A Funny First Half
If expressed differently, Mr. Xxx-kisser could be described as The King of Flattery. Why did the film Mr. Xxx-kisser fail at the box office? The first half of the movie was good.
In the opening, the setting is the entrance to the Dobongsan hiking trail. Office workers gather in front of their executive director, but Dong-sik is wearing a business suit instead of hiking clothes. The executive director offers 100,000 won to whoever reaches the summit first. Oblivious to office politics, Dong-sik beats his boss and finishes first. Dong-sik later meets “Tongue Master” (Hyeo Gosu) and begins learning the art of flattery.
Up to this point, the film is fun and engaging. However, once Dong-sik’s former lover Sun-hee appears, the story takes a turn and shifts direction.
A Good Post-Credits Scene, but Lingering Regret
Not only the first half of Mr. Xxx-kisser, but also the post-credits scene featuring Cha Seung-won is enjoyable. In the scene, because Cha Seung-won refuses to film, the director recruits Dong-sik as a casting director. Dong-sik meets Cha Seung-won and manages to win him over with his words.
While both the first half and the post-credits scene are strong, the film leaves a sense of regret as the plot shift causes it to stray from the entertaining path it was on.
Han Chae-ah’s Film Debut
In Mr. Xxx-kisser, Song Sae-byeok plays Dong-sik, Sung Dong-il plays Hyeo Gosu, Lee Byung-joon plays Chairman Lee, Kim Sung-ryung plays Ye-ji, Ko Chang-seok plays Seong-cheol, Han Chae-ah plays Sun-hee, and Lee Chul-min plays Manager Son.
Han Chae-ah made her film debut with Mr. Xxx-kisser. The movie was released on June 21, 2012, during the period when the drama Bridal Mask was airing. She played different roles in the two works.
Director Jung Seung-gu’s Debut Film
Mr. Xxx-kisser is also director Jung Seung-gu’s debut film. However, with an audience of only 490,000, it failed at the box office and received no awards.
Director Jung Seung-gu’s second film is Decision to Be Absorbed in Park Chan-wook.