Ardor (Milae) (2002)

Directed by Byun Young-Joo

Starring Kim Yunjin (Lost), Lee Jong-won 

Mi-heun believes her life is pretty much perfect, a loving husband and a pretty eight year old daughter, what more could she desire.

Her perception is destroyed by one of her husbands students who rudely interupts the happy home in a drunken state to disclose that she has been having an affair with the husband. To cap it off, the student whacks Mi-heun across the head causing serious injury.

Six months later, Mi-heun along with her husband and daughter have moved into a small village in the country side, the knock to her head has caused long term problems for which she needs clean air and constant medication. She appears to be wasting away, a shadow of her former self, no longer the contented housewife but a victim of her husbands adultery and thanks to the medication, caught in an almost comatose lifestyle.

Life carries on the same way until one day, Mi-heun realises her tablets have run out, rushing down to the local doctors she has no idea how much this minor event will change her life.

The doctor is a bit of a ladies man, he has devised a game to play with women who he finds attractive but are very obviously lacking something in their lives. 

Want to play a little game with me?

Having fun is the best medicine for headaches.

For four months, until summers end, lets pretend were lovers.

Well have fun together and have sex.

Sound intriguing?

But theres one rule.

If one of us tells the other I love you, then its over.

These sentences spoken by In-gyu (Lee Jong-won), the doctor provide the pivotal moment in the plot and for Mi-heuns (Kim Yunjin) future. Spoken as they are by a doctor and the fact that they are said to a woman whose life was shattered by her own husbands infidelity makes the whole premise seem fairly ridiculous but

For Mi-heun its an awakening, this stranger finds her desirable and unlike her own husband, In-gyu doesnt just want the self satisfaction of the act of sex, no, he makes love; he touches, holds, kisses and caresses his woman. Primal desires and self confidence return to Mi-heun as she turns the tables on her husband and then on In-gyu. As she takes control, the doctor falls under her spell and though he never says it, he does love her.

Gossip spreads like wildfire through the village until the two lovers decide to make what started out as a game, a more permanent arrangement but like all great love stories, tragedy has to strike at the moment of triumph. 

Ardor is a fantasy style romantic drama that is very obviously aimed at a female audience, the acceptance of the game takes a leap of faith from the audience but without it, there is no story.

As it stands, Kim Yunjins performance just about keeps it believable and its a slow paced but well structured romance, enjoyable but not one worth going out of your way for.

Cheers Trev.

No BBFC rating but I'd say it's suitable for 15 and above.

The god quality R3 dvd I have, distributed by Cinema Service is choc-full of extras including a 45 min making of, deleted scenes, interviews and the very good soundtrack amongst other things.