dutchbrewster
I have to disagree with some of the other posters - I loved Madame Antoine despite its foibles. the male and female protagonists were both scammers, but in the end they let the light of love shine through to sincerity and honesty. The protagonists acted with excellence and range, and Han Ye-seul stood out as a particularly strong thespian. In truth, Han and her character, Go Hye-rim, soared even above Dr. Choi, and she delivered a performance rich with panache and realism.
Thus, I must also give credit to the director for his achievement, and to the supporting cast, all who delivered strong performances.
Korean writing takes a bit getting used to, and, wittingly or not, it employs a good measure of redundancy and fantastical elements, even in its most serious dramas. By fantastical, you should understand "unbelievable" or "incapable of allowing belief to be suspended". I learned recently, however, that Korean shows are produced on very tight budgets and schedules, and are often written and filmed right up to air time, literally. With those facts in mind, the superior quality the Koreans achieve is nothing short of astonishing. For sheer fun and often intense, gripping moments, the Koreans have no equal among their Asian counterparts, in my humble opinion, and they exceed almost all American television shows.
That's why Han Ye-seul's light shone so brightly in this series. She demonstrated an incredible range of emotion and thought in the relationships Go Hye-Rim dealt with: Dr. Choi, her business, her landlord ("the chairman"), the men chasing her in the "experiment", her daughter's newfound affection for her stepmother, the stepmother and Go's ex-husband, her sister's elopement and violation of traditional Korean values, Go's scamming and being scammed, and ultimately what it meant to scam no more and to just give with one's whole heart to the emotionally crippled Dr. Choi, all in a setting rich with drama, comedy, and romance.
Some reviewers may want to reconsider how they looked at Madame Antoine. At any rate, I heartily recommend it!
Thus, I must also give credit to the director for his achievement, and to the supporting cast, all who delivered strong performances.
Korean writing takes a bit getting used to, and, wittingly or not, it employs a good measure of redundancy and fantastical elements, even in its most serious dramas. By fantastical, you should understand "unbelievable" or "incapable of allowing belief to be suspended". I learned recently, however, that Korean shows are produced on very tight budgets and schedules, and are often written and filmed right up to air time, literally. With those facts in mind, the superior quality the Koreans achieve is nothing short of astonishing. For sheer fun and often intense, gripping moments, the Koreans have no equal among their Asian counterparts, in my humble opinion, and they exceed almost all American television shows.
That's why Han Ye-seul's light shone so brightly in this series. She demonstrated an incredible range of emotion and thought in the relationships Go Hye-Rim dealt with: Dr. Choi, her business, her landlord ("the chairman"), the men chasing her in the "experiment", her daughter's newfound affection for her stepmother, the stepmother and Go's ex-husband, her sister's elopement and violation of traditional Korean values, Go's scamming and being scammed, and ultimately what it meant to scam no more and to just give with one's whole heart to the emotionally crippled Dr. Choi, all in a setting rich with drama, comedy, and romance.
Some reviewers may want to reconsider how they looked at Madame Antoine. At any rate, I heartily recommend it!
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