2014) – Han Dong-Wook.

'I wish everything was chicken!'

Handy, but ultimately tiny taters debt collector with a big fuzzy-wuzzy heart Han Tae-il (Hwang Jung-min)has a major crush on pretty, debt-ridden Joo Ho-jung (Han Hye-jin), dutifully caring for her comatose father, he offers to cover her debt if she will agree to go on a number of dates with him. This winning romantic drama benefits greatly from its two engaging leads, a witty,humane script, and sure-footed direction from Dong-Wook. The chalk and cheese lovers set-up references the fast-talking Hepburn/Grant screwball comedies of the 40s, and Tae-il's bellicose exterior belies an empathic nature, not unlike Cagney in Angels With Dirty faces, or Bogart in The African Queen. Refreshingly, the comedic elements are genuinely funny, their fitful romance is charmingly presented, and the jaunty, pitch-perfect score proves entirely complimentary. I appreciated the fact that the plot didn't gloss over his more abrasive edges, he's manifestly a villain, but thankfully a wholly three-dimensional one. While Man in Love has a fairly recent Taiwanese reboot, I sincerely hope Hollywood keeps its mawkish hands off this lucid Korean gem. While I am often an overtly sentimental fellow, I was genuinely moved by the final act, and it's a singular treat to see a Korean Underworld(ish)feature that isn't prodigiously drenched in steaming viscera. All that being said, the kinetic gambling hall heist was pretty gnarly!