Jin-ho Hur’s name has become almost synonymous with bittersweet Korean romantic dramas. By now it’s hard to talk about that genre without mentioning his 1998 classic movie “Christmas in August.” Personally, its been over 5 years since I last saw that movie, but I can still vividly remember the angst I that felt from the wait for an encounter that never occurred. Hur then went on to make two more films, “One Fine Spring Day” (2001) and “April Snow” (2005), that were similar in style, but lacked the freshness and punch of his debut film. Give the man credit at least for his resiliency, because his latest film “Happiness” covers similar ground.

Even though “Happiness” in its barest form is a romantic drama on the same level as Hur’s earlier films, the movie stands out for its captivating lensing, emotive soundtrack, and just plain darker theme. What you take out of “Happiness” I would guess depends largely on what you are looking for in “Happiness.”

After hitting rock bottom, night club manager Young-Su (Jeong-min Hwang) prepares to make an exit. He tells his friends and family that he’s traveling abroad and won’t be back for a couple of years. Where Young-Su actually goes is a small rural town, to check himself into “Hotel Hope” a sanitarium for alternative medicine. After years of heavy drinking Young-su now suffers from cirrhosis of the liver.

At the sanitarium he meets a bashful girl named Eun-Hee (Su-jeong Lim). Like Young-Su she also suffers from a debilitating disease (weakness of the lungs), but unlike Young-Su, she thinks of “Hotel Hope” as home. She doesn’t have family and has stayed at the sanitarium for over 8 years. Eventually the charming Young-Su sweeps Eun-Hee off her feet and they become a couple. At Eun-Hee’s insistence, they decide to leave the sanitarium and live together as a couple. Eun-Hee tells Young-Su that if he’s not happy he can leave.

Initially the couple live like newlyweds but problems arise when Young-Su’s friends arrive for a surprise visit. One of his friends happens to be his ex-girlfriend and she still has strong feelings for him. Before they leave, they ask Young-Su when will he return to Seoul. After some time, Young-Su gets increasingly frustrated with small town life and is tempted to return to the fast life of Seoul. Where exactly can happiness be found?

The first half of the film recalled stylistically classic Korean dramas like Hur’s very own “Christmas in August.” While Young-Su and Eun-Hee encountered their initial courtship the backdrop had the simplistic look of those earlier Korean classics. Even though the visual style was almost reactionary in style, it did vividly express the feel of a small rural Korean community. You could literally feel the breeze from the mountainside while Young-Su and Eun-Hee walked along a path or smelled the aroma of the instant noodles that cooked over a propane gas mini-stove. The warmth between Young-Su and Eun-Hee was also tangible and it was a pleasure to watch Jeong-min Hwang and Su-jeong Lim perform together.

Once the couple moved out of “Hotel Hope” and into their own apartment, problems then arose. It’s easy at this point to think of Young-Su as just a despicable jerk and for the most part he was. But, what made it fascinating to watch was the manner in which the movie revealed small clues, not to justify his actions, but to give better understanding into the reasons why he did the things he did. For me, one of the more impressive scenes occurred when Young-Su confronted Eun-Hee after drinking way too many bottles of Soju. Partially because of his weakness and partially because of kindness, he couldn’t leave Eun-Hee. Yet he was conniving enough to drink enough alcohol to muster up the courage to demand that she break up with him and if not…reveal enough secrets to push her into demanding for the breakup. Devious, clever, calculating and utterly fascinating to watch.

If you watch “Happiness” for a meaning or a message than you will be likely disappointed. The film offers a basic message that many other movies have, which is to cherish to what you have. What drew me into the film was the character study on the flawed character of Young-Su, played by Jeong-min Hwang. He was a tortured soul and, quite frankly, an asshole, but there were enough redeeming qualities laid out to want to understand his mindset. Having Su-jeong Lim play alongside Jeong-min Hwang certainly did not hurt. Visually the film was fantastic, juxtaposing between simplistic shots of the countryside and edgier compositions in the city. The soundtrack was a throwback to classic Korean songs that sounded wonderful as well. As stated earlier, what you take out of “Happiness” largely depends on what you are looking for in “Happiness.” There’s enough ingredients stirring in the pot to make many different meals.