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