IN the movie Ajoomma, Hong Huifang plays a Singaporean woman named Lim Bee Hwa who has spent much of her life providing for her family. She just enjoys going to dance lessons with her friends during the day and watching K-dramas on TV at home.
This idea prompts her to plan a trip to Korea for her and her son (Shane Pow) to spend the holidays. After her son unexpectedly decides to leave early owing to a job interview in New York, she chooses to cancel their trip. However, she decides to travel alone after learning that their trip package is non-refundable. Bee Hwa’s journey in South Korea becomes tough because she faces loneliness among a group of Chinese visitors. When she gets lost, things grow harder for her. She eventually becomes involved in the lives of Jung Su (Jung Dong-hwan) and Kwon-Woo (Kang Hyung Seok).
Hong Huifang does a great job portraying her character. It was fascinating to witness her communicate in English, Chinese, and a little bit of Korean. Of course, Jung Dong- hwan’s part in the movie is what added to its entertainment value. Although he doesn’t talk as much, his kind and compassionate nature made a wonderful counterpoint. The best thing about this movie is their chemistry together. The scenes where they tried to understand one another while speaking different languages were really nice to watch.
The car chase sequence, in which Lim Bee Hwa drove a car to try to protect Kwon woo from the shark loans, was my particular favourite moment. The film’s use of comedic sequences was quite enjoyable to watch. Kang Hyung-seok was fluent in Chinese throughout the film. I am a big fan of his Korean dramas, and I had no clue he could speak Chinese so well. It was pleasant to watch him flaunt his skills in this movie.
However, his plot lacked something approaching a smooth flow. We all knew that all he wants is to return to his family, and that in order to do so, he must pay off all of his debt. However, he manages to get himself into trouble by misplacing a tourist, which leads to his employer firing him. It was never really clear how he dealt with his problems. When his mother-in-law refused to have anything to do with him in the beginning of the movie and wouldn’t allow him see his wife or daughter, he showed up at the airport with his child at the end. Then, are his problems solved? Is he completely debt-free? Where did he get his money from? That is something we will never find out.
I found one scene confusing: when the character (Yeo Jin Goo) in the TV drama Bee Hwa was watching found her true mother, it was revealed that the mum character looked like her. I was unable to comprehend the reasoning behind it. It may have been intended to reflect her desire to connect with her kid, who left her to live in New York.
The movie used its own method of informing the audience that understanding our problems and embracing them with kindness and forgiveness is the best way to go ahead in life. They also made a great point about how even in the most mundane circumstances, there may be small delights. Throughout the film, we were reminded of the character’s love of Korean dramas, so when she really travels to South Korea, all the scenes were shot to accurately reflect what she had seen on TV.
I was pretty surprised by how much I loved the movie. It truly ranks among the most endearing movies I have seen this year.
-> DIRECTOR: He Shuming
-> CAST: Huifang Hong, Kang Hyung-seok, Jung Dong-hwan, Yeo Jin-goo, Shane Pow
E-VALUE : 7
ACTING : 8
PLOT : 7
