Epicurus.com - No Regrets (Standard Edition) DVD

	Find Out More Info Manufacturer: Fantom Entertainment Directed By: Leesong Hee il
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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Feature: 1 disc package (region 0 ntsc) Format: DVD Region Label: Fantom Entertainment Manufacturer: Fantom Entertainment Publication Date: 2007 Publisher: Fantom Entertainment Region Code: 0 Running Time: 114 Studio: Fantom Entertainment Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Features 1 disc package (region 0 ntsc) English Subtitles
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Editorial Reviews: a nice expose on class in Queer communities, adding layers to the 'hostess bar' genre in South Korean cinema that Leesong redefines here.) Hit hard on financial times, Su-min ends up taking a job at a host bar. The boss (they call him 'Madame') of this host bar is reluctant to bring on Su-min since experience has shown him that gay-identified hosts will often leave once they become romantically involved with one of their clients. Su-min is at a point in his life where he's given up on love, so he believes this won't happen to him, until a man from his past enters the host bar and life gets messier, more beautiful, and messier again. But for those who have had enough of the self-loathing and tragedy demanded in some films with sexual minority plots and subplots, hold on.
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: Love and Politics Comment: [...] "No Regret", a romantic drama about two Korean gay men that interweaves the beauty of love with the harsh politics of distinctions between classes. Sumin at 18 years old is no longer eligible to stay at the orphanage where he has been raised. He is on the street with only a backpack and money to buy a train ticket. He is an industrious teen and he heads to Seoul where he gets a job in a factory, attends night school and sets about building a life. He rents a small apartment with a friend from the orphanage. He feels that his roommate is attracted to him but he suffers from the insults that he throws at him. Like other men who are deeply in the closet, this is first encounter with the attraction/revulsion syndrome. Things are not easy for Sumin financially and he takes an additional job at a limousine agency that caters to the late night party people. One of his first clients is Jaemin, a wealthy and successful yuppie who is in the process of using alcohol to drown his troubles. On the first outing Jaemin claims he has forgotten his wallet and asks Sumin to come upstairs to be paid. After sharing a nightcap, Jaemin makes a pass at Sumin which is rejected but Sumin smiles to himself as he leaves. Sumin learns that Jaemin's father is the CEO at the company where he works and where downsizing is going on. Jaemin saves Sumin's job and when the others tease Sumin he quits, takes another job and gets fired because of his poor attitude. Sumin is broke and takes a job as a sex worker at a gay bar. Sumin tries to save money for college but spends foolishly. When Jaemin comes to the bar and requests Sumin he is rejected again and again and after a bitter scene one evening Sumin takes Jaemin home and succumbs to him and his own desires. All is fine until Jaemin's fiancée catches them and Jaemin realizes that he must conform to class expectations and marry. Schemes follow and one plan almost ends in tragedy as possessive obsession overtakes one of the men but in the end all is worked out. To tell anymore would ruin the viewing for you. What is interesting about "No Regret" is that it was made before other films dealing with gay life in Korea came to the fore. It is an unconventional film by Korean standards but it is an important film in the tradition of others who have made melodramatic films. It is a contemporary look at Korean gay life as well as a realistic depiction of class conflict and romance. It is powerful and emotional with excellent direction and beautiful performances. The characters are honest and real and the plot is well developed. More Reviews