Summit of the Starlets - Jessica Alba and Lee Hyo-lee

Korean cosmetics brand Isa Knox has unveiled the story to its much-anticipated commercial starring Lee Hyo-lee and Jessica Alba. The ad for the company's Double Effect Advanced Serum emphasizes the two starlets' sex appeal and embraces their unique charms.


Beneath the headline, "A woman's face is lies", a tearful Lee breaks up with a man while a smiling Alba does the same. Then, in the latter part of the ad, the situation is reversed and the copy tells us, "Now Lee Hyo-lee smiles" and "Jessica Alba weeps". The ad intends to suggest that women make no bones about telling a lie to finish with men. The company says the copy "A woman's face is lies" denotes that a woman's skin is lies, too.

The two stars were the center of attention during the filming of the commercial in Vancouver, where observers commented on their gorgeous and quite similar figures. The two resemble each other in stature, shape, hair style and even healthy-looking copper skin tone.

Their beauty managers took great pains to adorn the stars, who were competing for national pride. Their stylists each transported about 50 outfits to Canada, filling their hotel rooms with clothes like a boutique.

The commercial is slated to air next month.

Source : Chosen Ilbo

Doll-Like Actress Park Min-young Captures Viewers' Hearts

Up-and-coming actress Park Min-young has recently been the media's center of attention with her doll-like appearance on the popular television drama 'I Am Sam.'

Some of her photos on her personal website were taken on the set of 'I Am Sam.' Fans have been raving over her adorable appearance, describing the actress as a "living doll."

Viewers are also talking about the equally adorable hair and fashion styles she has been sporting on the drama.

In the drama, Park is a bubbly and trouble-making high school student who is also the only daughter of a gangster boss. Audacious and stubborn on the outside, she is actually a lovable and naive character who has captured the hearts of TV viewers.

Her cute school look in the drama has also caused a fashion sensation among younger generation fans.

Source : KBS Global

Upbeat spin on Korean men (The Happy Life)

For the family. For the company. For the future. There is almost always some excuse for not doing something that we really want to do. We proudly call it "sacrifice" that is necessary for our happiness. After all, our true wishes will be realized some day if we gladly persevere present suffering.

The only embarrassing truth is that such a dream-come-true, suffering-well-endured day never comes for working-class people who are often forced to confront one painful challenge after another.

"The Happy Life," directed by Lee Jun-ik ("King and the Clown" and "Radio Star") starts off to a slow start, toying with the idea of the sadness and loneliness that grip middle-aged Korean men beset by a variety of troubles at home and in the workplace.

Worse, Ki-young (Jung Jin-young) does not have a workplace to complain about. He's laid off from a financial company and has to get by on just 10 bucks a day, a meager allowance from his wife Sun-mi (Kim Ho-jeong). Even his teenage daughter Ju-hee, played by Ko Ah-seong ("The Host"), does not have much respect for his father, who has spent his prime years for the family. Powerless and money-less, Ki-young is shunned like a ghost. Aware of his awkward position in the family, he finds himself going outside when Ju-hee brings her school friends to his house.

Seong-wook (Kim Yoon-seok), a close friend of Ki-young's, is in no better position. He also lost his job recently. He has talented and intelligent kids and an education-obsessed wife to support, so he's working like hell -- a bike courier during the day and a paid driver for hire during the night.

The last member of the trio is Hyeok-su (Kim Sang-ho), a glib car salesman who works equally hard to foot the bill for the expensive schooling for his children who stay in Canada with his wife.

They went to the same college and -- yes, it's hard to believe -- they used to be a four-member rock band. They even joined the national college song competition as many as three times, only to face humiliating rejection at every attempt.

A turning point comes when long-forgotten band member, Sang-ho, suddenly dies, leaving his only son, Hyeon-jun (Chang Geun-seok). The three struggling middle-aged men, facing a personal crisis of their own, stumble into something that they have secretly missed for the past decades and yet have not had the courage to put into action -- a rock band.

Director Lee is particularly adept at weaving a web of small plot points that eventually form a bigger picture -- a rock band whose members represent average Korean men in their 40s who have very little to lose, even if they put a tattoo on their arms and put on outlandish outfits that are only encouraged in the upscale Hongdae club district in western Seoul.

The story itself is hardly an eye-opener; the real strength is hidden behind the seemingly straightforward plot. Director Lee does not put too many melodramatic flourishes on the three men and the young boy, but neither does he stay aloof from the heart-shattering incidents that put to a grueling test their friendship and adventurous, rebellious spirit that remains latent until recently.

The name of the band, aptly called "Active Volcano," is a venue where they transform their latent spirit into overflowing energy on the stage. Director Lee's tenacious camera tracks the amateur band's emotional performances up close and from a distance, striking a gentle balance in a way that prods the viewers to get in sync with the trouble-laden yet high-spirited band members.

Many of the key scenes involve the oft-cited negative aspects that snare middle-aged Korean men -- a set of obstacles that resonates more forcefully toward the end, with Hyeok-su considering shutting down his auto sales shop altogether and solving his family crisis.

In "The Happy Life," the real cinematic delight comes from the music itself, mostly retro and intermittently modified to the taste of clubbing youth. What is remarkable is that all the music pieces are actually performed by the actors -- no small feat considering that they are not professional musicians.

Although professional musicians may well find fault with every move of the band members from Ki-young's lead guitar to Seong-wook's bass to Heok-su's drum, director Lee does not allow such critical perspectives to step in because he steers the plot along an uninterrupted track full of renewed energy and not-so-latent vigor. Lee also sticks to the core message to the end: Sacrifice no more and do whatever you really want to do, however late it might be.

Source : Korea Herald

Tak Jae-hoon far from 'Worst Guy'

For three minutes, actress Yum Jung-ah heats up the screen of her new movie "The Worst Guy Ever," wearing leather and fishnet stockings while executing a purposefully amateurish pole dance. .

Yum said awkward sexy dancing wasn't an activity she was looking forward to. It took some prodding from costar Tak Jae-hoon to make her feel comfortable.

"It took five or six hours to shoot and the costume was strange. It wasn't a situation where I was supposed to execute a good, sexy dance, but (rather) it was intentionally bad. And so I was embarrassed throughout and the filming was a bit difficult," Yum said at last Thursday's preview of the movie. "But with Tak Jae-hoon's support, I was able to act without much persuasion."

Though one can hardly tell by Tak's negative reaction in the film, it wasn't the first time he'd seen this dance. It was actually a previous firsthand experience that inspired the comical dance. "When I was a newlywed, we danced a similar dance," Tak admitted. "I took that experience into account and suggested this idea."

The pole dance is just one of the sequences that contrast Joo-yeon (Yum Jang-ah) and Seung-tae (Tak Jae-hoon), who decide to tie the knot after finding themselves together in bed on two separate nights of drinking.

Friends for ten years, their first nights of newlywed life are enjoyable, but things quickly go sour and their marriage turns into a nightmare as they figure out they are completely incompatible.

Joo-yeon feeds her husband nothing but ramen noodles and preservative-saturated food -- when she feeds him at all -- while filling the house with ugly furniture that Seung-tae thinks should belong in an antique museum. Perhaps such sentiments echo in the actor himself as Tak was quick to point out what he saw was a mistake in the title.

"Right now, I seem to be holding the improper title of the 'Worst Guy Ever,' because in the movie, Yum Jung-ah comes across as the naughtier person, and so I asked on several occasions to change the title of the movie, but it never got done," Tak said.

Meanwhile Joo-yeon thinks it's Seung-tae who is the antique relic as he spends more time with his books than with his wife, and drives her crazy with incessant nagging.

To complicate matters, they each meet co-workers who seem to be their perfect matches and begin to have doubts about their marriage and their individual will.

"I am married. I am married," is a line Joo-yeon repeats to herself as she finds herself swooning over a new co-worker, Jae-hoon (Shin Sung-rok).

Seung-tae's predicament is similar as his career-oriented boss Mi-yun (Yoon Ji-min) is touched by his awkward kindness and goes on the offensive, ignoring him as he shouts reminders of his marriage.

From being locked together in a wardrobe to engaging in a heated kiss, the extramarital relationships grow in intensity and the situations compound themselves until everything becomes a tangled mess. Eventually, every relationship falls apart and nobody is left the better.

What does come through in the midst of this chaos is a shining starring debut role for Tak, who was charged with the responsibility of taking center stage. Though Tak has been in the Korean entertainment scene for over a decade, this movie marks his first major breakaway from singing and television appearances.

"When I was offered the role, Yum Jung-ah was already cast," Tak said. "I felt a bit of a burden because she is such a good actor with plenty of experience and is a veteran in the field."

But in the movie, the two stand as equals, matching each other punch for punch.

"The first starring role has special significance to anyone. Beyond giving my full effort to the mere filming, I tried to draw upon my experiences and thoughts to enhance the film as a romantic comedy," Tak said. "I collaborated with the director (Son Hyun-hee) often, and it led to ideas like the pole dance scene and (Yoon's) yoga scene."

While Tak holds his own among the cast, and even took a leading role in the development of the film, powerful cameo appearances often steal the spotlight from the regular cast. But they are also of the strengths of the movie, bringing explosive laughter into the theater just when the comedy seems to come to a lull.

A cameo from Shin Hyun-joon, with whom Tak forged a tie on the set of the movie "Barefoot Gi Bong," delivers a hilarious performance as a flippant and perhaps mentally abnormal employee at the divorce registration center.

Even Tak, who arranged most of the cameos, recognized the power and presence the short appearances had on the film.

"It was nothing but fun when we were shooting the cameos, and I didn't think they would change the mood of the film as much as they did. If I had known this was going to happen, I don't think I would've used the cameo appearances," Tak joked.

Comedian Kim Mi-ryeo delivers another stellar cameo performance as a sister-in-law who can't hide her contempt for Joo-yeon, especially when she starts to take a friendly card game too seriously.

Several other cameos seem to emphasize the comedic dimension of the movie. Though classified as a romantic comedy, the movie in itself is short on romance and heavy on the comedy. The drama is difficult to believe -- seriously, what man would react to their wife's private pole dance by going to sleep? -- and some of the decisions made by the characters cannot be explained, even by the cast members themselves.

"I couldn't understand how Jae-hoon could let Joo-yeon go so easily if he felt for her in such a way that he was willing to destroy a marriage and a family," Shin said, referring to one of the last sequences of the movie.

If a believable romance movie is what you're looking for, "The Worst Man Ever" will fall short of expectations, but in the realm of non-stop laughter, the film delivers for the full 94 minutes.

Source : Korea Herald

The 12th Pusan International Film Festival announces its Opening and Closing Films

August 29, 2007 (Busan, Korea) - The 12th Pusan International Film Festival announced today its opening and closing films. The festival will open with FENG Xiaogang’s Assembly (China), and close with Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone (Japan), a Japanimation by Hideaki ANNO, Kazuya TSURUMAKI, and Masayuki.
The much-anticipated Assembly world premieres at PIFF as the opening film. It is the newest film of FENG Xiaogang who gained nation-wide fame in China after making such films as The Banquet, A World Without Thieves, and A Sigh. Co-produced by China’s Huayi Brothers Media & Co. Ltd. and Korea’s MK Pictures, this film is more than a war-epic; it is a human drama of a soldier who devotes his entire life to redeeming the honor of his fellow soldiers who are declared missing in action. The battle scenes were perfected by the special effects team of 2004’s Korean hit, Taegukgi (English title: The Brotherhood of War).
The closing film, Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone (working title) is the theater adaptation of the 1995 TV animation series, Neon Genesis Evangelion that created die-hard mania and enjoys popularity even till today. In 1997, Neon Genesis Evangelion went to the big screen to see unprecedented box-office success, and this year, 10 years after Evangelion’s first theatrical release, the title is re-born with totally new ending and new interpretation. Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone - the first episode out of the trilogy- will be revealed in Japan on September 1st, 2007 and will international premiere at PIFF.


Opening Film - Assembly
FENG Xiaogang
Feng is an actor, director, and writer. He began his career in cinema working as an art designer in Beijing Television Art Center in 1985. Later, he moved on to writing screenplays working closely with director Zheng Xialong and writer Wang Shuo. He achieved his fame as director of Dream Factory (1997) which was a mega hit in China and established a genre called “Hesui Pian” (New Year Films). It is also interesting to note that almost all of Feng’s films star Ge You in a major role.


Closing Film - Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone
Hideaki ANNO
Born in 1960, Anno started making feature films and animations when he entered university. Upon graduation, he worked on Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) directed by Hayao MIYAZAKI. In 1995, he directed the TV animation Neon Genesis Evangelion the last 2 episodes of which were theatrically released. Anno has also directed many other films, including Cutie Honey (2004).

Masayuki
Born in 1961, Nagano Prefecture. He worked as an Animation Director/ Key Animation Supervisor for Nadia of the Mysterious Seas (1990). He recently worked for Hideaki Anno’s feature titles.

Kazuya TSURUMAKI
Born in 1966, Niigata Prefecture. He worked for Neon Genesis Evangelion as a Second Director, and for the theatrical title of the series Evangelion: Death & Rebirth. He co-directed the title with Anno and Masayuki.

Source : PIFF

'In Between Days' and 'Let's Not Cry!' show visual audacity

"In Between Days" and "Let's Not Cry!" share striking similarities: Korean directors, exotic (at least in the eyes of Korean audiences) locations, and refined experimental spirits which earned the filmmakers awards at international film festivals.

"In Between Days," a debut feature by Kim So-yong, a Korean American multimedia artist, delves into the life of a Korean immigrant who has to deal with not only the strangeness of adapting to a new culture but also a sense of loneliness that deepens along with her faltering relationship with a boy she has a crush on.

This Sundance and Berlin prize-winner, to be released nationwide on Sept. 6, literally zooms in on Aimie (Kim Ji-seon), a teenage girl who recently arrived in a North American city. But she finds it hard to find a comfortable place. She's already bored with her school, thanks largely to her poor English, and even the small apartment where she lives with her divorced mother looks dreary as the depressing winter cityscape the film features intermittently.

Aimie tries to secure some emotional relief from her handsome but gangly friend Tran (Kang Tae-gu), but their relationships never go forward as she wishes. She wants genuinely romantic gestures from Tran, given that they spend much time loafing around together, but Tran does not seem to have any intention to turn their "best friend" relationships into something else.

Director Kim's tenacious camera relies on extreme close-up framing to capture the subtle change in Aimie's emotions -- from expectations to frustration to disappointment -- in a style that brings more authentic realism than any other Korean initiation film.

The film's virtue lies in its self-restraint in portraying Aimie's adolescent travails that get complicated with her immigration experience. Aimie is utterly unable to handle the difficulty of establishing new relations, even with other Koreans living in the same quarters, but director Kim does not fall into a melodrama rut; instead, she keeps her camera closer to Aimie, tracking her subtle facial expressions that tell volumes about her emotions, angst and uncertainty.

All of this is thankfully cliche-free. Director Kim's unique hyper-realistic cinematography also helps evoke plenty of sympathy with Aimie's confused state that is delicately accentuated by the wintry background, leaving a glimmer of hope for the lonely girl when the spring comes.

In "Let's Not Cry," second feature by Min Boung-hun, the protagonist Muhamad is similarly in a lonely state, but unlike Aimie he has only himself to blame for his hopeless predicament.

The film, which has won awards at Karlovy Vary and Thessaloniki film festivals, is set in the ex-Soviet satellite state of Uzbekistan, depicting Muhamad's struggle to survive through an endless stream of lies. This talkative man never stops shaking hands with people and dispensing friendly gestures.

The trouble is that Muhamad is actually on the run after running up a huge amount of debt at a casino, though the unsuspecting villagers in his hometown initially assume he's a successful violinist in Moscow.

When confronted about his true conditions, Muhamad never flinches. Instead, he keeps his voice up and talks fast in an apparent bid to steer the conversation in his favor.

But his usual trick does not work on his hard-working mother who leads a painful life in a shabby house with her teenage son. Noticing something fishy about Muhamad's sudden return, she secretly checks his son's violin case and finds out that he is not what he claims to be.

Muhamad, however, keeps bragging about his celebrated life in Moscow as a leading musician who frequently goes abroad for staging performances. His mother asks Muhamad to stay in the hometown and live with the family, a kind offer that is flatly rejected by Muhamad who is broke and yet adamantly unwilling to live in the thrall of poverty in a remote, scarcely populated village.

Muhamad seeks a breakthrough in cheating a fortune out of his grandfather who digs up rocks and breaks them into smaller pieces, and build rock formations, a toil that seems to bring no financial reward at all.

Well versed in worldly pursuits, Muhamad cannot understand why his grandfather is wasting his time and energy away, working his way through debris of rocks at a deserted gold mine in the mountains. Nor can he understand why all of his friends flatly reject his distress calls for money.

In the meantime, a wealthy and bossy man in the town is preparing a big wedding party for his son, and asks Muhamad to play some music at the party. Unfortunately, he has no time to join the festivity because he has to leave soon, with police tracking down on him in connection with the debt-and-run.

For all the personal weaknesses, Muhamad is hardly a wicked character. He is rather a figure who can easily draw some sympathy. He, after all, asks his younger brother to refrain from telling a lie in a preachy tone. He also knows how to reciprocate a gesture of kindness (or affection) properly, even if things exchanged involve just cheap accessories and eggs.

Made in 2001, "Let's Not Cry!" is finally set to be screened at a local theater in Seoul from Aug. 30 and yet its cinematic audacity is more striking and powerful than ever.

Source : Korea Herald

Son Ye Jin, returns to the screen in two years as a femme fatal pickpocket

Top star Son Ye Jin will turn into an 'international' pickpocket.

In the upcoming movie 'Open City' directed by Lee Sang Ki, Son Ye Jin will act as the boss of a pickpocket organization displaying her femme fatal charm.

Scheduled to open in December, she is appearing on screen two years after the movie 'The Art of Seduction' which opened in 2005.

The movie has especially gathered attention as she will be partnering with actor Kim Myung Min of the MBC drama series 'White Tower.'

'Open City' which depicts the conflict between an international pickpocket organization and an investigation team will feature Son Ye Jin who rids of her innocent image in a seductive and strong character.

Her character Baek Jang Mi grows her organization with her charm femme fatal charm, making any man want to give up everything to be with her.

But falling in love with Kim Myung Min, a member of the investigating team, she cannot hide her identity as a female and her painful past.

Son Ye Jin is currently training for the action scenes in the movie that will crank in at the end of this month.

Source : Broasia

Jeon Do-yeon to Appear on CNN's "Talk Asia"

Actress Jeon Do-yeon, who won the Best Actress award at the latest Cannes Film Festival, will appear on CNN's talk show "Talk Asia."

The show introduces prominent people from Asia. Korean stars who have been invited to the show so far include singers Rain and BoA.

Jeon gave a two-hour interview to show host Anjali Rao, who visited Korea, on August 20.

In her interview, which was held in Maronier Park in downtown Seoul, Jeon spoke about her acting career.

Jeon, whose Cannes award has earned her global acclaim, was featured in Variety magazine as one of the 50 most influential women in the world.

Source : KBS

'Sadist' Hiroshi Tamaki Enjoys New Innocent Role

Japanese heartthrob Hiroshi Tamaki, in Korea to promote his latest movie, appears a lot thinner than he does on screen. He played a gifted but arrogant and good-looking musician in the soap "Nodame Cantabile." In the new movie "Heavenly Forest" which opened last Wednesday, the 27-year-old actor plays naïve college student Makoto Segawa who stubbornly clings to his first love. The wide-eyed Tamaki ranges between the bizarre and innocent. Wearing a black suit and crackling with energy, he greeted this interviewer with a loud "hello" in Korean.

- You're a bit tough in this film.

"I played a freshman seven years younger than my actual age. So I intentionally tried to look a bit naïve and practiced talking in higher pitch."

- The movie felt like a summer version of the "Love Letter." It was like a watercolor. Which scene do you remember best?

"I thought the scenes in the forest were very beautiful and full of life. They were indeed quite beautiful when I watched them afterwards. What I remember the most is the kiss. It was the focal point of the story and a complete turning point at the same time."

- Innocent characters fit you nicely but when people think about you, they think of the comic scenes from "Nodame."

"Comedy is fun. People are all in good mood at work, too. When I was shooting 'Nodame' I really wanted to stretch myself and be really comic. But I held myself back because it would have overwhelmed the character of Chiaki. I love making funny faces in front of the mirror. It's quite amusing. You should try it sometime, too."

- Of all the characters you've played, which one was the most like you?

"Let's see... I don't think there were any. Whenever I'm given a role, I think about the character and turn myself into that person. I'm no genius like Chiaki or a dense and insensitive boy like Makoto. But I do think I'm a bit of a sadist like Chiaki (laughs). I'm indefinable. From time to time when I'm acting, I'm quite surprised at finding a part of myself that I didn't even know before."

- Are there any Korean movies you like?

"I was very impressed by 'Old Boy'. I felt a bit strange when I saw that. It was originally a Japanese story but I was very happy that Korea turned it into a movie. It was very well done, and I felt a bit envious. When I was watching the film, I wanted to be part of it. If there's another movie like 'Old Boy,' call me anytime. I want to participate."

Hiroshi made his debut as an extra in a TV soap when he was 18, but was unheard of for another five years. While trying to get his break in the movies, he worked as everything from a dishwasher to a kitchen boy to make a living.

- There must have been a time when you wanted to give up.

"I didn't want to be a loser. I thought if I broke down now, I'd never be able to stand up again. In those days I was penniless and hungry. I think that's why I'm a bit obsessed with food now. And I like girls who have a good appetite."

- You're quite popular in both Japan and Korea. What do you find attractive about yourself?

"Hmm... I don't know. In Japan people like me because I'm like a regular boy next door. In Korea, people say my eyes are pretty. Some people in Japan say I seem really kind but that's not acting (laughs). I didn't know there were so many people who knew me in Korea. I was very surprised."

- What kind of characters would you like to play in the future?

"Until now it's been an endless process of creating and destroying the characters I've been given. So after each work, I feel empty and exhausted. But I come back to life again with a new character. I'm going to shoot a new movie and right now am working on a special version of 'Nodame.' I want to try a criminal or a villain too. That should be fun. I want to challenge myself."

Tamaki said he likes clothes and would have been a fashion designer had he not become an actor. When the large skull ring on his hand was pointed out, he explained, "Oh, this. My stylist really likes it so I have to wear it. But it's not supposed to be good to carry a skull on you..."

Source : English Chosun

Japanese Housewives Rank Lee, Choi the Best

The Korean pop culture boom called 'hallyu' has now become an established genre in Japan thanks to the overwhelming popularity of the Korean drama 'Winter Sonata,' especially among middle aged Japanese women.

Japanese entertainment portal Oricon Style recently polled 750 women in their 30s to 50s on their favorite Korean actor and actress.

The number one actor chosen was Lee Byeong-heon, which most women described as "cute." Others said they like his "bright smile" and at times "melancholy look."

Their favorite actress was Choi Ji-woo, citing her "beautiful looks and fun personality" and "child like humor as well as class and sexiness."

The next favorites were Kwon Sang-woo and Lee Young-ae. As for favorite Korean dramas, KBS's 'Winter Sonata' ranked first followed by MBC's 'Dae Jang Geum/Jewel In the Palace' and SBS's 'Celestial Stairs.'

Source : KBS

Soo Ae Sheds Refined Image for Boorish New Role

Actress Soo Ae has completely revamped her image as the "queen of tears." In the MBC weekend drama "9 End 2 Outs," she has broken out of her fragile and elegant shell, playing a 30-year-old, foul-mouthed and disheveled spinster. She has cast off her melancholy mien and transformed into a jaded single woman struggling with life. Working at a small publishing firm, she dreams of becoming a writer, though nobody much cares. She has a baseball-player boyfriend eight years her junior and, thanks to objections from her family and friends, the relationship is going nowhere. As the character Hong Nan-hee, Soo Ae has taken her acting to a new level.

"How many people have realized their dreams at 30?" Soo Ae says. "That's why Nan-hee is so appealing to female viewers. So many opportunities have passed her by and now she's 30 and realizing she's accomplished nothing. Isn't that how it is with most people? I totally understand her."

When asked how she pictures her own life at 30, the actress says, "I'm not really sure because I haven't set any goals, but I think I'll be hard at work. But it could be that phase in life when you have to let go of something. I want to be 32 fast. I feel that by then, I'll be more secure and have become a true woman who knows the world. Marriage? Probably not by then. Spinsters these days are in their late 30s, right?"

Her character gets low and vulgar in the show, boozing it up and cursing people out, and this weekend's installment brings out the worst -- or the best? -- of it. Soo Ae in reality has a husky, neutral voice, which helps her tomboyish performance feel so natural. But her voice hasn't always been a plus. "I've been told many times that my voice would be a detriment to my career," she says. "When I first got started, a lot of viewers posted comments online that they changed the channel because of the way I talk."

"It was odd because I thought of my husky voice as my biggest asset. So I would tell people, 'Keep on listening, you'll get to like it.'"

Soo Ae nearly debuted as a member of a pop idol group. Fresh out of high school, a record agent approached the young stunner on the street in the trendy Apgujeong area. She spent six months in grueling practice, but in the end had no album to put out. "I didn't sing well, but the six months I spent with the team was so fun. I was lucky to get into acting." So what is her off-screen personality really like? "I'm very shy," she says bluntly. "I steep myself in my characters so much that often I get too heartbroken to control myself. I didn't know I had qualities like Nan-hee does. Even my parents are surprised."

Source : Chosun Ilbo

‘Eternal’ Dreams Up Youthful Passions

They say first loves never die, and ``For Eternal Hearts'' immortalizes onscreen the allure and power of youthful passions. Dreams and remembrances delightfully converge in this haunting love story that transcends the borders of life and death, and leaps over the passage of time.

Su-yeong (Jung Jin-young) is a quiet, middle-aged professor of German literature at a local university. At the request of his students, he reminiscently recounts his first love that stole his heart during his college days. As a young man Su-yeong was shy, naive and studious (Choung Kyung-ho). But his life is forever changed when he meets the wild and eccentric ``Pippi'' (Kim Min-sun).

He is crushed, however, when Pippi commits suicide in the name of love. But Pippi magically reappears before him and life starts to take a bizarre turn. It is believed here that when a person dies, the soul wanders around for 49 days before making the final passage to the other world. If it fails to accept death, however, the soul becomes forever lost, an invisible ghost.

Meanwhile, Su-yeong begins tutoring a high school girl named Su-ji (Cha Su-yeon) at her eerie mansion. Though he is increasingly drawn to Su-ji's soulful eyes and idiosyncratic charms, Su-yeong is also very frightened -- until he learns a great secret that will allow him to face the haunting force of love.

Humorously poignant and harrowingly beautiful, ``Eternal'' delicately captures the hushed passions of young men and women. Set in the 1980s, the film features heated student protests in the background, adding a feverish fuel to the fire of youthful love.

The film freshly revives the tradition of Shakespeare's young, star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet. Characters firmly believe ``If you truly love someone… You would have to follow him to death,'' and romanticize, ``Isn't it beautiful? Dying with the person you love.''

Actors Choung Kyung-ho (``Herb,'' 2007) and Kim Min-sun (``Low Life,'' 2004) and newcomer Cha Su-yeon give life to thoroughly adorable characters who could have well been caricature-like. Singer Kim C, or Kim Dae-won, also makes an appearance, giving the film a humorous edge with his oddball character. He also sings a mellow song track with popular singer Park Ji-yoon.

It comes as a surprise that director Hwang Qu-dok (``Chulsoo & Younghee,'' 2004) brings to the silver screen such a surreal love story, because he is well known for the realism and sharp social criticism in his films.

Yet the surreal quality of ``Eternal'' is precisely what makes it ``real'' and genuinely moving. ``Isn't life like a dream? No, not a dream but like a lie. A lie,'' says Su-yeong with a bittersweet chuckle in the film. ``Eternal'' explores life and its greatest mysteries, the human condition and its fragile, fractured existence, as well as the undying spirit of the heart.

``Until now, ever since I recommenced making films in my 40s, I pursued the `fantasy' genre. But 'fantasy' I speak of must be like a tree with roots deeply imbedded in historical reality,'' the director was quoted as saying in a press release. Hwang's harrowing story was in fact inspired by his own experience.

``Eternal'' captivated viewers when it premiered at the 2007 Puchon (Bucheon) International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) as the opening film. Step into this magical temple of youth and be prepared to be enchanted and enthralled by the haunting power of love.

Source : Korea Times

Underground Rendez-vous - Family, History Surface

With the two Korean leaders slated to meet for talks in late August, the release of the heartfelt drama ``Underground Rendez-vous'' is most timely. Free of political commentaries, the film celebrates universal values of love with a delightfully comical edge as it portrays a family forced to live under unnatural separation.

Set during the early 1980s, ``Underground'' tells the hilarious story of Yeong-tan (Im Chang-jung), an aspiring schoolteacher who, caught along a series of mishaps, ends up teaching children in a small mountainous village. Meanwhile, the ``real'' teacher (Ryoo Seung-bum) who was supposed to move into town is trapped in the middle of nowhere, unable to move his right foot after stepping on a landmine.

All seems swell for Yeong-tan, and he even falls in love with an angelic beauty, Seon-mi (Park Jin-hee), the sister in law of the town chief (Im Hyun-sik). One day, Yeong-tan catches Seon-mi and the chief in an awkward moment, and being the Don Quixote he is, immediately proceeds to disclose the so-called incestuous scandal.

Over the course of his investigation, however, Yeong-tan discovers that Seon-mi lives in a town up north -- in North Korea. It turns out that 30 years before, the chief's family had been separated when they accidentally stood on the wrong side of the fence while the 38th parallel was being drawn.

However, the family members have been able to visit one another through an underground passage between the North's southernmost village and the South's northernmost village in North Chungcheong Province. But with authorities of both sides closing up on their clandestine rendez-vous, the family must risk everything to stay together.

``Korea is the sole country left with the problem of division, but the younger generation does not understand it very well,'' director Kim Jong-jin told reporters at a Seoul theater Tuesday. Kim, assistant director of comedies like ``The Greatest Expectation'' (2003) and ``My Wife is a Gangster'' (2001), makes his solo debut.

``I hope they will be able to learn about the separation as part of our history, why members of a family cannot live together while living in such proximity, and why the North and South have different political ideologies,'' he said.

The film transcends the basic premise of a typical family comedy by uniquely morphing itself into a period piece. The opening scene evokes Michael Bay's ``Pearl Harbor'' (2001) as military jets congest a swelling, ruby red sunset. Furthermore, the dichotomy between the airborne vessels and hanbok-clad characters is striking.

``Underground'' vividly captures 1980s Seoul with police stations packed with student protesters, all the way back to a pivotal moment in Korean history when the Soviets (now Russia) and Americans drew the 38th parallel across the peninsula. But when a family inadvertently splits while helping the soldiers erect the fence, the situation turns absurdly comic -- it makes you wonder whether to laugh or cry.

Continuing the tradition of films like ``Welcome to Dongmakgol'' (2005), ``Underground'' keeps the heavy theme afloat with tastefully orchestrated comic relief, provided by comedian actors who give life to charming characters. Im Chang-jung, the prince of Korean comedy with hits like ``Sex is Zero'' (2003) under his belt, struts out his comic acts alongside veteran actors like Im Hyun-shik (``200 Pounds Beauty,'' 2006).

The actors hit all the right notes, spicing up sappy moments here and there with witty lines. Park Jin-hee, the Korean Naomi Watts who is enjoying the peak of her acting career at a not very young age, also provides much laughter with her narcissistic character.

``Underground'' opens across theaters Aug. 15, a historic day when the two Koreas had celebrated -- as one -- their independence from Japan 62 years ago in 1945. The family comedy will capture hearts in tune with Korea's Independence Day, Gwangbokjeol, meaning ``recapturing the light'' in Korean.

Source : Korean Times

'The Houseguest' overstays its welcome

Chu Yo-sup (1902-1972) wrote the memorable short story "Saranbang sonmin-gwa eomeoni (The Guest in My Mom's House)". Published in 1935, the creative tale portrays the subtle emotional tension between a widow and a house guest from the perspective of a six-year-old girl. Emotions are intentionally suppressed, reflecting the strict social norms placed on Koreans at the time.

"Sarangbang seonsuwa eomeoni" ("The Houseguest and My Mother"), directed by Lim Yeong-seong, borrows the title from the famous short story, but does not follow the original plot. In contrast to Chu's refined storytelling, "The Houseguest and My Mother" pursues a shamelessly trite Korean filmmaking format: Different cinematic elements are crammed onto the big screen not because they are essential but because the director wants to rescue a deplorable script.

In the film, Deok-gun Jeong Joon-ho is 100 million won in debt to gangsters thanks to his irresponsible father who is now behind bars. Desperate to pay back the money, he takes on a peculiar assignment from an old lady, for a sizable fee, and drives down to a nondescript fishing town to track down her granddaughter. Deok-gun unpacks his luggage at a boarding house run by Hye-joo, a single mom who lives with her bright yet rebellious teenage daughter Ok-hee. With his search getting nowhere, Deok-gun notices that Hye-joo has saved exactly 100 million won in her bank account, and hatches a woo-and-run scheme that gets the plot rolling.

The movie juxtaposes the shattered father-son relationships with the solid mother-daughter bond in a way that stresses the importance of being part of a family. But the movie fails to introduce meaningful details about Deok-gun's relationship with his father in the prison, nor does it offer any clues about why and how Hye-joo gave birth to Ok-hee at the age of 15.

Even though there are a growing number of single moms in Korea, it is rare to see a 15-year-old girl become a mother overnight. The movie does not -- intentionally or simply out of laziness -- provide convincing background stories that explain Hye-joo's difficult circumstances.

For most Korean moviegoers, the film's casting suggests that the selling point of "The Houseguest and My Mother" is its comedy. After all, and are the country's leading comic actors.

Unfortunately, the movie is not a pure comedy. In the first half of the film, numerous attempts are made to generate laughter, but most of the supposedly funny scenes are either overly simplistic or embarrassingly tacky.

For instance, as with other Korean comedy films, "The Houseguest and My Mother" characters go to a noraebang, or karaoke, but their uninspired performances evoke sympathy rather than genuine laughter.

Sidekicks often use foul language for no apparent reason, along with exaggerated gestures that are hardly funny. Seong-chil, who has a crush on the widow, mistreats his buddies in the village, again without generating any meaningful dramatic effect. Toilet humor, inserted for dubious reasons, is simply lamentable.

Toward the end of the film, the central characters encounter a melodramatic development intended to tug at the heartstrings of the audience, but the impact is minimal at best.

"The Houseguest and My Mother" incorporates many of the old Korean filmmaking practices. Famous actors are recruited to increase its commercial odds at the box office but their acting does not exude genuinely creative energy. Nor does the hybrid genre -- a half-baked melodrama trapped in a comedy -- break any cinematic ground.

Perhaps it would have been much better if "The Houseguest and My Mother" had faithfully reflected Chu Yo-sup's short story, where the guest does not overstay his welcome.

By Yang Sung-jin

"Changing Partners" - Film explores bed hopping scandals

Cheating is a favorite topic for many filmmakers, and director Jeong Yoon-soo puts a double spin on the forbidden relationships in his latest film "Changing Partners (Jigeum saranghaneun saram-gwa salgo isseumnikka?)."

The Korean title, which translates into "Are you living with the person you love?" tells volumes about the movie's dominant theme. In some cases, people happen to find their soul mates after they already have gotten married, and this tricky development often jeopardizes the existing marital relationships.

"Changing Partners," however, does not attempt to justify cheating. Instead, it depicts a crisscrossed scandal where two couples get entangled in belated and illicit romantic relations.

Young-jun (Lee Dong-gun) is a wealthy businessman, and his wife So-yeo (Han Chae-young) runs a lighting design company. The only problem with the couple is that they have never been in "hot" relationships, and are now maintaining a perfunctory tie as a couple that seems happy in the eyes of bystanders. In contrast, Min-jae (Park Yong-woo), a hotelier, and his wife Yu-na (Uhm Jeong-hwa), a fashion consultant, maintain passionate relationships three years into their marriage.

The two starkly different couples meet each other and a sort of changing of partners occurs. So-yeo is drawn to Min-jae, who is far more friendly and delicate than her husband. Yu-na feels attracted to Young-jun's charismatic character, something that is lacking in her husband.

At a press preview held on Wednesday, director Jeong said he hopes the audiences do not think too much about the scandalous setting in the film. "This is about love and marriage, and I hope people just take a look at this type of love without prejudice," he said.

Asked whether the film justifies swapping, director Jeong said the movie has nothing to do with swapping. "I have never thought my film is concerned about swapping. It is just a story about people who happen to fall in love belatedly. I wanted to pursue more open answers for this matter, focusing on what is really important for us, rather than what's important for protecting the marriage," he said.

Actor Park Yong-woo said, "Personally, I was somewhat confused about the relationships in the movie. I believe that love cannot be described in a couple of words or explained logically, but this is a socially sensitive issue, so the important aspect is whether we have an open mind about all of this."

Actor Lee Dong-gun also stressed that the focus of the film is placed on romantic but misplaced relationships. "This is about love that has gone awry, but the film does not justify or sugarcoat the cheating. But the point is that even misplaced relationships are relationships," he said.

Director Lee said he made efforts to decorate the background for major scenes, adding a sense of luxury. "In many scenes, characters meet in upscale bars or other posh restaurants, so we really put a lot of effort into making the scenes luxurious and colorful."

The film, produced by Cine2000, will be released on Aug. 15 nationwide.

Source : Korea Herald

Meeting Square - Unification theme mixed with small town comedy

A remote village nestled near the heavily fortified border that divides South and North Korea is not a popular place. But "Mannamui Gwangjang (Meeting Square)," a film set in the 1980s and directed by Kim Jong-jin, attempts to make it at least a meaningful place where families gather together in a peculiar way. In the film, Young-tan (Im Chang-jeong), who lives on an obscure island, has a big dream: becoming a teacher in a big city. Befitting his ambition, he cannot stand anybody near him committing an immoral act. He is, after all, a paragon of morality and virtue who sets high standards in society -- a core quality that he believes he needs to be a good teacher.

The trouble is that he fails to pass every exam he takes to become a teacher. Apparently, the state does not consider his virtuous life in screening good teachers. Undaunted, Young-tae moves to Seoul in the hopes of preparing for the exam more seriously, but the very moment he arrives at Seoul Station -- a dangerous place for unsuspecting islanders -- touches off something he least expects.

Helped by mere luck (or misfortune), he stumbles into a training program titled "Samcheong Gyoyukdae," which Young-tan wrongly takes for "Samcheong Education University." Samcheong Gyuyukdae, however, is not meant for teacher wannabes. It existed in the 1980s during the military dictatorship in Korea, and it was a notorious boot camp designed to punish dissenters.

Another lucky turn sends Young-tan to a village where he is mistaken for a teacher, while the real teacher (played by Ryu Seung-beom) is lost in woods packed with land mines.

From this point on, the film mixes comedy and semi-mystery, with villagers led by the town chief (Lim Hyeon-shik) acting weirdly. The puzzle, which is not hard to unravel for most Korean audiences, manages to get the plot rolling, with Young-tan falling in love with a beautiful yet bad-tempered girl Seon-mi (Park Jin-hee).

To Young-tan's dismay, the town chief and his sister-in-law Seon-mi seem to be having an affair, a classic comedy of misunderstanding that introduces a chain of unexpected events.

Many of the village scenes are reminiscent of "Welcome to Dongmakgol," and the villagers' innocent -- at least superficially -- behaviors are tailored for lighthearted comic scenes.

But the refreshing theme of the decades-long division on the Korean Peninsula is not a dominant factor in the film, largely because it is the main characters that shore up the drama. Lim Chang-jeong shows off his trademark dashing act to the full, while Lim Hyeon-shik showcases what only an experienced actor can do for the big screen.

Intermittently, the ill-fated real teacher played by Ryu Seung-beom injects real humor into the otherwise flat storyline. Ryu's performance is undoubtedly a showstopper here, with his gags getting funnier and funnier toward the end after he steps on a landmine and has to deal with the lethal crisis deep inside a forest in total isolation.

"Mannamui Gwangjang," produced by CY Film, is scheduled to be released nationwide on Aug. 15.

Actress Oh Comes Back After 10 Years

Actress Oh Hyun-kyung, 37, who was shunned over a sex video scandal, will be back on television sets after a 10-year absence. Oh will appear in the drama ``The First Wives Club,’’ broadcasted by SBS to air Sep. 29.

During her long leave she has come to know, learn and experience much, the former Miss Korea told reporters at a press conference on Aug.7. Moreover, she now has a five-year old daughter and motherhood has given her the courage to press on.

For the actress, the ten years away from screens can be summed up in two words: pain and love. She was forced to quit acting after video footage of her having sex with her then boyfriend was distributed through the Internet, an incident that was almost unbearable for Oh at the time. ``What I experienced was something that was hard to bear at that age, my late-twenties. I felt like I was living in a separate world,’’ Yonhap News quoted Oh saying at the press conference.

There’s always a bright side to things, however, and for Oh, the scandal helped her to discover the love and care of people around her. Oh said that many people had helped and encouraged her to take up acting again, and it was these people who made her realize how lucky she is.

The beauty pageant winner showed determination to work hard to win hearts, vowing to approach viewers through her acting and her way of life, rather than with words.

Source : Korea Times

Zo to Appear in Epic Movie

Korea's heartthrob Zo In-sung will join hands once again with director Yu Ha in an epic movie set during the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392). The movie has yet to be titled, but will be produced by Opus Pictures and makes a fresh attempt at dealing with homosexual love. Zo and Yu last worked together in 2006 ‘’A Dirty Carnival”, which won Zo the lead male actor award at the 2006 Korea Film Awards.

In the movie, Zo will appear as a Goryeo warrior, balancing a romance between both a male and female counterpart, but Yu clearly stated the movie as ``a love story between men,’’ Yonhap News Agency reported. The scenario will be completed around the end of September, while other cast members have yet to be decided on.

Zo had many options for his last work before his compulsory military service, but his trust in Yu was the main reason he Zose to appear in the film without even knowing the exact details of the movie. Director Yu has been widely acclaimed by moviegoers and critics alike for bringing out violence and collectivity from deep within the human soul, as well as for his provocative view on conventional ideas. His movies include ‘’Crazy Marriage” in 2001, ‘’Spirit of Jeet Keun Do” in 2004 and ‘’A Dirty Carnival.”

Zo will train in martial arts beginning late August to make himself fit for the role of a warrior. As the setting is during the Goryeo period, he will not only learn horseback riding and fencing, but will also be taught to play the geomungo.

The epic movie will be a new attempt for Zo who is well known for his urban stylish looks.

Speaking of stylish looks, Levi’s announced Friday that they have Zosen Zo to model its Premium line starting mid-August because his sophisticated fashion style goes well with the line’s image.

Source : Korea Times

'The Houseguest' overstays its welcome

Chu Yo-sup (1902-1972) wrote the memorable short story "Saranbang sonmin-gwa eomeoni (The Guest in My Mom's House)." Published in 1935, the creative tale portrays the subtle emotional tension between a widow and a house guest from the perspective of a six-year-old girl. Emotions are intentionally suppressed, reflecting the strict social norms placed on Koreans at the time.

"Sarangbang seonsuwa eomeoni (The Houseguest and My Mother)," directed by Im Yeong-seong, borrows the title from the famous short story, but does not follow the original plot. In contrast to Chu's refined storytelling, "The Houseguest" pursues a shamelessly trite Korean filmmaking format: Different cinematic elements are crammed onto the big screen not because they are essential but because the director wants to rescue a deplorable script.

In the film, Deok-gun (Jung Joon-ho) is 100 million won in debt to gangsters thanks to his irresponsible father who is now behind bars. Desperate to pay back the money, he takes on a peculiar assignment from an old lady, for a sizable fee, and drives down to a nondescript fishing town to track down her granddaughter. Deok-gun unpacks his luggage at a boarding house run by Hye-joo (Kim Won-hee), a single mom who lives with her bright yet rebellious teenage daughter Ok-hee (Ko Eun-ha). With his search getting nowhere, Deok-gun notices that Hye-joo has saved exactly 100 million won in her bank account, and hatches a woo-and-run scheme that gets the plot rolling.

The movie juxtaposes the shattered father-son relationships with the solid mother-daughter bond in a way that stresses the importance of being part of a family. But the movie fails to introduce meaningful details about Deok-gun's relationship with his father in the prison, nor does it offer any clues about why and how Hye-joo gave birth to Ok-hee at the age of 15.

Even though there are a growing number of single moms in Korea, it is rare to see a 15-year-old girl become a mother overnight. The movie does not -- intentionally or simply out of laziness -- provide convincing background stories that explain Hye-joo's difficult circumstances.

For most Korean moviegoers, the film's casting suggests that the selling point of "The Houseguest" is its comedy. After all, Jung Joon-ho (My Boss, My Hero) and Kim Won-hee (Marrying the Mafia 3) are the country's leading comic actors.

Unfortunately, the movie is not a pure comedy. In the first half of the film, numerous attempts are made to generate laughter, but most of the supposedly funny scenes are either overly simplistic or embarrassingly tacky.

For instance, as with other Korean comedy films, "The Houseguest" characters go to a noraebang, or karaoke, but their uninspired performances evoke sympathy rather than genuine laughter.

Sidekicks often use foul language for no apparent reason, along with exaggerated gestures that are hardly funny. Seong-chil (Im Hyeong-joon), who has a crush on the widow, mistreats his buddies in the village, again without generating any meaningful dramatic effect. Toilet humor, inserted for dubious reasons, is simply lamentable.

Toward the end of the film, the central characters encounter a melodramatic development intended to tug at the heartstrings of the audience, but the impact is minimal at best.

"The Houseguest" incorporates many of the old Korean filmmaking practices. Famous actors are recruited to increase its commercial odds at the box office but their acting does not exude genuinely creative energy. Nor does the hybrid genre -- a half-baked melodrama trapped in a comedy -- break any cinematic ground.

Perhaps it would have been much better if "The Houseguest" had faithfully reflected Chu Yo-sup's short story, where the guest does not overstay his welcome.

Source : Korea Herald

Actress Jeon Named Leading Lady of Entertainment

Actress Jeon Named Leading Lady of Entertainment
On the heels of her win as best actress at the 60th Cannes Film Festival in May, Jeon Do-yeon has been named among the 50 most influential women in the entertainment industry by U.S. magazine "Variety".

Among all the entertainment categories including film, TV, and publishing, only four actresses were selected - Jeon, Angelina Jolie, Helen Mirren and Marion Cotillard.




"Korean critics call Jeon a chameleon," Variety wrote. "At Cannes in May, when Alain Delon presented her with the best actress prize for Lee Chang-dong's 'Secret Sunshine' -- in which she played a woman devastated by the loss of her son -- it was Korea's first acting award at the world's premiere film showcase. It also was considered the one award outside of the Palme d'Or that set all heads nodding in agreement.'

The magazine further hailed her, saying "When it comes to Asian acting talent, (Jeon and Cannes juror Maggie Cheung) have few equals."

Source : Chosun