Bling bling on a budget in 'Ray-bang'

With big budget cinema in this country threatening to become as formulaic as Hollywood, perhaps now is the time for film industry movers and shakers to take a refresher course on what makes Korean movies so good.

Forget about projects where squandering bazillions of won on over hyped gun battles and the latest high-tech special effects that are a must; the real successes are to be had in developing high quality storylines with well-crafted characters, for this is the stuff that memorable celluloid moments are made of.

"Ray-bang" (2001) - a wonderful example of this genre - is a highly entertaining comedic romp which follows the lives of three taxi drivers as they negotiate the gridlocks of work, money and life in the pursuit of happiness.

Hae-gon (Kim Hae-gon), Joon-hyung (Cho Joon-hyung) and Haklak (Choi Hak-lak) make up this magnificent down-and-out threesome who are best of friends both in and out of their cabs. With the hapless trio involved in what seems like an endless procession of daily dramas and complications, director Jang Hyun-su ("Walking All the Way to Heaven"), who co-wrote the script with Song Min-ho ("Addicted" and "A.f.r.i.k.a".), shines in his handling of this eye-opening social critique of the Korean way of life.

The film's strength lies in its story and characters, all of whom the writers gifted with genuine depth and complexity. Despite Hae-gon, Joon-hyung and Hak-lak's shortcomings, it is impossible to dislike any of the troika, probably for no better reason than the ease which you can identify with certain aspects of their personalities. This is a rare cinematic occurrence and one attributable to the actors' considerable input into the script's development and the use of their real names in the movie.

Although "Ray-bang" (which is named after the Korean pronunciation of "Ray-Ban" sunglasses) was poorly received on the foreign film festival circuit, it is an underrated movie and a favorite of those who have spent enough time in the country to appreciate its humor and wit.

A shining example of shoestring budget cinema at its finest, this film proves yet again that great things can be accomplished when quality writers get down to work, actors turn in honest performances and the director concentrates on bringing a script to life as opposed to masking its failings with bling bling special effects.