The Romantic President

Foreword

Have you seen Ji Woo pairing up with An Sheng Ji, a well-accomplished actor? She shot this movie after "Winter Sonata" so her hairstyle is short here. Wish to see her in her first comical role? How does Lim Su Jeong fare as a high school student? This movie will be able to satisfy your curiosity.

Story

Han Min Wook is the President but he likes to mingle with the masses. Once, he is with drunkards at the MTR station to listen to their woes. The policemen is about to scold him upon seeing the poster of him that matches his face (this scene is a very funny one). His only daughter, Young Lee, gives him lots of headaches and her form teacher keeps changing.

Choi Eun Joo pretends to a be new transfer student to speak boorishly to discover who the troublemakers in class are. The girls have the shock of their lives upon knowing that she is their new form teacher when the principal introduces her later. When she reprimands Young Lee for being rude and demanding to see her parents, she gives her the number. Eun Joo is startled when she calls to find that she has called the President's office!

Another bigger surprise comes. Min Wook comes personally to see her. The whole school is shocked to see a fleet of cars that stop in the school compound. The poor man spits out the orange juice that is given to him when she comments that he should be punished for not bringing up his daughter properly. He is told to do 100 times on "The Oriole Song" that they recite in their high school. Min Wook is amused but accepts it.

Can you believe it? He does it dutifully in his car before he goes to work. His bodyguard offers to take over but he declines as this reminds him of his school days. Laugh when the papers fly out of the window and go under the highway into the sea below. The whole fleet of cars stops for him to make the call. Eun Joo thinks that it is just an excuse. But later, she believes him when she gets into the President's office to have lunch with him. She marks it as excellent work.

Min Wook feels like a student again, getting praise from his teacher. They argue over a word. Min Wook insists that he is right as he has written this to win a calligraphy contest while Eun Joo maintains that she is right as she teaches so many students yearly. This process is hilarious when he calls up the Education Minister to prove that Eun Joo is correct.

Young Lee runs into trouble again when she skip classes to go out with a guy. Eun Joo is on the bus while suddenly a fleet of cars stop the bus. The driver is about to complain when the President gets on the bus. His limousine will bring the other commuters home while he sits on the bus with Eun Joo with the bodyguards standing. The others cheer in delight as they sit in the 4 limousines following the bus (this is quite a grand scene). Eun Joo can tell that Min Wook is worried over Young Lee and gives him advice.

He has some hope in Young Lee after Eun Joo appears. Before this, he has given up on her. Young Lee has not smiled since age 6 after her mother's death. Young Lee has no dream so Eun Joo decides to help her. To know more about the livelihood of the taxi drivers, Min Wook checks out the taxi fare and drives a taxi himself. Laugh when so many get so drunk to complain their problems to him without knowing that his bodyguard is sitting at the rear!

He then meets Eun Joo to understand Young Lee's progress in class and is happy to know that she improves. Eun Joo then asks him playfully if he wishes to try a moment without bodyguards. Sure enough, they flee and the poor people have to look around for them. The president's office is locked and they climb over the fence. Eun Joo injures her palm during the process.

Both have a happy moment watching street performances and a restaurant owner lets them hide at the upper closet of the restaurant. Laugh at the owner's answer when the bodyguard asks him if he has seen the President - he did 30 years ago when he was a marine. Min Wook holds her hand and discovers the wound. She leans towards him to see if the people have left and is so excited that she hiccups. Min Wook is about to kiss her when the owner opens the closet to tell them that the coast is clear.

You will laugh when he decides to woo her after dressing her wound. He gets into the MTR with his bodyguards and the crowd gets excited and leave a corner for the couple. He sends her home and kisses her at the staircase. But alas, reporters snap photos of them together and both appear in the headlines. It is said that Eun Joo kidnapped someone in the past and wants her to clarify the matter.

Due to his ministers' pressure, Min Wook lies to the public that he is not going out with Eun Joo but only asks her advice to guide Young Lee. He has no time to develop romance. Young Lee isn't that happy to see that on television. When Eun Joo is interviewed, she admits liking him but the other teachers sigh that the President has to be a politician. Eun Joo resigns and Young Lee is angry.

She is the first person to scold her and she likes her but Eun Joo decides to leave as she is also afraid that reporters will come and harrass Young Lee. She bursts into tears as she writes the same comments for Min Wook on his assignment on the bus window in the rain. She becomes a primary school teacher in her hometown. Min Wook also looks through his assignment too and misses her.

After seeing her television interview, he makes another public speech. He likes Eun Joo and must hold on to her or he will never get married again. Young Lee smiles this time when she watches the television. When Eun Joo returns to the classroom, she is surprised to see Min Wook playing the Oriole Song on the organ. He has committed a mistake but wants forgiveness now. She punches him hard in the stomach.

The next scene has Min Wook walking out of the car in front of the office building. The bodyguards close the car door after he walks out but later when he looks at them, they remember it. One of them finally opens the door to let Eun Joo walk out from there. The two finally walk and hold their hands together.

Conclusion

This movie is meant to be a comedy so we should not take it seriously. Certain moments are unbelievable. Can you believe that the President can woo someone to trouble his big group of bodyguards all the time? Especially when his fleet of cars keeps blocking the public to obstruct the traffic and arouse unrest.

It must have borrowed the idea from "The American President" as the storyline is similar. It is ridiculous and illogical for a teacher to suggest a stupid idea for the President to get away from the bodyguards. It has a cast that offers so-so acting. The hilarious moments are truly funny because Sheng Ji is a comedian. Ji Woo must have learned a lot from him to show her talents in creating funny moments. They don't look compatible in looks because he has lots of wrinkles and isn't young but there is chemistry between them. Do catch it if you can.

Sukting's ratings :

On acting : *** (Scale of 5)

On story : **1/2 (Scale of 5)