About This DVD

In the highly stylistic psychodrama "M", director Lee Myeong-se explores a classic theme sought time after time by (particularly male) filmmakers here - the haunting imprint of first love, romanticized in all its glory. Lee showcases one stunning mise-en-scene after another, but "M" proves to be a rather anticlimactic audiovisual experience. It shows that throwing in all the visually pleasing ingredients available does not necessarily cook up a great movie.

Min-wu (Kang Dong-won) seems to have it all on top of being a best-selling author, he is blessed with good looks and a rich and beautiful fiancee (Kong Hyo-jin). But beneath it all, the poor guy is suffering from a serious case of writer's block and a family debt to take care of.

To make matters worse, Min-wu is seriously convinced someone is watching him and is plagued with daunting daydreams and hallucinations. But the writer manages to piece together fragments of the puzzle, which leads to something deeply buried in his heart: his first love Mi-mi (Lee Yeon-hee) who died 11 years before.

"M" is novel in its attempt to deconstruct the inner workings of Min-wu's mind. It depicts his spiraling mentality from both an observer's point of view and through direct enactment's of his delusions. He is literally chasing after mementos of his past in obscure alleyways, and his fiancee, like the viewer, finds his strange demeanor rather creepy, and you see recurring daydreams involving his obese publicist and obnoxious future father-in-law.

A prominent up-and-coming author Min-woo readies his new much anticipated follow-up novel while suffering from frequent nightmares and hallucinations. This unexplainable condition affects both his personal and professional life. Soon he can’t differentiate reality from fantasy and continues to have feelings of being chased. His own paranoia leads him to a cafe in a dark, unassuming alley and encounters a charming young woman named Mimi. Min-woo starts to wonder how he and this girl in front of him are connected and traces long-forgotten memories of his first love.

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