When a woman by the name of "Eun Ho-jung" (So-ri Moon) isn't busy raising an adopted son named "Joo Soo-in" (Joon-yeong Jang) she also has been tasked to take care of her father-in-law who is extremely ill due to alcoholism. Needless to say, these duties leave very little time for Eun to spend on herself and as a result she becomes bored and lonely. Little does she know that her husband "Joo Young-jak" (Jung-min Hwang) is having an affair with another woman and because of that he spends very little time satisfying her sexual needs. This causes her to become quite sexually frustrated as well. But that all changes one night when she notices a voyeur spying on her while she is at home and totally naked. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an okay South Korean drama which, surprisingly, includes a number of scenes involving sex and nudity. Unfortunately, the lack of good character development caused a bit of confusion for me at times and gave the film a rather shallow feel in the process. At least, that is how it seemed to me. In any case, despite the criticism just mentioned I didn't think that this was necessarily a bad film overall and because of that I have rated it accordingly. Average.
10 Reviews
Extended Soap Opera
michael@piston.net26 May 2004
This is less of a movie than a very extended soap opera. An apparently conscientious young Korean attorney has an affair while his sexually frustrated wife goes looking elsewhere for fulfillment. Apparently he's lousy in bed since both of his women seem to spend an inordinate amount of time in post-coital masturbation. Meanwhile his mother finds love elsewhere as his father lies dieing while his young and tasty assistant yearns for the day when she can make his triangle a square. Altogether it provides a fascinating insight into Korean society, that being - they're just like Americans - or maybe, more specifically, just like Manhattanites - those in Sex and the City, for example.
If this movie has anything deeper to say than "get it while you can" it keeps it well hidden. The tragedy which brings the attorney's marriage - and the movie - to its inevitable conclusion seems to have nothing to do with the plot other than to provide it with a convenient resolution. Still its refreshing to see sexual relationships, marital and otherwise, portrayed in such a frank and nonjudgmental manner. Pity that the film continued about 45 minutes beyond the point that I stopped caring.
If this movie has anything deeper to say than "get it while you can" it keeps it well hidden. The tragedy which brings the attorney's marriage - and the movie - to its inevitable conclusion seems to have nothing to do with the plot other than to provide it with a convenient resolution. Still its refreshing to see sexual relationships, marital and otherwise, portrayed in such a frank and nonjudgmental manner. Pity that the film continued about 45 minutes beyond the point that I stopped caring.
Almost true to life Now in asian countries.
afterdarkpak30 September 2020
Its a korean movie, so definitely well written , well performed , directed, and quality somehow is so so.
it does have some side line stories like korean war, some legal battles and some crime scene investigation stuff, but the main plot is about a lawyer and his wife. husband has some fling going on with someone else and wife is starting having some sexual connection with young kid next door.
As i lived some years in asian countries like china , thai , japan from 2010 to 2018 , this story is kinda real close to reality. busy lives, sexually frustrated husband n wife, and sometimes or many times, either one or both goes for filling that sexually frustration with someone else. and yeah, "cheating / adultery always ends bad" . it does . its always,
it does have some side line stories like korean war, some legal battles and some crime scene investigation stuff, but the main plot is about a lawyer and his wife. husband has some fling going on with someone else and wife is starting having some sexual connection with young kid next door.
As i lived some years in asian countries like china , thai , japan from 2010 to 2018 , this story is kinda real close to reality. busy lives, sexually frustrated husband n wife, and sometimes or many times, either one or both goes for filling that sexually frustration with someone else. and yeah, "cheating / adultery always ends bad" . it does . its always,
Spoilerssssssssss My point of view
rosana174414 June 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I agree to say that this movie is made like a comedy but for those who wants to take a better look they will this that their is much more behind this, it's the social role of wife and husband that are criticized : we can see that the husband propose to his wife to back together because he feels that he have to, he married her he have ti take responsibility, she refuses and he is so happy that she does. It really shows all the problems of the confrontation of two social models. I find really beautiful when the wife cries because of the sexual pleasure she has, because it shows all the fears she probably had, was she still a woman ? She was existing again, could be happy again after all the sadness she had felt, her marriage was constructed on her child now what was left of it ? I don't agree with the person that said the lawyer couldn't satisfy his mistress because i don't think so i think that if she masturbate herself it's more too show another sort of women, modern, she has different boyfriends, she decide of what she wants, she has as much of control as the guy, maybe more. It's a liberated woman (i don't know if it's English)
Too Much.
christa-pelc30 April 2020
This movie was simply too much of all the wrong things. Too many people deliberately hurting each other. Too much (way too much) explicitly sexual scenes. Too many plots that were left undone. Even the end was too vague.
The ending left me wondering about so many things and overall wishing they put gave more depth to each character.
Not for Children
Mark-12919 July 2004
First, although A Good Lawyer's wife is billed as a comedy-drama, it is not. There's little humor to be found in this story of the end of a desolate marriage. Sexually abandoned by her cheating and emotionally indifferent husband, a housewife takes a casual interest in a 16 year old neighbor boy, whose raging hormones give her the passionate interest of a male, something that has disappeared in her marriage. This leads to teenage rituals involving kissing and groping. After a family tragedy, events lead to the culmination of this relationship and a starting point for a new and better life for her.
Beautifully written, acted and directed, the loose ends only add to the film's allure. Not for all tastes. Be warned this is an adult film with graphic nudity and frank dialog throughout, but very rewarding for the mature viewer.
Beautifully written, acted and directed, the loose ends only add to the film's allure. Not for all tastes. Be warned this is an adult film with graphic nudity and frank dialog throughout, but very rewarding for the mature viewer.
You will be bored senseless...
paul_haakonsen11 April 2023
Right, well the concept idea behind the 2003 South Korean drama "Baramnan Gajok" (aka "A Good Lawyer's Wife") from writer and director Im Sang-soo sounded interesting. And thus, I sat down to watch the movie here in 2023, as I happened to stumble upon it by random chance.
But what seemed interesting in the synopsis was a snooze-fest of epic proportions. It was a sluggish narrative that offered nothing interesting to the audience. And running at 104 minutes, it is a massive struggle to sit through "Baramnan Gajok".
The character gallery was mundane and you don't care one bit about any of the character on the screen as they prance through the irrelevant narrative. I am sure that the actors and actresses on the cast list were talented, but they virtually had nothing to work with here.
"Baramnan Gajok" was a swing and a miss, and it is not something I would recommend for fans of the South Korean cinema to sit down and watch. Some of us suffered through this, literally, so you don't have to.
My rating of "Baramnan Gajok" lands on a two out of ten stars.
But what seemed interesting in the synopsis was a snooze-fest of epic proportions. It was a sluggish narrative that offered nothing interesting to the audience. And running at 104 minutes, it is a massive struggle to sit through "Baramnan Gajok".
The character gallery was mundane and you don't care one bit about any of the character on the screen as they prance through the irrelevant narrative. I am sure that the actors and actresses on the cast list were talented, but they virtually had nothing to work with here.
"Baramnan Gajok" was a swing and a miss, and it is not something I would recommend for fans of the South Korean cinema to sit down and watch. Some of us suffered through this, literally, so you don't have to.
My rating of "Baramnan Gajok" lands on a two out of ten stars.
a memorable film
miffymental5 December 2003
This South Korean film dealing with the traumas of a fading marriage is deftly written, acted and shot. It deals with universal issues related to certain life stages with courage and sincerity, the characters are superbly drawn, the plot subtly moves and leaves the viewer with deep feelings and thoughts only such well-crafted and memorable films can.
An excellent Korean movie
nicofeelbetter31 January 2006
The subject of this film is the condition of a woman who is married in the South Korea. The movie takes place now and shows the relationships between men, women, and the family. The strength of the movie is the fact that we pass to a case of characters to a drama. Excellent movie. The movie is perfectly directed by a new Korean filmmaker, I'm Sang-Soo. There is in the movie a special taste of humor, typically from the director (but if you know another Korean filmmakers like PARK Chan-Wook and KIM Ki-Duk, you won't be really surprise, but a little...). The actors, the woman and her husband in the movie play very good. This is the reason why we trust to this story which can exist anywhere at this moment. I recommend hotly this movie.
More Complex Than Expected
derek-duerden7 March 2024
Apart from the interlocking network of relationships (which is complex enough), this film raises and deals with some interesting themes around grief, marital dissatisfaction, mental illness, modern parenting and others.
I'm not really sure I'd describe it as a "comedy" although perhaps some of the gross-out scenes with the grandfather and postman are supposed to be read that way? In any case, the acting is mostly pretty good and the central performance from Moon So-ri is excellent.
As others have noted, the dialogue and content is very frank but if you are ready for that you'll find some interesting depth here also. Recommended.
I'm not really sure I'd describe it as a "comedy" although perhaps some of the gross-out scenes with the grandfather and postman are supposed to be read that way? In any case, the acting is mostly pretty good and the central performance from Moon So-ri is excellent.
As others have noted, the dialogue and content is very frank but if you are ready for that you'll find some interesting depth here also. Recommended.
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