Callistonian.net

Rating:

Changing Partners is an immoral romantic comedy. Yes, it’s immoral—very immoral. Most romantic comedies are about untainted and unselfish individuals falling in the purest sort of love. Changing Partners isn’t about that trite mushy stuff. Instead, its plot revolves around married people having extramarital affairs. le gasp.

But if you can get get over the fact that each of Changing Partners’ four protagonists is having an affair, you’ll probably enjoy it. The film features fantastic dialog. I don’t want to give any of its best bits away, so this is hardly a proper example, but:

Yuna: *speaks korean* *random english words:* Perfect! 100% Percent! *speaks korean* Congratulations!
Minjae: Does everyone in your business talk like that?
Yuna: Huh?
Minjae: You seem to mix in English all the time.
Yuna: *silent grr*
Minjae: It sounds pretty retarded when you use English like that in a sentence.

The film’s acting is good: the adulterers and the adulteresses have great chemistry. In fact, Changing Partners includes three tastefully done hot (as in not-for-children) scenes. ;) The film’s soundtrack and cinematography were also well done.

Anyway, as an immoral romantic comedy, Changing Partners features pretty, wide-eyed, and innocent-looking characters doing the following shady things:

• intentionally? destroying property in foreign countries
• blaming one’s poor behavior on inanimate objects like the moon
• and of course, having an affair

Due to the four main characters’ poor behavior and due to frequent occurrences of random deadly tragedies in Korean films, at one point, I honestly thought that all the beautiful protagonists would get electrocuted and die. However, and quite fortunately, I was wrong. But that was a tense moment for me—I was really scared for them.

Overall, Changing Partners is an entertaining film. It’s unique and almost like a breath of fresh air, because—really—how many screenwriters think of saturating a romantic comedy with extramarital affairs and actually make the plot work? Not many, I bet. Even though the protagonists in this film are cheaters, it is easy to become wrapped up in their lives and to empathize with them. However, loathing or pitying any of them is difficult because they’re all having affairs. And Changing Partners progresses in such a way that everyone is doing the same naughty thing at exactly the same time. The timing of events makes the film unrealistic, but it also makes everything easier on viewers’ consciences. So… watch it.

Movie Facts/Stats:

Title: Changing Partners (지금 사랑하는 사람과 살고 있습니까?)

Length: 116 minutes

Release Date: 8/15/2007

Language: Korean

Creator: Jeong Yoon-soo (정윤수)

Cast:
Han Chae-young (한채영)
Lee Dong-geon (이동건)
Park Yong-woo (박용우)
Uhm Jung-hwa (엄정화)

Best Scene: running about in Hong Kong

Weirdest Scene: merry-go-round cars

Trailer: Courtesy of YouTube (in Korean - no subs)