Friday, January 24, 2014

You From Another Star: You remind me of someone


I got a snow day this week, thanks to the Head Weatherman Upstairs, and spent part of it re-watching Miss Congeniality. Anyone else remember, “I’m GLIDING here!”? When I later watched You From Another Star, it struck me how Sandra Bullock-like Song-yi can be. The girl has a gift for comedy. I never got around to posting about last week’s episodes. (Well, technically, I got around to the screencaps and typing out a few words on the computer. It was the finishing that never happened.) So I thought I’d pull from last week and this week to showcase several moments where our lovable egomaniac was the most Sandra-esque.

Roly-poly Princess 

This bit went on and on. But it never got old! The way she shuffled around in her vinyl cocoon. Min-joon flipping her over his shoulder and dumping her on the couch. And who could hate her doing a ninety-degree new year’s bow to her host’s “father”. I hope Jeon Ji-hyun isn’t claustrophobic. She probably spent hours wrapped in that full body straightjacket to get all those shots. For which I am ever so grateful!

I’d like to be a fly on the wall 

Let’s just ignore the fact that her outfit is lemon yellow. That might be the latest trend in South Korea, and I have never been what you would call a fashionista. But this posture! Watching Jeon Ji-hyun play this role makes me realize how prissy a lot of the K-drama actresses are. If they kick off their designer heels to chase after the guy, that’s a big action scene. But JJH climbs on furniture and sticks to the wall like a piece of silly putty. She hobbles around in sleeping bags, and careens across the ice like a five-year old. I wonder if she runs marathons or something? Where does she get all that energy?

Nutty as a fashionable fruitcake 

Again, let’s ignore the fact she’s wearing a primary color, striped poncho. Maybe it’s supposed to represent the bars on the cell they’re going to toss her into when she’s declared legally insane. Cause Song-yi is giving new meaning to the phrase “crazy love”. Her eyes bug out as she compares love to chicken legs and designer handbags. And the doctor wastes no time in upping her meds. I admit this scene felt a little over the top to me. But I’ll take over-the-top slapstick over unbelievable-amnesia-twist-makjang any day of the week.

Lock up the liquor cabinet 

On second thought, please don’t! Cause drunk Song-yi guarantees all sorts of funny-bone-tickling good times. Props to the writer for revealing her descent into Plasteredville bit by hilarious bit. I love the little things, like the way her body went straight as a board as she slid off the couch. Or the giant clip just dangling from the ends of her hair. And I REALLY love the big things. Like her screaming DO MANAGEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRR over and over. And Song-yi trying to buy Min-joon’s love with her sparkly heels. Remember, he has super-hearing. Did he have to listen to her drunken ramblings all night? Pfffft. Serves him right!

A little goes a long way 

You could feel the heavy in episode 12 as our leads spent most of the time unconscious or apart. Min-joon pushes Song-yi away knowing that every card in the universe seems stacked against them. But there’s always that glimmer of frenetic funny that our heroine brings, no matter how dire the situation. How about her faking tuberculosis as she hobbled to her front door, in an attempt to keep someone from buying Min-joon’s apartment? And who didn’t guess what was in her head the moment she glanced at the giant flower box separating her balcony from his? It was only a matter of time before she’d be scrambling up there. Thank goodness he called when he did, or he might have had to pull another Superman when she fell off the skyscraper, screaming DO MANAGEEEEERRRRRRR all the way down.

I saw Jeon Ji-hyun in The Thieves, but this drama has opened my eyes to what a well-rounded actress she is. She rips your heart out one minute as she faces her former “best friend” telling her their relationship was a fake from the beginning. Then she’s pure comedy gold as she flops around in a t-shirt and shorts with mascara streaks running down her face. If she ever gets together with Sandra Bullock for a movie, that is one ticket I will be lining up to buy.

2 comments:

  1. Such a great post! Love her so much

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  2. Yaaaaaaah! She totally has redeemed herself in my eyes from that horrible abusive role in My Sassy girl! Check her out in Il Mare. Lovely! She is comedic genius.

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