I'm a Cyborg, but That's OK (Saibogujiman kwenchana)
South Korea 2006

Opening 17 Jan 2008

Directed by: Chan-wook Park
Writing credits: Seo-Gyeong Jeong, Chan-wook Park
Principal actors: Su-jeong Lim, Jung Ji Hoon

By Korean Park Chan-wook, this is an unusual, romantic, but tragic tale of two people who fall in love in an insane asylum. Young-goon (Lim Su-jeong) believes she is a Cyborg and can talk to machines. Actually, she is in the loony bin surrounded by an array of other interesting inmates. She constantly recharges her batteries. Il-soon (Jeong Ji-hun), an antisocial patient who steals personality traits, falls in love with her. In spite of his different masks, he slowly captures her attention. Young-goon wears her grandmother’s dentures from a sense of guilt. It seems that her grandmother died of starvation, also in an insane asylum, because she left her dentures behind and could not eat. Young-goon’s health deteriorates; her batteries do not function properly. Under shock treatment, she believes she is a killing machine that can shoot bullets. Il-soon tries to save Young-goon, not in any logical way, but one appropriate to the fantasy of their world.

Park Chan-wook has a unique way of letting crazy images interact, e.g., Young-goon’s iridescent toe nails light up when recharged by a machine invented by Il-soon so that Young-goon will resume eating. This sends a simple message of one’s need for love in a world which we do not control. This could easily become a cult film with its unique humor and romantic view. (Shelly Schoeneshoefer)