Radio Star
This is a surprisingly small film considering
that it stars two of Korea’s biggest male actors – Ahn Sung-kee and Park
Joong-hoon. It is a love story of sorts but not a typical one. Choi Gon
(Park) is a washed up rock star who had his moment of fame back in the
1980’s when he won a major music award, but after years of struggles with
drugs and his temper he is currently playing in near empty restaurants
or wherever his doggedly loyal manager Park Min Soo (Ahn) can pull in a
favor and get him work. Park has been with Choi through the good and bad
times and this has nearly destroyed his relationship with his wife and
daughter – but he can’t give up on his quickly failing friend. A perhaps
final chance is offered to Choi – a DJ gig in a small radio station out
in the boondocks. He wants nothing to do with it but Park drags him there
and forces him to work.
Choi reluctantly finds himself actually enjoying
the job and the typical film group of local eccentrics who follow his show.
It begins to have a healing effect on him and with the growing popularity
of the show he may even have a chance to hit it big one more time. This
is a fairly sweet feel good film that gets by with its good will, simplicity
and lovable side characters. It takes a while before it gets going but
once it does it will slowly pull you in to the grudging deep unspoken friendship
between the two old warhorses.
My rating for this film: 6.0
Trailer
Reviewed: 02/07