It is this odd mix of broad comedy and issue-based drama that makes Miracle so perplexing and logic-defying. It’s hard to tell if Lee has made a social drama (legal shortcomings and cronyism make headlines in Korea) disguised as a goofy comedy or a comedy with an undercurrent of righteous anger. Either way, the film wouldn't work at all if it wasn’t packed with engaging performances by some of Korea’s most reliable second-stringers. Ryu (War of the Arrows) waffles between caricature and affecting as the handicapped Yong-gu, and Gal occasionally suffers an overabundance of cute (though she’s far more interesting than Park), but the rest of the cast more than compensate for their shortcomings, particularly Oh (The Thieves) and Jeong (The King and the Clown). Miracle in Cell No. 7 is one of those films you don’t want to, one you know you shouldn’t, but you just can’t help liking.