Had someone told me this morning I would be
watching a Japanese movie that crosses Pretty Woman with The Terminator I’d
have politely asked them what they were smoking. But here it is folks, a sci-fi
romcom from the director of My Sassy Girl and Windstruck. It’s the over
familiar story of a lonely young man that falls in love with an emotionless
cyborg. Jiro (Keisuke Koide) is celebrating his birthday alone when he crosses
paths with a mysterious young beauty, but after spending the evening together
she vanishes without a trace.
Exactly one year later he returns to the same restaurant and
the girl reappears to celebrate his twenty-first birthday. But something is
different this year, as Jiro is quick to discover when an assassin starts
shooting the place up. The woman of his dreams saves Jiro’s life, and this is
the part where romance-weary boyfriends might want to take note; Cyborg She
takes its sci-fi just as seriously as its romance. Which means Jae-young Kwak
may have inadvertently created the perfect date movie. Action, romance, comedy
and sci-fi, what’s not to love?
The opening act sets the scene in sassy style, first we meet
a boy and then we meet a girl. Comedy is most definitely the order of the day
here. The two leads are endearing enough and the scene is set for a romantic
endeavour somewhere between Pretty Woman and Splash. Fortunately for anyone
tired of tried and tested formula, Jae-young Kwak clearly wasn’t paying much
attention in Romance 101. You can forget your regular dose of romantic notions
and comedic cliché, Ja-young is more than happy to throw a spanner in the
works. Not to mention the bolts and screws that keep the rusty innards
together.
There’s nothing particularly new in what he does – some
sequences are ripped straight from the heart of classic sci-fi – but the fact
that it all takes place in a romcom universe means that what transpires feels
remarkably fresh. It’s pretty damn brutal at times too, but then so is love,
and the engaging lead turns stop it from straying off course. Definitely one
for the ladies then, but lets not forget the laser beams, intense action,
superhero trimmings and apocalyptic ending either. Modern girls are so much more
demanding these days.
Keisuke Koide plays the naivety card well enough, even if –
at times – Jiro seems a little too innocent for a twenty-year-old guy. Having
said that, like me, you will find yourself wanting to spend the rest of the
movie with him anyway. Haruka Ayase (Ichi) is asked to capture the essence of
both human and cyborg, which is no easy task, but she pulls it off effortlessly
and the chemistry between the two leads is electrifying. Quite literally in
fact.
Touching on time travel, apocalyptic fallout and futuristic
action ensures that Cyborg She is far more enticing then your typical Hollywood fare. The last twenty minutes tie up the loose ends but in truth, a
little more time spent in the editing room could have made for a more
comfortable fit. It’s an interesting diversion for sure, but for me the movie
had already ended on a higher note. Besides, I was already breaking in my glass
slippers when the final act descended.
Cyborg She is a refreshing change of pace for fans of both
science fiction and happy ending Hollywood. We never dreamt the two genres would
blend so effortlessly, but here we are, embracing a touching sci-fi for the softer side in all of us. The girls will love it and the guys can prove they’re
not just soulless robots after all. Cyborg She really could be the perfect date
movie. AW
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