If you ever watched Korean comedies you should know that there are no such thing as comedy in Korean cinematography. As for Banga? Banga! I might say that this movie came as close as it gets to a true comedy. I watched this movie on the plane coming home. At times I cried so hard that my neighbors were probably wondering about my sanity. On occasions I laughed so loud they had to turn their heads to see what I was watching. Twice I even had to yell "Oh my God" in complete disbelief.
You should definitely watch it if you enjoy happy endings and do not mind the roller coaster of emotions. I guarantee you some nice, clean fun with some touchy moments to keep you interested.
SPOILERS
Now for the plot: a Korean guy desperately needs money for his mom's medical treatment. He and his friend come to Seoul in hopes of finding jobs. His friend buys a karaoke place, but this purchase does not bring him any profit. The main character is not able to find/hold a steady job so he pretends to be an immigrant, since he believes it gives him a better chance to find a job. After trying on a couple of different origins (and getting into some hilarious situations) he finally ends up telling everybody his name is Banga and he is from Bhutan. Why Bhutan? This is what his friend told him looking at the map of Asia: "We have tried every possible nation and every possible country. We have tried every STAN there is. The only country that is left is Bhutan. There are only three people in the whole Korea from Bhutan: the Ambassador of Bhutan, his wife, and you." Needless to say, later in the movie Banga ends up meeting the Ambassador of Bhutan and his wife and he has no idea what to do when they talk to him in Bhutanese. There are plenty of other funny moments - when somebody screams "Immigration" or when he finds a job as a chair-tester. I also loved the moment when he was swearing in Korean to the young people on the bus. The romantic involvement comes when he falls in love with another factory worker from Vietnam who has a child. Banga from Bhutan saves his newly found co-workers from the Immigration Service and even gets to teach them songs in Korean so they can win a big cash prize in karaoke competition.
Enjoy!
You should definitely watch it if you enjoy happy endings and do not mind the roller coaster of emotions. I guarantee you some nice, clean fun with some touchy moments to keep you interested.
SPOILERS
Now for the plot: a Korean guy desperately needs money for his mom's medical treatment. He and his friend come to Seoul in hopes of finding jobs. His friend buys a karaoke place, but this purchase does not bring him any profit. The main character is not able to find/hold a steady job so he pretends to be an immigrant, since he believes it gives him a better chance to find a job. After trying on a couple of different origins (and getting into some hilarious situations) he finally ends up telling everybody his name is Banga and he is from Bhutan. Why Bhutan? This is what his friend told him looking at the map of Asia: "We have tried every possible nation and every possible country. We have tried every STAN there is. The only country that is left is Bhutan. There are only three people in the whole Korea from Bhutan: the Ambassador of Bhutan, his wife, and you." Needless to say, later in the movie Banga ends up meeting the Ambassador of Bhutan and his wife and he has no idea what to do when they talk to him in Bhutanese. There are plenty of other funny moments - when somebody screams "Immigration" or when he finds a job as a chair-tester. I also loved the moment when he was swearing in Korean to the young people on the bus. The romantic involvement comes when he falls in love with another factory worker from Vietnam who has a child. Banga from Bhutan saves his newly found co-workers from the Immigration Service and even gets to teach them songs in Korean so they can win a big cash prize in karaoke competition.
Enjoy!
