Take Care of My Cat (2001) User Reviews

Good story, quite subtle remarks on women in korea

[dave-658 · 6/10 · 21 February 2003]

This movie works on two levels, basically the story that happens and also as a subtle progressive social commentary about the state of korea and how women are somewhat confined and the "minor" injustices they face all the time. I wouldn't go so far as to call it feminist because what alot of the movie is dealing with is just the basic struggle for existence, and how each of the girls can fit into the world somehow.

The story at first begins somewhat boring as its unclear what the purposes of the movie are, but around 20 minutes into the movie when Hye-ju rejects JiYoung's gift of the cat, and then later fails to meet her on time at a restaurant, it is clear that the movie is finally starting to move with its plot in some noticeable direction. And the way it does so is very smooth and well directed you slowly become immersed in the intricate details of thier world, which is a fundamental quality of a of a good movie. As a drama, it does its job of immersing the viewer in the emotions of its characters. I think it is a definitely progressive style drama as many other coming of age styled dramas are, and is enjoyable to watch throughout because you are always getting a realistic look at modern korean life as the story moves.

Worth watching!

A fine little drama

[i-hate-movies · 8/10 · 14 February 2004]

This fairly low-key drama that follows the lives of a group of young girls after they graduate from high school is well-crafted and affecting. The IMDB stats confirm what is only to be expected: namely that you will especially love this film if you're a twenty-something female.

Incidentally, the average standard of Korean film amazingly high. My own policy is that any time I get the chance to see a Korean film, I do so. Regardless of whether it is a thriller or a comedy or a drama, I'm rarely disappointed - what is on offer is often excellent, and scarcely ever less than okay.

Great movie!

[chewbaccuh · 8/10 · 31 January 2006]

For anyone that has been out of high school for more than ten years can relate to this movie. It tells of five friends who were close in high school, but begin to drift apart immediately upon graduation.

Like all friends, there is one in the group who tries hard, against all odds, of keeping the cluster of friends together, but in vain. The girls personalities and ambitions are different, from the corporate wanna-be, to the emotionally troubled artist.

This is rated a buy. Watch it once and think about it on more than one level and you will be well rewarded. The cat is the one factor in the end that unites them all because the cat is eventually passed to each girl as the group dissolves.

Real

[Thatchen · 2 December 2004]

This was a very insightful movie, as far as the tensions that might come between old friends, and the hardships that come with growing up. The plot is a little slow moving, but then, so is life. It may seem like the story goes nowhere, but really there's a very profound ending, even though you won't spot it if you're looking for a movie with all the cliché storyline signs: Villain, some horribly horrible task befalling the main character, and at the end everyone saves the day. It's not an action movie, and it's not about superheros~ It's about life, and so the movie moves and looks and feels the way *real* life does.

Meow

[=G= · 6/10 · 1 December 2003]

"Take Care of my Cat" traces the activities and vicissitudes of a diverse group of five best friend female high school grads in South Korea as they embark upon life as adults. This film quietly passes on the sensational exploitation of sex, drugs, etc. one would expect to find in a similar American film as it moves quietly through its over-the-shoulder examination of the issues confronted and the choices made. What this film lacks in substance it may make up for in its real, fresh, and even presentation. On the other hand, if following a gaggle of Korean teens around shopping malls while they yack on their cell phones doesn't sound interesting to you, perhaps you should find another film. (B-)

A perceptive coming of age film that avoids genre clichés

[howard.schumann · 9/10 · 27 September 2004]

33-year old director Jae-eun Jeong's Take Care of my Cat is a perceptive coming of age film about five young Korean women trying to cope with the transition from high school to the adult world. Though a bit overlong and somewhat disjointed, it is an honest work that avoids genre clichés of sex, drugs, and even boyfriends. The film received a major award at the Rotterdam Film Festival in 2002, but did not gain proper recognition until its DVD release this year. The title refers to a stray kitten, Tee tee, which is passed between the five girls and, as circumstances pull their lives apart, serves as a connection between them. Set in the City of Inchon, the bleak working-class environment establishes the mood of the film. According to the director, "Inchon is a city with many immigrants who came during the war or in the 70s during industrialization. It is a city full of wanderers that matched my characters who were outsiders."

The girls are in constant movement. Whirling through the city on subways and buses between work, clubs, and restaurants, we get a sense of their optimism and energy. Programmed to play entire melodies, their cellphones ring constantly as the girls coordinate their meetings and activities. In a clever gimmick, the director floats the text messages on the screen, in bus windows, and building walls. While it took me a while to get to know each character, each one has a strong and distinctive personality and, by the end, I felt a part of their lives. Hae-joo (Yo-won Lee) is the most outgoing and self confident but can be self-absorbed and insensitive to others. Through connections made by her affluent family, she lands a job as an assistant in a brokerage firm.

Although aware of the fact that she is a "low-wage" earner without much of a future at the company, she becomes fashion-conscious, carries a Louis Vuitton bag, and is acutely conscious of her appearance, spending money on laser surgery for her eyes. When she moves to Seoul to advance her career, it further strains the relationship with the others. Ji-young (Ji-young OK) is the opposite, a soft-spoken, sensitive young woman who lives in the poorest section of town with her grandparents in a run-down shack and cannot find a good job. She lacks the means to develop her considerable potential as a designer artist and is prone to moods of sadness and withdrawal. Tae-hee, in an outstanding performance by Doo-na Bae, is the glue that holds the friendships together by arranging meetings and bringing people together.

Tae-hee works for her father in his traditional "hot-rock" healing spa and, in her spare time, types for a poet afflicted with cerebral palsy who has developed strong feelings for her. Twins Bi-ryu (Eun-shil Lee) and Ohn-jo (Eun-joo Lee) play minor roles as they try to scrape together a living hawking jewelry on the street but their characters seem included more for comic relief than to further the plot. The girl's world seems strange to the older generations but the harsh reality of survival is constant, their ambitions often at odds with the male-dominated society. Ji-young wants to be a textile designer but is unable to go to school, Hae-joo wants a respectable job in the business world, and Tae-hee dreams of escaping from the suffocating restrictions of her family, though recognizing that running away is "so tacky".

She comes into open conflict with her family in a restaurant when her traditional father, rather than admitting he can't read the menu, orders the most popular dish for everyone. Tension arises between Hae-joo and Ji-young when Hae-joo invites everyone to go on a shopping spree even though she knows that Ji-young may feel left out. Tae-hee is the most supportive and is there for Ji-young when tragedy strikes, willing to do whatever is necessary to support her. Take Care of my Cat has no peak dramatic moments, no plot contrivances that propel us toward certain emotional responses, only the sad undercurrent of the inevitability of change in a confusing world. Backed by the moody electronic sound track by Kim Jin-cheol and Byul, I found Take Care of my Cat to be a moving experience. Jae-eun Jeong does not provide easy answers as to the direction the girls will take, but, by avoiding cynicism, she allows us to see their life in terms of possibility.

an interesting look at life after high school.

[tmcintyre · 6/10 · 14 May 2002]

Take Care of My Cat focuses on five South Korean teenagers who have recently graduated high school and are now dealing with adapting to the adult world and trying to keep their friendship alive. The film follows their day to day lives and the difficulties as they try to adjust. Jeong's direction is very observational, you feel as though you are following the characters through their daily routines as nothing really happens except the decisions and challenges that are faced everyday. This film is not for the easily bored and I did find myself losing interest a couple of times, but overall it is a very interesting look at everyday life in South Korea.

I'll take care of your cat anytime

[kerpan · 10/10 · 22 May 2003]

Goyangileul butaghae aka Take Care of my Cat (JEONG Jae-eun, 2001)

"Cat" tells the story of five young women, one year after their high school graduation. It focuses particularly on three of them: Tae-hee (played by BAE Doo-na -- an upper middle-clas girl, who feels trapped by her rather philistine family -- who works for free for the family business and as a volunteer typist for a young poet afflicted with severe cerebral palsy), Hae-joo (played by LEE Yo-won -- a somewhat lower middle-class girl, who has a job as a trainee in a brokerage firm, and has dreams of unencumbered upwards mobility, with all the attendant opportunities for conspicuous consumption) and Ji-young (played by OK Ji-young -- an orphan who lives with her impoverished grandparents in a rather squalid slum dwelling, who wants to study textile design, but currently can't find any work at all to help supplement the meager family income). The other two girls are the twins Bi-ryu and Ohn-jo (played by LEE Eun-shil and Eun-joo, currently working as street vendors selling home-made jewelry "all strung with the highest grade fishing line").

Like Ozu's films this movie SEEMS virtually plotless -- but beyond describing the overall situation (which I did above), I find it impossible to say much about the plot content that couldn't spoil a new viewer's enjoyment of the many little twists and turns of the story. Let it suffice to say that all three of our key characters suffer a number of vicissitudes during the relatively short time span covered by the film.

After watching this a second (and third) time, I noted something that had not registered at the time of my first viewing. The film very much reminds me (in a number of ways) of recent Aki Kaurismaki films, especially "Drifting Clouds" and "Man Without a Past" (which was released AFTER "Cat"). JEONG and her cinematographer CHOI Yeong-kwan (also a relative beginner) show the same ability to present what OUGHT to be ugly urban settings in a way that gives them an unexpected sense of beauty (with no trace of artificial prettification). The humor is JEONG's script is mostly rather dead-pan, passing by with no attempt to "play it up". And she shows a deep affection and respect for her characters (even for Hae-joo, who can test the patience of both her friends and the viewers of the film with her arrogant self-centeredness). Finally, the finale of the film is rather reminiscent of that of the Kaurismaki films I mentioned already (saying more would definitely be a spoiler -- if this vague circumlocution is a spoiler in itself -- accept my regrets).

One final word, the five young actresses featured here are absolutely splendid, one and all. And, if there is any justice is the cinematic world, at least one of them BAE Doo-na should be destined for "greatness".

One cat to bind them all

[Atavisten · 7/10 · 8 April 2007]

This story about how 5 girls drift apart from each other after graduating high-school and trying their best to cope with their employments or to find a job at all reflects on the sad state of change in peoples lives without ever becoming sentimental or clichéd, instead it is compelling and insightful. Debutant Jeong Jae-eun paints a realistic picture of the life of these girls in the port city of Incheon, neighbouring Seoul, and how Bae Doo-na's character holds them together with despite their very diverse backgrounds which threatens to make them distance themselves from each other. Her second movie sure looks promising on the background of this wonderful work.

Distant voices...

[paul2001sw-1 · 9/10 · 16 January 2005]

'Take Care of My Cat' is a thoughtful, sensitive and perceptive look at the lives of a group of young Koreans living in Inchon (Seoul's port city) as they undergo the difficult transition from students to workers. The characters of the different girls, and the changing interactions between them, are depicted with considerable skill and subtlety, as the film observes how the proliferation of mobile phones in society has not necessarily eliminated loneliness, and explores the (neo-Loachian) idea of the difficulty in maintaining relationships that straddle class boundaries. For a European, the film also provides an interesting portrait of contemporary Korea; awash with modern technology, but nonetheless still suffering from a relatively impoverished urban environment. The details are convincing and fascinating; the themes universal and profound, yet the film makes its points lightly and with grace. The result is genuinely moving experience. Definitely recommended.

Korean Chick Flick

[edchin2006 · 6/10 · 27 December 2008]

A Korean Chick Flick which is a tad on the long side.

To really enjoy this film, you need to be a Teen, a female and/or interested in Korean culture. There's not much a guy might be interested in - a bit of human interest, perhaps?

I see this as something the gals would enjoy, but not something to drag the boyfriend to. It's like taking a girlfriend to your favorite football or basketball movie. Don't do it!

Still, I am impressed that so many males had such favorable comments about the movie. Perhaps, the younger generation is more in touch with their feelings.

A deceptively quiet drama...

[davidals · 9/10 · 19 August 2006]

I was very impressed by this upon first viewing, a couple years ago, and boy does it hold up with the passage of time. This was Jeong's debut and it will be interesting to see what she comes up with next.

In this coming-of-age story set in a group of young women in a rather bleak and industrial Inchon, S Korea, Jeong doesn't attempt to duplicate the lushness of Naruse or the extraordinary technique of Ozu, but there's an elegance that recalls both - a real ability to look straight into the many subtle slights these women endure, along with the many moments of joy they create, and discover profundity in the everyday. The basic mechanics of the story seem (at first) simple, and the film seems very ethereal for the first 20 minutes or so, but it does coalesce into something quite memorable - the slow tempo and loping narrative makes it easy to overlook the subtle defiance and independence of spirit (and the quick moments of odd, deadpan humor) to be found underneath it all. In both look and feel, Jeong's work is of a piece with certain other leading figures in the current Asian cinematic new wave, and like the best examples of that new wave, Jeong creates a memorable style of her own.

Sweet but not sappy, occasionally tragic without sliding into gross manipulations - a film of great power. The Kino DVD looks great, no extras however.

Not for your average movie watcher

[henry325 · 5/10 · 22 December 2006]

This movie is not for entertainment. If you want drama, action, funny lines, situational comedies, or what not then you won't find it in this movie, go watch "My Sassy Girl" or something like that. Instead you'll find a movie that follows the lives of 5 girls after high school graduation and to be quite frank, for them, life kinda sucks. It's a drama, indeed a subtle one, there's no dying lover or at any point will you be at tears. The movie left me unsatisfied, it didn't really seem to have a plot to me but if I had to describe it, I'd say its about the trials and tribulations of becoming an independent person on your own and then realizing that you have friends and friends are there to support you on your ups and downs. Well directed, well thought out, just a low entertainment value.

Sensitive, Warm, and Wise

[ShimmyShim · 9/10 · 4 June 2004]

For me, "Take Care of My Cat" was one of 2003's overlooked treasures.

Low-key in plot and imbued with tone, this debut feature by Jae-eun Jeong focuses on a transitional moment in the lives of a group of 5 female friends drifting apart because of jobs, because of boys, because of familial duties.

There's a warmth and intimacy to this film that is similar in many ways to "Lost In Translation," another film of female transition. "Take Care of My Cat" succeeds through beautifully fluid and feline cinematography and lived-in performances by the five superb young actresses.

There's something special happening in Korean cinema as of late, with such recent masterpieces as "Oasis" waiting to be discovered by the world at large. Alongside Lynn Ramsay's "Ratcatcher" and Sophia Coppolla;s "Virgin Suicides," this may be my favorite debut by a female film-maker.

A

Melancholic, recognizable 'odeur'; Is begging for a sequel

[The_Melancholic_Alcoholic · 9/10 · 28 April 2006]

This film had a pensive effect on me. For some reason, it reminded me of F*cking Åmål, (don't go All-American/FakeChristian/MidWestern hypocrite on me and report this, it's the official IMDb title --> http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0150662/), perhaps it is the theme of childhood or teenage-ship which runs through both of them. When I watched F*cking Åmål, I strongly felt that it showed a world of teenagers lost to me now forever and 'Goyangileul Butaghae' is actually about that, so there. It's quite a film with a lot of recognition, even if one is not a twenty something female, but a European male from a different age group altogether. For the first minute that I watched it, I didn't realize that it wasn't a European film. I was just zapping. And I'm kind of sorry that I didn't tape this one. Because the film's beautiful sadness or melancholy, is striking indeed. It's really a film which you wanna own on DVD or tape. Quite nice to get a peek inside Korean teenage-twins life, the harsh differences (the policeman telling an orphaned girl who just lost her grandparents due to a collapsed roof too that she should count herself lucky to be rid of a burden) and the similarities (the way they deal with boys etc).

Okay, maybe I just liked this film because it's about five attractive girls and I'm male but that's not all of it. Like the other users said, its atmosphere, the 'odeur' is so beautiful. The ending (it was my favorite type of ending. Don't worry, I won't tell;) ) screams for a sequel! I wanna see more! How about 'Tae-hie and Ji-young's Travel Adventure'? And where can I get the music?

The Melancholic Alcoholic.

Beautifully filmed and wonderfully acted

[Michael Lindberg · 10/10 · 25 November 2002]

What a wonderful film. Take Care of My Cat has been something I've been eyeing for a long time, and I finally bought the DVD of it. I thought it was an excellent film, and was very well made.

The film is directed by newcomer JEONG Jae-eun. The movie stars BAE Doo-na (the Ring Virus) as Tae-hee, LEE Yo-won (Attack the Gas Station) as Hae-joo, newcomer OK Ji-young as Ji-young, and twins LEE Eun-sil and LEE Eun-ju (Asako in Ruby Shoes) as Bi-ryu and Ohn-jo. All five of the girls are relative newcomers, but they all played their parts with great confidence. I was especially impressed with BAE Doo-na and OK Ji-young. Their characters' relationship, seemingly formed out of necessity and circumstance, grew stronger through shared thoughts and misfortune.

In the film, Ji-young discovers a stray cat and soon takes it into her care. At Hae-joo's birthday party, Ji-young gives the cat to her as a gift. Not even a week after, Hae-joo, a busy corporate girl who is doing the best to survive in a less than satisfactory position, gives the cat back to Ji-young. Throughout the course of the film, the cat eventually makes her way through the hands of all five characters; each giving her up when changes in their lives force them to do so. The cat is used not to move the plot forward, but to externalize the movement of struggle in the lives of the girls. The girls left with the cat in the very end, the twins Bi-ryu and Ohn-jo, are the only ones whose lives require changes that are already present in their lives. Their ending up with the cat symbolizes their confidence with their position in the world. To the others, the cat remains a part of the world that they are leaving behind.

The movie itself works extremely well. The five girls are all very realistically portrayed, all trying to find their place in a world that is different than they had hoped it would be. Both Tae-hee and Ji-young live in less than satisfactory conditions, and the viewer observes these two trying to make the best of what they have. Nothing is dwelled on forever in this film. Director JEONG Jae-eun instead uses simple observation of events in the present lives of the two to frame the characters' past existence and give them a reason to leave their lives and move into the world. Sometimes this can be through tragedy, or sometimes by choice, but the justification to pack up and leave is always given.

I especially liked the music, done by M&F. It was almost German sounding, and fit the mood of the film perfectly. Although most of the music was diegetic (or coming from a source on screen, like a radio), the non-diegetic M&F music was used during turning points in the character's lives, or to frame their existence in the world.

Some may consider Take Care of My Cat a chick flick, and with no less than five main female stars and a very confident female director, this could easily have turned into another Sex in the City, focusing on nothing but men and sex. It doesn't, however, and instead loses itself in the complexities of everyday life, and the struggle between one's dreams and the reality one must face on a daily basis. The films ending, while abrupt and a little too open, shows that one must take chances in life instead of remaining where one has been told is the right place to be.

Overall, this is a great film. It may not be a film for everybody, but I found it to be very beautiful to watch. The directing is superb, with great framing and pacing. The acting is also very good, and seemed very natural. I highly recommend it. It also looks like it will be getting a US theatrical release as well, so be sure to check it out. The Korean DVD set is also worth it, and includes two short films by the director.

10/10

Beautiful

[o_lopez · 9/10 · 26 May 2003]

When I saw this movie on television I was amazed. The story is well written although it starts a little slow. The four main characters are girlfriends whose relationship is windling down as they become older.

The most optimist one is Tae-hee, who tries to keep the group together with a lot energy trying to help others. However, Tae-hee neglects her own happines as she works in the family business run by her father. She is never paid a salary and is shunned away by her father's favoritism towards her brother. She spends free time (not really explained) typing for a handicapped poet. She notices that she and Ji-young have a lot of things in common. Ji-young lives on the shores of the bay of Inchon. She lives on a shack with her grandma. Her dream is to study textile design abroad but she can't afford to because she's very poor. She feels further neglected when Hae-joo starts drifting away from her (Seoul mall scene). She can't find a job because she has never had a job experience, apart for being typecast as being a shy girl. Hae-joo is Ji-young's other end of the spectrum. She has a steady job at a firm in Seoul, owns her own apartment, earns a decent wage and is very ambitious. Tae-hee witnesses how Ji-young and Hae-joo start to drift apart because of their social status. Tae-hee remembers Hae-joo and Ji-young used to be the closest ones. Hae-joo knows that climbing up in her social status will in some way wreck her relationship with the other girls and feels bad about it, but she doesn't give up her dreams. The twins Ohn-jo and Bi-ryu are Korean-born Chinese girls who live by themselves in an apartment on the Chinese sector of Inchon. Both stay rather neutral towards the viewpoints of their friends. Both can't help but watch their bond break apart. There's a lot of iconography in this movie that could be further explained (smoking, etc), but one thing that I liked was the way they communicate. In an age of technology available to anyone, the girls communicate through their cell phones constantly with instant messages. The messages appear in walls, bedposts, etc. a very innovative technique.

Interesting coming of age story with a few good performances and good direction from Jeong but weak in several important areas to the film's overall detriment

[bob the moo · 26 August 2004]

A group of female school friends find their lives change when they all are out of education and either in jobs or looking for work. After coming together for a birthday party the friends start to drift apart. Hae-Joo heads to Seoul to take a job that quickly starts to take over her life while her other friends, feeling abandoned and separated are left to take stock of their relationships and lives. As the group starts to drift apart, Tae-Hee and Ji-Young start to become closer than they were and try to plan out their lives.

When a film is subtitled from a foreign language it is easy to praise it for being excellent when really it is just 'good'; likewise it is easy to want to see a film because of the country of origin and not on the merits of the film itself. Finally it is easy to forgive a foreign film for weaknesses or standards that we would frown upon in an American film. I don't know quite why this is – maybe because so few people see these films or it is hard to see them so we want to sound cine-literate and intelligent by seeing 'a great little foreign film', and maybe we blind ourselves to it a little – I know I do it, I loved Swiri when really it was just an enjoyable American-style action movie, nothing more. So with this film, I didn't sit to watch it because of the story but mainly because it was from South Korea and I have seen several from this country recently and liked them.

The IMDb reviews for this film generally fall into the trap of forgiving a film for things that you wouldn't forgive an American film for and, as such, are quite gushing on the whole. This is not to say that it is no good, but rather than it is only 'good' and not some wondrous piece of art! The plot is fairly loose and is more character driven than anything else and, in this way, it suits the style and tone that the film sets out very early on. The freewheeling film would have been better if the film had hit a more realistic and engaging script. The characters are OK but not all of the five or so main characters are easy to get to know – I ended up finding Tae-Hee easiest to care about and Hae-Joo the easiest to understand (mainly because her low-paid, hard-worked administrator is universally recognisable). The characters are still interesting and make for an OK tale about the difficult stage where school friends drift, the workplace takes over the majority of your hours and you find you life changing, but it is no more than good for the majority.

The script could have been much sharper and the characters much better written and this would have been a much better film as a result. At this point I will admit that perhaps I didn't get a lot of it due to not being aware of the culture that the characters were in but, to be honest, I think the story is fairly applicable across cultures with only maybe the influence of parental pressures having greater importance. The way the story heads in the final third also betrays what started as a pretty realistic picture of the life of the twenty year olds by going places that seem to have been done in the name of creating more narrative and dramatic flow. The script does manage to convey the chatter and general hustle-bustle of city life, with the use of text messaging, mobile phones and ring tones well done in capturing those still young enough to enjoy the world of pop ring tones while also finding themselves with the income to waste on them!

The cast mostly do well but the lion's share of the film is given to three actresses. Yu-won Lee is good but the script paints her a too-simple character in Hae-Joo and she is left to deliver the obvious rather than the insightful. As the heart of the group (or at least the story) Du-na Bae is likable and does well with conveying her mix of sadness, loss, hope and happiness. OK is unconvincing as Ji-young and is too difficult to get inside as a character. The Lee twins are used just as twins and have no meat on their characters at all – the film lets them drift in and out of view so easily that I wondered why it hadn't gone for a scaled down story and made it about 3 friends instead of 5. Director Jeong makes the film look and feel very interesting, with nice use of split screens and a clever display of text messages etc. Her collection of award winning shorts shows she has talent in this area but, like many directors of shorts, the step up to features has seen problems exposed that a short film, by their very nature, would conceal. The title and end credits are imaginative and enjoyable (even if the style at the end makes it hard to read any names – maybe bothering those that worked on it but not me, since they were all in Korean).

If my review sounds overly negative maybe I am accidentally overcompensating for the praise it has had from others. I did like the film but I must admit that it was quite weak in many regards. The basic plot works at the start but the writing is not good enough to sustain a character driven story, while later narrative twists just take away from what should have been a touching story set in reality. Worth seeing once as a coming of age story but not worthy of the praise it has garnered from some circles and not one I'll be rushing back to for a second viewing.

Slow and pointless...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 22 December 2015]

Of course it is stupid to think that every single South Korean movie is going to be a masterpiece. There are hits and there are misses, and "Take Care of My Cat" (aka "Goyangileul butaghae") from 2001 was definitely a miss.

The movie was unfathomably slow and rather pointless. It is just about two hours of absolutely nothing happening. The movie trots ahead at a very slow pace and doesn't pick up much pace before about an hour and twenty-five minutes into the movie, and even then it wasn't interesting.

What little bit of any interest there was to this movie, then it had to be the acting by the actresses that were in the movie.

"Take Care of My Cat" is a movie about friendship and coming of age. So if you enjoy such movies, then you might find something interesting about this particular movie directed by Jae-eun Jeong.

I wasn't entertained by Jae-eun Jeong's movie, and was in fact rather disappointed after the praise critics gave this movie.

A mere three out of ten stars is what I could muster up for this movie.

The joyous sorrows and sorrowful joys of youth on the cusp of adulthood

[OldAle1 · 10/10 · 26 November 2008]

Five schoolgirls, identical outfits and identical jet black hair, posing for each other's pictures, swearing eternal friendship...a few years later, and the bonds are not so tight as class and social difference threaten feelings, family structures, even livelihoods. Jeong's first feature is one of the most remarkable debuts I've ever seen, a seemingly low-key yet cinematically brilliant and powerfully energetic slice of life story that communicates the dramas at the edge of adulthood, the struggles to succeed in the hustle of the big city or at the margins of society.

At the beginning of the film, the girls are still fairly tight, despite one of them -- proud capitalist-to-be Hye-ju moving to Seoul early in the film, while the rest live in the semi-suburban Incheon, some distance to the west of the capital. They are in constant cell-phone contact, by voice and texting, and this allows the director lots of fun with the visual trope of lettering appearing in various places on the screen when a character is texting another...at first this seemed merely playful to me, but it's clear that she has an agenda involving communication breakdown, despite the instantaneous nature of modern technology; the central character of Tae-hie, direction-less herself but working harder than any of the others to keep them from drifting, actually uses an old-fashioned typewriter while transcribing writing for a man with cerebral palsy -- an indication, perhaps, that she is more aware of both the past and the pitfalls of today. The third major character, Ji-young, lives in poverty and loneliness with her aging grandparents, and it is largely her growing isolation from Hye-ju, her former best friend, that sets what plot there is here in motion. The last two girls are twins Bi-ryu and Ohn-jo and are a bit less well-developed, but not surprisingly so as their devotion to each other helps keep them from needing the others as much.

The film is full of charm and wit, and a growing sense of pathos as the world of adulthood really comes crashing in on a couple of the characters, and the director and her brilliant cinematographer Yeong-hwan Choi make stunning use of windows, mirrors, glasses and the urban landscapes of both the big modern city center and its grimy decaying outreaches to depict the fragmented personalities and souls of a group of girls bouncing back and forth between liberation and servitude -- often self-imposed -- and never really quite aware of what it's all for. The low key, electronically-based score is wistful and romantic, beautiful and perfectly complimentary without ever really dominating the mood. Watched on an excellent Kino DVD, in the fall of 2007.

A fascinating look at girls coming of age in another culture

[BishoptksKnight · 9/10 · 22 February 2003]

and another country. The place is Korea and the story follows 5 friends that just having finished school must learn to make it in the real world. The transitions in their relationships and closeness with each other as they each go their separate way and through their own dilemmas is realistic enough to sometimes make one feel depressed as to how childhood friends grow apart and how adulthood changes the chemistry and makeup of the magic that once was. As an westerner, I must say that I have found a real love of Korean film - it's fresh and different and seems to be in a renaissance period at the moment. When I think of some of these films having their scripts translated directly to English and played by English speaking actors, I find there probably wouldn't be anything special about them. But in their native form, with the backdrop of Seoul and the culture, they are a refreshing and mind provoking break from the drudgery of American cinema. The story is quite a simple layout but the issues that they each deal with, no matter how 'everyday life' they appear are complex to each character, just as life truly is.

I really enjoyed this film. I especially liked the innovative way that the director used the cell phone usage between the girls graphically. The way when they were texting each other, he would incorporate it in writing on the side of a building, or across a table. It fit perfectly with the film and didn't jar it or seem out of place. He also incorporated this for when one of the girls scenes when she is typing for a poet with cerebal palsy. A really unique use of how to truly convey the daily use of text messaging in Korean society.

Like I said, I really enjoyed this film. A stimulating break from most of the choices I find myself having to watch in this country and a great coming of age/dealing with the pressures of identity and the grown up world film.

beautiful sadness

[bjb15 · 1 November 2003]

a wonderful take on the trials of friendship. i was most taken by the character of Tae-hee. there is one scene where she is imagining herself floating in a boat, down a stream. all she wants to do is sit back, look up at the sky, and read. she wants to let everything go, and drift away from the mainstream. this scene was immediately relatable to me, almost cathartic. the director doesn't sentimentalize the very real emotions these young women are feeling. the music is quite good, and the performances are perfect.

Great, dreamy movie

[brucearnold · 8/10 · 26 February 2005]

I'm not sure why I don't give this movie a perfect mark. However, I'm sure many many people will enjoy it. When you watch this movie, you are pulled slowly through the lives of the five main characters over a period of time. Some might desire more of a plot-driven scheme but the acting (at least for the characters that count) and the nostalgic story are a treat. We watch five girls - formerly best friends - as life pulls them apart slowly. In fact, if not for the efforts of one of them, they would have long gone their respective ways. It's dreamy, a lot is said with their eyes and with the landscape through which they walk. It's not conventional but it's a really good movie.

Good stuff

[seronie · 10/10 · 15 May 2003]

This is a nice, introspective movie that looks about growing up and trying to stay friends after school. Though set in Korea it is still applicable to the West.

Though this film feels every inch of its running time it is still worth a look. The performances are all good, Ji young and Doo-na Bae bringing out very memorable performances. This film ranges from funny to poignant and back again enough times to keep you interested and its critique of life in its country is particularly resonant.

It manages to frame well the thoughts of the current youth and how things never seem to go as planned, especially our dreams. Recommended

Dreadful.

[meejoir · 2/10 · 24 February 2003]

Take Care of My Cat follows the lives of a group of girls who have recently left school in South Korea and are searching for a meaning or a purpose in their life.

To say this film was dreadful is a compliment, as it was worse than dreadful. I am not a new comer to far eastern films and I must admit I really was looking forward to seeing this film, which I had read only good things about. This movie felt like 9 hours long and it went nowhere.

The only interesting areas of the film were the parts with the girls sending text messages and the text appeared in windows etc. Some of the split screen stuff worked well too, but ultimately the plot went nowhere. Sure I am interested in cultures from the other side of the world but at least attach a story to it.

It could have been aptly titled "Take Care of My Plot", as the scriptwriter clearly didn't.

Not recommended at all. 2 out of 10 and that is just for the clever graphics.