Little Brother is a soppy and melodramatic South Korean film worth watching for its uplifting message and wonderful young cast.
Directed by Im Tae-hyung, the film is based on the real-life story of two brothers. Younger brother Jang Han-ie (Park Ji-bin) is a nine-year-old troublemaker who enjoys playing pranks on his crybaby brother Han-byul (Suh Dae-han), who often complains of feeling sick.
When it is discovered that Han-byul is suffering from a malignant brain tumour, the children find themselves dealing with an issue that is alien to them: death.
Joining Han-byul in the fight to survive is Wook-ie (Chae Woo-hyuk), a fun-loving farmboy whose dream is to become a comedian. Both Wook-ie and Han-byul are cancer victims whose relatives are preparing for the worst. But Han-ie plans to save them.
The story is depicted from the children's point of view - a clever technique that lends the film an innocent and spirited quality, despite its heartbreaking subject.
The surreal scene where Han-ie and Wook-ie fly through the woods with the mysterious Mr Tarzan epitomises the film's spirit, which illustrates the need for fun and hope amid desperate times.