Jinx!!! (2013)

ridiculous rating

A Brilliant Conflict

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

It might seem like a simple little romantic movie, but Naoto Kumazawa's Jinx!!! manages to be touching despite its manipulative and sentimental premise. Arriving in a Japanese school as an exchange student from Korea, Ji-ho (played by K-pop group T-ARA idol Hyomin) strikes up a friendship with her Japanese friend Kaede. Using her love of films she attempts to help her friend and a boy she has long admired overcome their shyness and declare their love for each other by acting out classic scenes from Love Actually, The Notebook, Edward Scissorhands and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.It's hardly a serious examination of cultural differences, not even within the narrow field of romance. but this lovely little film will convince you about the power of movies, the creation of illusions, and their ability to transform one's view of the world. Jinx!!! doesn't rely entirely on western cinema to achieve second-hand effects either. Ji-ho's own tragic-romantic love-story is meaningfully and skillfully integrated into the narrative, and has a beautiful romantic allure of its own.

I've watched some seriously bad japansese romantic comedies in the past, but this one is for sure not one of them. Even my sister, who hates these kind of films, said that it was okay, so I'll roll with it. The movie has many layers. And, although, the romance wasn't that good, the whole friendship and past love tragedy was very interesting and presented nicely. The performances were really good, especially from the korean leading lady, whose performance was very emotional. Being a fan of Kento, of course I would have watched this movie just for him, but this is not one of the typical manga like cheesy movies. Sure, some parts were a little corny, but the whole korean Japanese cultural difference and the constant mentions to movie scenes were entertaining. So, 7 out of 10.

Very juvenile movie, even silly at times. It's clearly aimed for teenage audience and absolutely not suited for more mature people. I had big hopes because Naoto Kumazawa directed Rainbow Song, that also is about a love story between two teenagers, but it's narrated in a totally different, more clever, more mature, more efficient way, and has a bunch of memorable scenes too. Jinx!!!, on the other hand, is just a silly little comedy/romance with some bits of drama here and there, childish dialogs, not so awesome acting and totally uninspired directing. I can't believe the 7.4 rating on IMDb.Just avoid this one if you're older than 18, and even if you're a teenager, please consider watching better movies, just like the aforementioned Rainbow Song. 5/10.

Korean actor Park Hyomin creates an endearing and memorable character in Ji-Ho, a Korean exchange student in Japan for three months. The film's subtitle, "90 days to say I love you," hints at the plot. Ji-Ho is determined to get a withdrawn Japanese friend and the equally withdrawn boy the friend loves together, because Ji-Ho's boyfriend in Korea, as we see at the first, has died in a tragic accident, and Ji-Ho wants her new friend to find the happiness that Ji-Ho herself has lost. The bittersweet theme does not stop the film from having great good humor, and the ending got to me, in a good way, because this charming romantic comedy has some nicely sharpened teeth. Its exploration into the nature of grief and how to cope with the pain of great loss stays on target without devolving into greeting card sentimentality. And Hyomin's touching portrayal of Ji-Ho, hiding her wounded soul beneath a smiling, happy face, keeps you caring and, at the end, will have you cheering. As shown by JINX!!!, Hyomin's career keeps rocketing along. Her versatility is impressive. She won a MBC Best New Comer Award in 2011 for her role in the historical drama, Gyebaek. She continues being an important part, singing, dancing, rapping, of the classy, superstar K- Pop group, T-ARA (pronounced Tiara, of which she is one of the original members). She also does photography and produces professional photo- books, is a sought-after model in high fashion magazines, draws and designs, composes, on and on. The term, Renaissance Woman doesn't come close. And due soon is a much anticipated debut solo recording. Wherever this young woman's multi-faceted career takes her next, it will be interesting and fun to watch. But don't blink. Park Hyomin works hard and moves fast. Watch JINX!!! and catch a glimpse of what I mean. Very fine.