Asinine, yet heartbreaking. Garish, yet beautiful.

Story: "Killing Romance" is mainly a story about abuse, and quite a poignant one at that. Although the plot is extremely simplistic, at times utterly silly, at times borderline obnoxious, it never fails to deliver its message perfectly and without cheapening it. That being said, there are many times when the things happening on screen feel disconnected, almost arbitrary. I get that this is done in the name of comedy, but still, I don't think it landed.

Acting/Cast: I love, love, LOVE Lee Ha Nee! She has this amazing combination of gorgeousness and hilarity that I find extremely charming. And she did not disappoint! She was stunningly beautiful, appropriately nutty, but she also exuded a certain vulnerability in the more sentimental parts of the movie that really resonated with me.
Lee Seon Kyun was perfect for the role of Jonathan, I can't think of anyone else who could play him better. He was the embodiment of kitsch. Unrelenting, over-the-top each and every moment he was on screen, ostentatious, ridiculous but also very believably threatening and cruel.
Gong Myeong was.... fine. I don't feel like he contributed anything more than an inoffensive performance and a cute face.
The rest of the cast (apart from Oh Jeong Se, who I found hilarious in his tiny bit) was perfectly average.

Music: Not my cup of tea, but I appreciated the performances. I especially liked Johnathan's last performance and how gradually more and more unhinged it got.

Rewatch value: None really... Maybe once again with friends to share the novelty of its style.

Overall: I feel like the weakest point of the movie is the comedy. I am one to admire absurd humor (huge fan of The Mighty Boosh), but I found most of the bits too silly for my liking. The ones that landed though, were very good. (The planning montage was a highlight in my opinion.) I also found myself quite bored at times, and I think it was mainly due to the disconnectedness I mentioned above. It was very disappointing because I could tell that the writers and the director KNEW how to make things work, but the whole thing was rushed and thus failed.
Apart from the performances of the two main leads, the other very strong asset of this movie is how aesthetically pleasing it is. This movie is f***ing STUNNING! The colors, the shots, the costumes, the makeup, the mustaches.... Everything is polished and very well thought out.
Ultimately, the absolute saving grace of "Killing Romance" is how deliciously camp it is. It never takes itself too seriously, but at the same time respects the seriousness of what it's trying to say. It's extra, loud, flamboyant, and, despite its many failings, FUN!

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