Search - Please Teach Me English on DVD

Time Over

Daitokuji31 | Black Glass | 08/12/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"English: the language of business and international communication. English: the language of the Internet which helps those around the globe communicate with each other. For those of us who speak English as a native language the extremes to which some go to learn or have their children learn our language might seem a bit outlandish, but for many the objective of learning how to speak English well will supposedly open a number of doors and lead to good jobs or, in quite a number of cases, will lead to a decent grasp of the written language, but for the spoken version, that is a completely different creature.

Please Teach Me English opens inside a small office building with the pigtailed, bespectacled Na Yeongju blissfully working away at her job. Unknown to her a foreigner appears and asks her to find out why he received an exorbitant electricity bill. Unfortunately for Yeongju, her grasp of the English language leaves much to be desired so she is unable to communicate with the irritated man (However, should someone be irritated when they can't find someone to help them in their native tongue when they are living in a foreign country?) Embarrassed by the spectacle of not one of his workers being able to communicate in English, Yeongju's boss chooses her to attend an English conversation school when she "wins" a game of spin the bottle. There she meets a blonde female teacher who tends to be a bit rude to her students, especially when she speaks Korean because she refuses to use polite language. Also, Yeongju meets a handful of other students who include a pizza delivery guy, a fellow whose boss is a foreigner, and a girl who has attended some twenty English schools. She also meets Munsu, a playboy who earns the English nickname Elvis from the teacher because of his sideburns. After she learns that Elvis desires a girl who can speak English well, Yeongju is determined to study as hard as she can to win his heart, but how successful can she be and will Elvis notice anything else about the "normal" girl besides her size five feet?

Having been an English as a second language teacher in Asia myself, I have firsthand knowledge of the intensity that a number of students put into the study of English and emphasis companies and schools put on the language. Please Teach Me English does a good job depicting the struggles of the students, and teachers, trying to master a language in a quite pleasant comedic fashion. Like many Korean Romantic comedies, Please Teach Me English gets a bit heavy and dramatic at the end, but it still makes for a good, light comedic film that does take up some educational issues."

Wonderful, but all over the place...

Lee E. | Arkansas | 06/25/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"*********Mild Spoilers******************

PTME is the story of an airheaded, but impulsive girl who works in a public office. Out of bad luck she is forced by her coworkers to take an English class to better communicate with the Western customers.
In the class she takes on the nickname Candy and meets a boy named Elvis. Elvis is a player, constantly hitting on beautiful women. But secretly he is taking English classes so he can communicate with his sister, who was long ago adopted by a family in America. Needless to say, Candy falls head over heels in love with Elvis, while the latter thinks her nothing beyond normal.
PTME is a cute, cute movie, whimsical in the same sense as Amelie. Candy is a bit of an airhead, and we often get her perspective of things. For example when taking a level entrance exam she imagines herself battling a'la Mortal Kombat.
In fact what really helps carry the movie from start to finish is Candy herself. She's so affable, you want to see her make it through to the end.
The supporting cast is just as wonderful. The English teacher, though a bit harsh at first, finally opens up, and even Elvis soon comes around.
That being said, the movie did have some quirks. Some people may have problems with the way the movie jumps around. It goes from a comedy to a drama rather quickly, and the transistion isn't always smooth. The whimsiness of the film is dropped in the second half, and there are some horribly cliche movie moments (in particular, the subway scene at the end).
Even so, the comedy translates well for both the English and Korean viewer (I laughed or smiled through almost the whole movie). And the scene where Elvis, his sister and mother finally reconcile is the most touching moment. And if you watch the ending credits you will see an epilogue on all the students that puts a pretty bow on this package.
To make a long story short, don't judge the movie by the cheesy jacket. It's a funny, feel good movie, all around."

A fun-filled comedy

Stuart M. Krassner | 09/21/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a regular length very funny film about a group of Koreans taking an elementary English language course. Although not quite at the level of "May Sassy Girl" it is a highly enjoyable movie. The two main characters, a day dreaming female public service worker and a male shoe salesman, slowly develop a relationship that blossoms into a deep love. The woman who is a bit ditzy, falls for the man first and eventually wins him over. The supporting cast, which includes a very pretty Australian instructor, are all rather ditzy themselves. All in all a fast moving, highly amusing story with a load of very likable characters. The animation is cute and the credits at the end are really fun."

Hilarious!

Spunky | South Korea | 05/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is Hilarious! I'm an American pie type of girl that speaks Korean and lived in Korea for a year. I thought this movie was funny before I moved there and then saw it again while living there and it was sooo much more funnier. I showed it to my friend living in Korea who doesn't speak much Korean besides the "beer please" kind of phrases I taught him, and he absolutely loved it. I think the rest of his time in Korea he would quote parts in it and told all the americans he met over here to watch it b/c it explained a lot about the culture and Koreans trying to learn English. This is a great movie for anyone but so much more for those that understand how difficult it is learning another language or not knowing one but needing to know another. Has english subtitles and english audio"