Description

Dong-gu is not your average Madonna fan. Listening to the Material Girl’s second album (and applying a little lipstick) allows the young teenage boy to escape into his imagination, away from his dysfunctional family –- his pathetic alcoholic father, a former boxer, is prone to violence, his older brother is beginning to resemble the old man, and his mother has fled family life to work at a Disney-esque amusement park. Things aren’t much better at school, where he’s bullied for his effeminate tendencies. But once again, fantasy comes to the rescue in the form of a young male teacher who, Dong-gu imagines, beckons to him during class. But when a wrestling coach discovers the boy’s natural talent, and a potential goldmine in those stocky thighs, Dong-gu starts training, striving to win a competition for the cash prize that will allow him to realize his ultimate fantasy: becoming a woman.

Without making light of the serious issue of struggling with sexual identity, Like a Virgin is a subtly quirky comedy at heart, rife with low-key laughs and oddball imagery. The writing and directing team of Hae-jun Lee and Hae-yeong Lee share the Korean Film Awards’ Best New Director title for their work on this film, which also picked up prizes, nominations and audience nods at film festivals throughout Asia and Europe. It features a strong supporting cast, including Yun-shik Baek (Save the Green Planet) as the coach. Moreover, Ryu Deok-hwan does an excellent turn in the lead role, brilliantly conveying the teenage turmoil, the hope, the charm and, not least, the dancing that drives Dong-gu through this touching story.

—Lorraine Carpenter

Website

http://www.donggu-donna.com/

Credits

Director: Lee Hae-young, Lee Hae-jun
Screenplay: Lee Hae-young, Lee Hae-jun
Cast: Ryu Deok-hwan Baek Yoon-shik Lee Eon Kusanagi Tsuyoshi Moon Se-yun
Producers: Sidus FNH, Banjjakbanjjak
Distributor: CJ Entertainment