Summer Action Flicks Are Coming

Every summer, big budget Hollywood movies flow in, and many worry about the potential threat to homegrown films. Recent trends, however, suggest that competition is healthy.

``The fact that such a comparison (between national and international franchises) is even possible is unique; there aren't so many countries around the world where domestic films can compete with American ones,'' Han Seung-hee, researcher at the Korean Film Council, told The Korea Times.

After the turn of the new millennium, the Korean film industry enjoyed rapid growth, with blockbusters rewriting box office history each year. But the market plummeted for the first time last year, and investment and production hit an all time low. Moviegoers even criticized films that fared well at the box office as being formulaic.

So far, 2009 looks better. The success of ``A Frozen Flower'' and ``Scandal Makers'' opened up a promising new year. Although February and March were rather lukewarm months _ viewership was split among three crime thrillers, ``The Scam,'' ``Marine Boy'' and ``Hand Phone'' _ ``Private Eye'' picked things up and was widely loved for its unique themes.

Sleeper hit movies such as ``Old Partner'' and ``Breathless'' also revamped the cinema scene, proving that small budget films can make it big. Despite what was anticipated to be a tough competition against star-studded imports like ``Star Trek: The Beginning'' and ``Terminator 4,'' ``My Girlfriend Is an Agent'' reaped large profits. Park Chan-wook's Cannes Jury Prize winning ``Thirst'' also faired well.
It's too early to tell, however, whether the box office successes can help turn around the conservative attitude in funding and producing films. Filmmakers are still largely opting for mid-budget films that pose lower risks. What is notable, said Han, is that the general public sentiment has been markedly positive. ``The novel subject matter of films has been highly regarded by moviegoers,'' she said.

Meanwhile, ``Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,'' the sequel to the highest grossing foreign film here, has attracted more than 2.8 million viewers in one week since its release June 24.

``This could be good news for the Korean films that are coming. When a movie, be it foreign or homegrown, creates a hype, then people look forward to the films that can take over the baton,'' said Han.

Anticipated Summer Blockbusters

The theater can provide refuge from the sticky and wet weather, and moviegoers can look forward to movies featuring distinct themes and the hottest screen personalities.

``Chaw'' is drawing attention for its unusual subject matter and demanding use of computer-generated imagery (CGI). It is about a wild hog that develops a taste for human flesh and terrorizes a peaceful mountainous village. Popular actor Eom Tae-woong (``Hand Phone'') stars as a police officer that must stop the homicidal beast. To be released July 16. Distributed by Lotte Entertainment.

Also hitting screens later this month is ``Haeundae,'' a mega-action film about a tsunami consuming Korean beaches. A-list actors Sul Kyoung-gu (``Venus and Mars''), Ha Ji-won (``Miracle of a Giving Fool''), Park Joong-hoon (``The Truth About Charlie'') and Uhm Jung-hwa (``Insadong Scandal'') appear in the project headed by Youn J.K. (``Miracle on 1st Street''). In a press release, the director emphasized that he wanted to create a ``very human'' film that will inspire both laughter and tears, and most importantly, stand apart from typical Hollywood disaster flicks. In theaters July 23. Distributed by CJ Entertainment.

Next month comes another unique film, ``A Million,'' featuring hot screen stars Park Hae-il (``Modern Boy''), Synn Mina (``The Naked Kitchen''), Park Heui-soon (``Scam'') and Lee Min-ki (``Oishii Man''). This action thriller is set in the isolated seaside, desert and forests of Perth, Australia, where eight participants must survive to win the prize of 1 billion won on a reality TV show. Coming to screens Aug. 6. Distributed by Sidus FNH.

Last year, Lim Soon-rye brought the world's first handball film ``Forever the Moment,'' and this summer, ``200-Pound Beauty'' director Kim Yong-hwa brings an unprecedented film about ski jumping, called ``Ski Jump.'' ``It'' actor Ha Jung-woo (``My Dear Enemy'') shows the struggles of pitifully equipped athletes. Slated for release on July 30. Distributed by Showbox/Mediaplex.

Source: Korea Times

[MOVIE REVIEW]Hwang convincing in detective role

"Private Eye," written and directed by Park Dae-min, tackles a genre not particularly favored by Korean audiences, but achieves dramatic tension thanks largely to a well-crafted lead role.

The film - based on the debut director's script, which won the 2005 Makdoongyi Screenplay Contest - centers on Jin-ho (Hwang Jung-min), a private investigator who mostly deals with trivial cases. It is set in Seoul in 1910, while Korea is under Japanese colonial rule.

Jin-ho's routine is disrupted when he gets dragged into a high-profile murder case. The case comes from a budding physician Gwang-soo (Ryu Deok-hwan), who stumbles upon an abandoned corpse in a field. The corpse turns out to be the son of a powerful Joseon politician, and the duo set out to identify the murderer.

`Private Eye`

Once the whodunit gets going, two intriguing characters are thrown in. First is female inventor Sun-deok (Um Ji-won), whose identity remains largely cloaked behind the countless gadgets she produces in her secret laboratory. Following the conventions of a detective film, she supplies a handful of gizmos to Jin-ho.

Another supporting character to note is Young-dal (Oh Dal-su), a Jongno police chief who follows the same murder case, seeking fame and wealth. Young-dal's gentle smile, however, cannot be taken at face value.

For the first half of the film, the plot progresses slowly. Park focuses on building up a cinematic rapport between Jin-ho and Gwang-soo - and rightly so.

Award-winning actor Hwang Jung-min puts in a smooth performance as Jin-ho, as if he were born to be a private detective yearning for a way out of his gloomy reality. His body language is fairly natural, demonstrating his talent in embracing a role to the full.

Ryu's Gwang-soo is fleshed out just as faithfully. Ryu, an up-and-coming actor, brings to life a likable sidekick who accentuates the detective character's stylish posturing.

The duo's lighthearted moments, however, are not frequent enough to compensate for the dark mood that underlies the main plot. The film is for 15-year-olds or older but the subject matter seems to go beyond the rating. Moreover, some audiences are likely to find a couple of climatic scenes unpleasant.

Luckily, "Private Eye" relies heavily on the charm of Hwang Jung-min to get the story rolling and hide the key piece of the puzzle until the last moment - a decision that pays off.

But the question remains. Given Hwang's undisputed talent, he might have pulled off an effective modern detective if the story was set in modern-day Seoul. "Private Eye" is part of a series of Korean films that taps into the country's early 20th century, when Seoul was called Gyeongseong. Last year saw several period films, including "Once Upon a Time," "Radio Days," "Modern Boy" and "The Good, The Bad, The Weird," which had limited success.

"Private Eye," produced and distributed by CJ Entertainment, will open in local theaters on April 2.

Source: Korea Herald

Hwang Jeong-min as the Korean 'Holmes'

Award-winning actor Hwang Jeong-min will star as a seedy private detective in the upcoming "Shadow Murders."

The film's early April release was announced at a press conference yesterday at the Apgujeong CGV Multiplex in Seoul.

In it, Hwang's character Hong Jin-ho becomes entangled in a web of serial killings.

The film also stars newcomer Ryu Deok-hwan as Jang Gwang-soo, a medical student who assists Hong in much the way Arthur Hastings did Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's mystery novels.

Statuesque actress Eom Ji-won rounds out the starring roles of the film as Soon Deok, an inventor who provides Hong with the investigative tools needed to solve the murders.

"I wanted to make a fun mystery yarn with a quirky private detective character in the same vein as Sherlock Holmes, which had never been portrayed in feature films in Korea," said director Park Dae-min.

"Shadow Murders" is Park's first film, and his entry into the industry came after his script for the film won the 7th annual Makdong Screenwriting Contest in 2005.

Set during the Joseon period at the turn-of-the-century, the film follows Hong's exploits as he struggles to make a living selling incriminating photographs of high-profile government officials and affluent figures engaged in scandalous activities. When Jang seeks his help in solving the murder of a local magistrate's son, the two find themselves drawn deep into the opium underworld.

"My character may come across as somewhat of a money-grubbing simpleton, but he has a lot of inner pain that he hides through this sort of resigned tomfoolery and indifference," Hwang said.

"But the more he becomes involved in the mysterious killings, the more emotionally involved he becomes throughout the film."

Hwang is known as an actor's actor who immerses himself in his roles in both film and theater. The 38-year-old has tackled versatile roles from murderous sociopaths ("Bittersweet Life"), to romantic leads ("You are My Sunshine") to hardened tough guys ("Bloody Tie").

Despite his lengthy resume and cabinet full of Korea's top acting awards, the 21-year-old Ryu said Hwang is "very thoughtful and considerate of younger actors just coming up.

"He really put me at ease on the set during both rehearsals and shooting because he knew I would be nervous and intimidated, Ryu said.

"So instead of telling me how to do things, he asked me how I wanted to approach our scenes together and if he had a different take, he would suggest something else. I really admire that way of guiding younger actors - I learned a lot from him throughout the shoot."

Hwang, who did most of his own stunts for the film, may also have taught his young costar something through example.

"During the rickshaw chase sequence, the carriage became very unstable and I fell off of it and got banged up a bit," Hwang said. "What's funny and embarrassing is that I told Deok-hwan to be careful before shooting took place for that sequence and I ended up being the one getting hurt.

"Getting hurt during action sequences is always a possibility," he added. "It comes with the territory."

The film is part detective procedural and part who-done-it, Park said, citing American films such as Curtis Hanson's "L.A. Confidential" and Roman Polansky's noir masterpiece "Chinatown" as films that inspired him during production.

The film opens nationwide April 2.

Source: Korea Herald

'Kitchen' Offers Tasteful Romance

From left, actors Synn Min-a, Ju Ji-hun and Kim Tae-woo star in the sugary romance ``The Naked Kitchen,'' which is now showing in local theaters and the Berlin International Film Festival. / Courtesy of Silver Spoon

The title says it all: ``The Naked Kitchen.'' Newcomer Hong Ji-young brings a sensuous romance that paints the taste of juicy meals and unforgettable kisses.

After competing at a few international short film festivals with ``Herstory,'' Hong makes her feature film debut both here and abroad through the Berlin International Film Festival, which continues through Feb. 15. The movie's nationwide release in Japan is slated for June.

For local moviegoers, ``Kitchen'' will be a delightful trend-spotting, trend-setting franchise. It capitalizes on the national obsession with fine dining, particularly the recent interest in food styling and things fusion. Martha Stewart can feast her eyes with brunch dished up on Hermes china and Korean court cuisine served in a Western-style multiple-course meal.

Other scenes are like fashion magazine spreads, as the cellophane-thin lead actress struts around trendy neighborhoods in her candy-colored shoes. But the emerging director displays a sense for both style and substance as she delves the meaning of love and infidelity. The movie is a fine asset to the Korean chick flick genre as it sugarcoats the sensitive subject matter with scrumptious dishes, summer sunshine and colorful parasols.

Mo-rae (Synn Min-a) is a young parasol designer happily married to the love of her life (Kim Tae-woo). She is the perfect wife who supports Sang-in even when he secretly quits his high-paying job in finance to pursue his dreams of becoming a chef. Their newly wedded bliss, however, is disrupted when a new man (Ju Ji-hun) enters Mo-rae's life.

Unlike other stories about clandestine liaisons, ``Kitchen'' depicts the incident with fairy-tale charms, though not without a touch of eroticism. ``He tasted different,'' Mo-rae immediately confesses to her husband, with childlike innocence, that she kissed a stranger in an art gallery. Sang-in tries to forgive and forget, having always been the generous older brother figure to his childhood friend-turned-wife.

Mo-rae's mysterious kisser, however, turns out to be none other than her husband's dear friend Du-re, a genius cook who was invited to stay at their home while helping out with Sang-in's new restaurant. And so begins a shaky, three-way cohabitation.

``Kitchen'' can be compared to Gina Kim's ``Never Forever,'' as both show that first loves, or one great love, does not necessarily last forever. The movie also suggests it is possible to love two people at the same time, quite like Chong Yun-su's ``My Wife Got Married.'' But unlike the said film's openly polygamous wife, Mo-rae is more ``ordinary'' and tries not to fool around with Du-re. But considering their having exchanged kisses before names, it's not easy. ``It started as Eros and now you want to go platonic? Does that make sense?'' reprimands Mo-rae's friend.

The viewer is bound to sympathize with Sang-in, who cannot help feeling an inferiority complex toward Du-re's innate cooking abilities. Others might take sides with lonely boy Du-re, played by the model-turned-actor Ju. The heartthrob of the hit TV soap ``Princess Hours'' is an actor to watch out for, as his big screen debut ``Antique'' is also being shown alongside ``Kitchen'' at Berlin. Yet one drawback is that this non-francophone actor plays a character that is supposed to speak better French than Korean. Those who aren't distracted by the actor's natural charms may find his chanson d'amour version of a popular Shim Su-bong trot beat rather cheesy.

Now showing in theaters. 102 minutes. Distributed by Silver Spoon.

'Scam' Is Smart Investment

From left, actors Kim Min-jung, Park Yong-ha, Park Heui-soon and Kim Moo-yeol star as con artists in South Korea's first stock market movie ``The Scam,'' which will come to theaters Feb. 12. / Courtesy of Showbox/Mediaplex The box office can be as difficult to predict as the stock market, and South Korean cinema in particularly is suffering amid the global financial crisis. ``The Scam,'' the country's first stock market movie, will undoubtedly prove to be a smart investment. Unlike its scamming characters, newcomer director Lee Ho-jae invests the right way, with a solid, ``inflation-free'' script and the magic chemistry of a talented cast. The crime drama draws in viewers without becoming too technical, as it is more about the human desire for wealth than financial matters. Losing tens of millions of won in the stock market can be only a click away on the Internet. ``Click,'' and hopeless debtors head to the Han River. Hallyu star Park Yong-ha (SBS's ``On Air'') sheds his sleek image to play Hyeon-su, a victim of such a fatal click. After losing everything, he spends five years glued to the computer screen as an unshaven, full-time ``ant'' (individual investor). He eventually reaches the top of the game after a painful diet of instant noodles and sacrificing the cost of three luxury sedans. He vows to quit once and for all when he achieves his goal, a nine-digit savings account that will support his mother and studious younger brother. One day he hits the jackpot, not knowing that there are repercussions to disrupting a stock market scam. He ignites the fury of Hwang, a gangster-turned-financier bidding for entry into the top percentile of the rich and powerful. Park Heui-soon (``Seven Days'') brings another fresh mobster persona, who feigns elegance in his initialized Italian shoes, only to resort to kicking people for dramatic effect. He also begins every sentence with an ``OK'' even though he cannot tolerate the full English phrasings of his Korean-American partner. Hwang, however, doesn't dwell on past indiscretions. He recognizes Hyeon-su's talents and employs him for the biggest scam yet, also giving him a nice makeover. Hyeon-su joins the other members of Hwang's dream team for the 60 billion won heist: Min-hyeong, an elite stock broker who doubles as the think tank of fraudulent trades (musical star Kim Moo-yeol makes his big screen debut); sexy private banker Seo-yeon (Kim Min-jung of MBC's ``New Heart''); Park, a second-generation chaebol CEO facing a management crisis (veteran supporting actor Jo Duk-hyun); and Bryan (Jun Kim, ``West 32nd''), a Korean-American fund manager who fakes foreign investment as a ``black-haired foreigner.'' These are professional stock gamblers who win the house by reading everyone else's cards. They opt for new scientific technology, the cream of the crop for stock scams. Park's chaebol company invests heavily in a friend's new environmental research and Seo-yeon has one of her clients buy the company's shares. They have a famous broadcaster hype public attention while Bryan creates the illusion of foreign investment, and the cash starts flowing in from blind ``ants.'' A bigger scam, however, unfolds within the ring of scam artists. Outsider Hyeon-su becomes the ultimate insider as he becomes the pawn in a tangled web of backstabbing intrigue. As much as the film is about people sitting around gnawing away at money matters and monitoring stock transactions online, space is strictly limited to rooms with computers. Nonetheless, ``The Scam'' never loses its speedy narrative flow and dramatic tension, which is edged with humor. Moreover, it draws in viewers with a full cast of idiosyncratic characters that breathe with life no matter how small their roles are ― the fruits of the writer/director's interviews, over a course of two years, with actual people in the stock business. In these times of economic woes, such a smart film investment will benefit not only the makers of the movie but moviegoers as well. In theaters Feb. 12. 119 minutes. 18 and over. Distributed by Showbox/Mediaplex. Source: Korea Times

Cell phone topic of new thriller

Mobile devices have become the norm, saving time and energy for a person on-the-go. Many folks, however, use them to store sensitive information like intimate photos and videos. It is not usually until they have been lost that the owner realizes they should have been more cautious. That is the premise cooked up by director Kim Han-min for his second feature-length film, "Hand Phone," as Koreans usually refer to mobile phones. It stars Eom Tae-woong and Park Yong-woo as the story's anti-hero and villain. Kim is considered a major up-and-coming director. His debut work, "Paradise Murdered" two years ago drew 2.2 million to the theater, more than adequate by local standards, and also met with critical approval. For Eom, this is his first lead role in a feature film. He tries to convince viewers his life is coming apart as his character is hounded by an unknown ominous figure played by character actor Park. Eom is the younger brother of Uhm Jung-wha, a leading pop star and actress, but he has proved to be an star in his own right over the past several years. Eom plays a high-profile company executive who gets involved with a psychopath (Park) that unwittingly picks up his mobile phone containing sexually explicit videos of a rising starlet. At a press conference Monday in Seoul, the film's plot sparked a discussion on issues of privacy and human nature between the two leads. It was hosted by MC and comedian, Kim Gu-ra, who also makes a cameo, playing himself. "For me, the loss of contact information like phone numbers would be the most important if I lost my phone, but I wouldn't be worried about having my private life exposed because I only have harmless pictures of my dog and girlfriend - nothing scandalous," Eom said. When the conversation shifted to whether the actors themselves have invaded the privacy of another by looking through a mobile phone, the two leads each had a different answer. "As a matter of fact I do frequently check my girlfriend's phone records to see who she's called and who she's been getting calls from - she does the same thing, mind you. We've done this for two years and we do it because we trust each other." Park had a different take. "I've never checked up on my woman's phone records ever. We have boundaries and that's a line we both agreed never to cross," Park said. "This isn't because we have secrets to hide, but we just feel certain things like phone records should be kept private." But the two thespians had one thing in common. They have both frequently lost their phones during a night out drinking with buddies. "I've never gotten back my phone whenever I lost it, but if someone tried to mess around by toying with me using my phone, I would want to track him down and administer a beat down, that's for sure," said Eom. Park said he hoped viewers would not interpret the two characters as simply good and evil, but as real people whose motivations they can understand in the context of situations they are pitted against in the film. "I hope people don't see both our characters simply as good and evil because both of our characters have endearing qualities," Park said. "Hand Phone" will be released nationwide Feb. 19.

Kwon Sang-woo Resumes Romantic Role

Actors Kwon Sang-woo, left, and Lee Bo-young walk down the aisle in a cathedral wedding scene for the film ``A Sad Story'' in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

Newly wed actor Kwon Sang-woo was caught walking down the aisle once again ― this time with actress Lee Bo-young in the upcoming movie ``A Sad Story'' (working title).

As its title suggests, the film is about heartbreaking, unrequited love. The wedding shoot, revealed to the press Monday in a Seoul cathedral, featured Kwon's character walking down the aisle with the woman he loves (Lee Bo-young) ― but only to marry her off to another man (Lee Beom-soo).

Kwon returns to the romance genre after foraying comic or tough guy parts, such as in ``Fate.'' He said he drew inspiration from his own marriage for his latest role. ``I think being married enables me to think more deeply about playing melodramatic parts. Like my movie character, Kay, I also needed a lot of courage to bear the fruits of my love,'' he said.

The ``Stairway to Heaven'' star made headlines last year when his clandestine romance with actress Sohn Tae-young became public. The two tied the knot in September and are expecting a baby in the spring. ``Kay braves his circumstances for love, and I thought I might have done the same if I were in his shoes,'' he said.

The project garnered interest for marking poet Won Tae-yeon's directorial debut. ``It's my first movie, and I am very honored I got the opportunity to work with actors with such great acting skill and enthusiasm,'' said Won.

``The director always provides clear, detailed answers whenever we actors have any questions. Being the poet he is, he meticulously points out words and even syllables when directing our acting. He also pays a lot of attention to the timing of our speech,'' said Lee Beom-soo. The actor, known for his solid acting skills, recently rose to stardom through charismatic TV roles in ``Doctor Bong'' and ``On Air.'' His movie ``Death Bell'' also faired well at last year's box office.

``A Sad Story'' also drew attention because the three cast members invested in the production. ``I decided to invest my salary into the movie because I believe in the director's script. I think I can at least break even because the story is very good,'' said Kwon.

``At first I was a little worried the movie would stop short of being just a pretty romance. But I think it will be a realistic yet beautiful film,'' said actress Lee (``Once Upon a Time''). The former Miss Korea looked graceful in her lacy wedding gown.

Monday also happened to be her 30th birthday, and the cast and crew surprised the actress with a large three-tier cake, moving her to tears.

About 70 percent of A Sad Story has been filmed and the movie is slated for a March 14 release. Distributed by Showbox/Mediaplex.