MY DEAR ENEMY is the latest work by Lee Yoon-ki, a director of realist dramas such as THIS CHARMING GIRL and AD LIB NIGHT. Lee has never achieved much of an audience outside of Korea, and even domestically he is still under the radar. But he has gained a small reputation as a filmmaker, and as a result, was able to make MY DEAR ENEMY, a film with a wide release in both theatres and on DVD. The reason for this popularity is not the story, which is in Lee’s typical low-key style, but because Lee was able to attract two major stars to the film, Ha Jung-woon and Jeon Do-Yeon. Because the story is quite slight, the movie is very much a character study and relies on its two leads, and luckily, both are very good in roles that are quite challenging. 

The difficulty for the actors is that both characters are initially rather unapproachable. The story begins with Hee-su (Jeon Do-yeon) tracking down her ex-boyfriend Byeong-woon at a racetrack and demanding he repay the 3.5 million won he owes her. Because he doesn’t have the money, they spend the day together as he tries to raise the cash by borrowing from various friends. Byeong-woon is clearly portrayed as a small-time hustler, completely irresponsible and childish, and Ha is able to establish this very early. What he also has to portray is the charisma of this man and why people, especially women, would be attracted to him, and it is here that Ha’s natural gifts as an actor are expressed. Without ever breaking character, Ha still portrays the charm of the man. It is somewhat surprising that this is connected to his very childishness and lack of responsibility. He is not the typical middle-class businessman, and this is not seen as a negative. He is too soft, too open, and too lacking in clear ambition to fall into the mold society has cast for him. And although he seems very selfish and manipulative, and to some extent is, he proves to be more complex, someone who is at the same time generous and even honourable. Ha hits all of these character notes with the ease that only true movie stars have.

Jeon Do-yeon’s role as Hee-su is even more onerous, because instead of getting to express her appeal as a star, she has to repress it and allow it out only intermittently. We also learn even less about her character than we do about Byeong-woon. We are not sure how desperate she is, or even her real motives for tracking Byeong-woon down. This remains somewhat obscure even at the conclusion. What is conveyed quite clearly is the exhaustion that Hee-su feels, how she has been worn out by having to deal with everyday life. Her attraction to Byeong-woon, and probably her resentment towards him as well, is his ability to cope with modern life in a manner that she can’t. Against all odds, Byeong-woon has not lost his soul, and the journey of the story’s single day can be seen as Hee-su’s quest to find some peace of her own. Jeon is able to subtly reveal the person behind the short haircut, heavy make-up, and cold demeanor that she uses as a shield. Compared to her previous role in SECRET SUNSHINE, she is almost unrecognizable here, but despite the lack of scene-stealing moments, she is quietly effective.

Lee Yoon-ki is known for his realism, but someone unfamiliar to Korean society might find the situations in the story rather strange and unnatural in tone. But for those who have experienced social interaction in this country, the accuracy of the confrontations will be unmistakable. Two particular scenes stand out: one in which Hee-su trades insults with a rich girl who Byeong-woon asks for money, and one in which Byeong-woon is verbally humiliated by his cousin. Both scenes capture the very peculiar mixture of abrupt insults and restrained politeness that often occurs, both blunt and at the same time repressed. It is telling how the two characters differ in their response, with Hee-ju arguing violently and Byeong-woon trying to reconcile the conflict. Hee-ju’s reaction is closer to our own, even if it is still slightly subdued. Byeong-woon, perhaps wisely, does not attempt to engage with this type of verbal aggression. Within this context of the middle class Korean social world, this may be the only sane reaction.

In handling this realistic content, Lee chooses a varied cinematic style, mixing longer takes with sequences of heavy editing. He opens with a three-minute long take that is seemingly unmotivated. Its purpose, however, is to bring the viewer into the world and then eventually move into the story. Thus the opening begins by focusing on marginal characters who we will not follow before eventually picking up Hee-ju and following her into the racetrack.

After this rather flamboyant shot, Lee begins to edit a great deal, emphasizing the separation between the two characters even as they drive in the same car and have a conversation.

As the story and the characters progress, Lee starts to use longer and more distanced shots to emphasize the alienation these people feel within the Seoul city landscape.

As a result of these stylistic choices, the film is not an easy one to enter into and immerse yourself in. It requires patience on many levels: story, character and style. But eventually, it does begin to work, and it gives a very clear and accurate view of these characters and the world they inhibit. It is not a great film because it is simply doesn’t have enough scope and ambition, but it is a very good one, well directed and well acted and with a strong point of view on contemporary Seoul.

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