My Sassy Girl (2008)

If you're tired of the same old romantic comedies that Hollywood seems bent on cranking out on a regular basis might I suggest delving into the numerous films that never seem to make it to the big screen. It's the direct to DVD releases of films that never saw an audience in the United States that sometimes surprise you, or if nothing else gives you something completely different than the cookie cutter versions of what we usually refer to as romantic comedies. Released in only twenty-four theaters in Thailand, My Sassy Girl definitely passes the obscure test, and happens to be a very unusual film as well.

Charlie Bellow (Jesse Bradford) is a small town guy going to business school in the Big Apple hoping to get a managerial position with the Tiller Tractor Company whom his father has been working for over twenty years. Everything seems to be going fairly well for Charlie, except in the girlfriend department, something his roommate continues to harass him about. But Charlie insists he's not looking for frivolous one night stands, he wants to meet someone special. His wish is about to come true when he narrowly saves the life of a drunk beauty named Jordan Roark (Elisha Cuthbert), but Charlie's "Miss Right" turns out to be quite the "sassy girl". Constantly drunk Jordan is rude, bossy, and seems to enjoy ruining Charlie's life (especially his chances of getting a position with his father's company), but for some strange reason Charlie is drawn to her.

The biggest hurdle in watching this film is believing anyone would put up with Jordan's antics. Charlie even states in one particular scene all the reasons not to stay with Jordan and how she could ultimately kill him, yet his one positive is that he loves her. This really makes absolutely no sense in the film, Charlie seems to be a relatively smart guy so he's either clinically insane or even though Jordan is a piece of work she shows him how to live his life instead of being mired in his own boring routine. If you can try to believe that this relationship makes some sense you'll ultimately be rewarded with a very satisfying ending, which is strange in and of itself but at least it makes sense in the story and explains why Jordan has been acting like a nut. Overall, the film as a whole is average, but the ending is where it really shines. My Sassy Girl is strange enough to keep you interested and find out exactly where it's heading. As an avid fan of romantic comedies even an average one that is at least unique can sometimes be a little more enjoyable than the usual predictable ones. This film is far from groundbreaking but it warrants a look at for those romantic comedy fans looking for something different.

6/10