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Director: Jae-young Kwak. Review: Adam Wing.
Had someone told me this morning that later today I would be watching a new Japanese movie that sits somewhere between Pretty Woman and Terminator, I’d have politely asked them what it was they were smoking. But here it is folks, a rom-com sci-fi movie from the director of My Sassy Girl and Windstruck. Jae-young Kwak introduces us to a lonely young man who falls in love with an emotionless cyborg, Jiro (Keisuke Koide) is celebrating his birthday alone when he crosses paths with a mysterious young beauty and after spending the evening together the girl vanishes without a trace. Jiro’s life has been pretty dull up to this point, and he knows that whatever happens, he’ll never be able to shake that girl or the night they spent together. Exactly one year later, he returns to the same restaurant and the girl reappears to celebrate his twenty-first birthday. But something is different this year, as Jiro discovers when an assassin forgets his table manners and starts shooting the place up. Jiro’s life is saved by the woman of his dreams, and it’s here that traumatised boyfriends of the world can unite, because the great thing about Cyborg She is that it takes its sci-fi just as seriously as it’s romance, which means Jae-young Kwak may have inadvertently created the perfect date movie. Action, romance, comedy and sci-fi, what’s not to love?
The opening act sets the scene in sassy style, first we meet a boy, and then we meet a girl. So far, so very routine, comedy is most definitely the order of the day here. The two leads are endearing enough and the scene is set for a romantic endeavour somewhere between Pretty Woman and Splash. Fortunately, for anyone sick and tired of tried and tested formula, Jae-young Kwak clearly wasn’t paying any attention in Romantic Comedy 101. You can forget your regular routine of romantic notions and comedy cliché, Ja-young throws a spanner in the works, not to mention the bolts, screws, rusty innards and human tissue that keep it in place. There’s nothing particularly new in what he does, some scenes are ripped straight out of classic sci-fi cinema, but the fact that it all takes place in a romantic comedy universe means that rules no longer apply and what transpires feels remarkably refreshing. It’s pretty damn brutal at times too, but at the films heart is an engaging romance and two wonderful lead turns. Definitely one for the ladies then, but lets not forget the laser beams, intense action, superhero trimmings and apocalyptic ending either, girls these days are so much more demanding.
Keisuke Koide plays it both naïve and unwittingly dumb, and occasionally Jiro comes across as a little too innocent for a twenty-year-old guy. That being said, his performance is pitch perfect, and you’ll find yourself not only believing in him from the start, but wanting to spend the rest of the movie with him too. Haruka Ayase (Ichi) has a tough part to play because truly capturing the essence of both human and cyborg can be a tricky task, but she pulls it off effortlessly and the chemistry between the two leads is often electrifying, quite literally in fact. The best thing for me about this film though is the fact that Jae-young Kwak never feels as though he has to dumb it down or play it safe in order to satisfy a certain demographic. I’m not saying that Cyborg She is dense in science fact or fiction, it’s a commercial sci-fi vehicle that touches on time travel and apocalyptic fallout, but the abundance of futuristic elements and action ensure that Cyborg She is far more enticing then your typical Sandra Bullock/random soulless Hollywood leading man movie.
The last twenty minutes tie up the loose plot strands but in truth, a little time spent in the editing suite could have made for a leaner, more comfortable fit. It’s an interesting diversion for sure but for me the movie had all ready ended on a higher note, besides, that’s my only criticism of a very enjoyable night in. Cyborg She is a refreshing change of pace for fans of both science fiction and happy ending Hollywood. I never dreamt the two would work so well together but here we are, light, breezy, laugh out loud funny and effortlessly charming, Cyborg She is touching science fiction for the big gay bear in all of us, and I recommend it highly. The girls will love it, and the guys can prove they aren’t just soulless robots after all, turns out Cyborg She really is the perfect date movie. |
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