Castaway on the Moon (***1/2)

This Korean gem may or may not be inspired by a similarly titled Tom Hanks film, but it has a unique approach with even more of a fable-like quality. Instead of an island in the middle of nowhere, the luckless hero winds up, after a botched suicide attempt, on an uninhabited islet in the Han River, in sight of the skyscrapers of Seoul. His calamity is also a refuge, and, in a way, unites him with a shut-in young woman on shore. The humor in the early part of the movie is slightly to the goofy side (there’s no talking with a volleyball, but something like that), but the conclusion is heartfelt. An American remake is planned.

IMDB link

viewed 11/8/11 [Netflix streaming] and reviewed 11/8/11