Actors Keep `11th Mother' Afloat

Actress Kim Hye-su plays the role of a cynical woman who gets in touch with her maternal instincts in ``My 11th Mother.''

When you have a classic storyline and an amazing cast of top-notch actors, what can possibly go wrong? While a movie can go terribly off beam, fine acting can sometimes keep a film from drowning completely.

``My 11th Mother,'' is a conventional tearjerker. Director Kim Jin-sung (``Surprise Party,'' 2002) spices up the family genre a bit by throwing in some novel ingredients that work surprisingly well in the beginning. But the rest of the film goes sour ― rather than sweetly heart-wrenching ― and forcibly squeezes out tears.

Jae-su leads a cruel life for an 11-year-old. His father (Ryu Seung-ryong) is an abusive, gambling and jobless wreck of a guy, so the little boy has learned to survive on his own, cooking or carefully spending his food stamps and running a string of part-time jobs.

One day, his father shows up with a woman (Kim Hye-su). Apparently used to the comings and goings of such transient mother figures ― this one being the 11th as the title suggests ― Jae-su says ``mom'' without a wince.

``Mom? You didn't tell me you had a kid,'' says the gaudy woman. But her make-up and wig disappear to reveal a hungry, tired and disheveled woman who eats up all the food in the house when she's not in deep hibernation.

Jae-su seems to have dealt with all sorts of women, but this one is the worst by far. War ensues as the two squabble over a bottle of yogurt and such.

But even enemies join forces when a mutual opponent threatens, and Jae-su and the woman bond together against the violent abuse of Jae-su's father.

``Before I met you, I used to think I was the most pitiful person in the world… But no, I'm second and you can take number one,'' the woman says. She has led a rough life as a bargirl. Ailing and penniless, she was ``bought'' into a so-called marriage.

But Jae-su opens up her weary heart, and she learns the meaning of family for the first time in her life. The two lonely souls begin to accept each other as kindred spirits, and the deep empathy blooms into familial love.

Just when the two embark on a newfound relationship, unfortunately, time and circumstances separate them forever.

The film actually works pretty well up to the climax, when Jae-su and the woman build their bond. Subtlety reigns tastefully, but then it falls downhill into a contrived mess.

``My 11th Mother'' rests too heavily on extremities to force reactions from viewers. It takes it too far as it shows, for example, a lengthy scene of domestic violence, as the father relentlessly hits the boy and woman. The level of violence is a bit too much for a family drama, and the film could have been equally disturbing without showing it all.

And yet, the film doesn't die off completely, as it showcases the stellar performances of some of Korea's finest actors.

Actress Kim Hye-su (``Tazza: The High Rollers,'' 2006), Korea's ultimate sex symbol, trades in her femme fatale image to play a broken woman. Kim delivers the role most convincingly, with chipped nails and all. And while she demonstrates her ability to handle a role that's far from glamorous, she retains that unwavering sparkle in her eyes that shines through in all her parts.

Kim's young partner, actor Kim Young-chon, is thoroughly impressive. The 13-year-old acts with a natural instinct and innocence that many child actors seem lack these days. Korean cinema has much to expect from the young actor.

Ryu Seung-ryong (``Hwang Jin Yi,'' 2007) is also unforgettable as a man who, unable to express his affections, tragically falls prey to his own traps as a terrible father. And yet, the cream of the crop would undoubtedly be Hwang Jung-min (``Happiness,'' 2007), who stars as the pathetic guy next door, who gives the artificial drama a realistic edge.

Source: Korea Times

Jun Ji-hyun comes back to domestic film scene

Jun Ji-hyun is swooping down on the domestic film market again after a brief hiatus involving her latest effort to expand her career outside Korea.

Jun, who has built her Asia-wide fame with "My Sassy Girl" (2001), is playing opposite Hwang Jung-min in a new film, "A Man Once a Superman," to be released early next year.

The 26-year-old fashion icon's return to the domestic cinema scene follows the completion of "Blood: The Last Vampire," a film that critics said marks her full-fledged debut in Hollywood. She joined the shooting of "Blood," directed by Ronny Yu, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The film, a remake of a Japanese animation with the same title, is also expected to be released in 2008.

Jun is using "Gianna Jun" as her official English name to increase the familiarity for English-speaking audiences, following advice that her original Korean name is hard to pronounce.

In the new Korean film project, Jun proved her star status. In July when the shooting for "A Man Once a Superman" began in southern Seoul, the streets were filled with people trying to get a glimpse of Jun.

On Wednesday, a shooting session in Haeri, Geyonggi Province, was open to the local press, and Jun held a press conference where she said the role was harder than she had originally imagined.

"I am feeling a lot of pressure since I'm coming back to the domestic film industry," she said. "In this film, I'm depicted as a person who does not put on any make-up, which is very different from my well-known image, but in fact that's closer to my real image."

In the film, Jun plays a documentary producer who helps out a man (played by Hwang) who believes that he is a superman who used to have, well, super-power.

But there are still concerns about her chance to prove her box-office power. Except for the blockbuster hit "My Sassy Girl," which represents the advent of the Korean Wave throughout Asia, Jun has not impressed the local audiences that much.

For instance, "The Uninvited" (2003) was not so inviting, after all, with tepid reaction from the local moviegoers. In 2004, "Windstruck" was released and the expectations were almost at a sky-high level because the film seemed to be perfected designed to maximize Jun's charm as an innocent yet provocatively sexy girl. But the results were equally disappointing.

In 2006, Jun tried her luck again with "Daisy," but despite the huge media attention toward her, the film did not make any strong impression on the local market, raising questions about her acting talent.

Even though Jun is the most sought-after fashion icon who wins one lucrative television ad contract after another, her acting seems to have hit a plateau since "My Sassy Girl," and critics are keeping their eyes on whether she can show any improvement in "A Man Once a Superman."

Source: The Korea Herald

Song Hye-gyo Poised for U.S. Debut

The popular Korean actress Song Hye-gyo is to make her U.S. debut with a leading role in independent film “Fetish.” The movie, which will be shot in New York, is a thriller about a woman with psychic abilities. Song will star opposite Austrian actor Arno Frisch who featured in "Funny Games.”

The movie’s casting director Susan Shopmaker, who has cast roles in some 50 major Hollywood films such as “Hedwig and the Angry Inch", met Song for the first time at the Pusan International Film Festival in October. Shopmaker was reportedly convinced of Song’s potential on the global stage, citing Song's beauty, mix of Eastern and Western charms and her acting in "Hwang jin yi," which was in the official selection at the PIFF.

Song’s agency said, “She has been getting offers from Hollywood, but none were as apt to show the true Song Hye-gyo. She also decided to appear in the movie since it is an independent film that fully reflects the director’s intentions. We are sure that this film will allow Song to spread her wings.”

The film is to be directed by Korean filmmaker Sohn Soo-pum. The New York University graduate is a laureate of the 2002 Student Academy Awards and was invited to the Cannes Film Festival that same year. With this movie, Sohn will present a story about oriental sorcery staged in New York. It will be released next year. Song left for New York on Wednesday for a month-long shoot.

'Our Town' maps out a new track in thriller

When a serial killer is on the loose in a small town, a tempting option for another potential killer is committing a copycat murder. "Our Town (Uri dongnae)," the debut feature by director Jeong Gil-young, is a thriller that spins a grim and brooding tale out of a confrontation between a serial killer and a copycat killer.

The movie starts with a scene where a twentysomething girl is found dead at an elementary school playground. With her neck tied to a horizontal bar, she seems to have suffered severe stab wounds before or after a brutal murder.

It turns out that the murder is the latest in a string of similar cases involving the same town in Seoul. All the victims are women, ranging from a child to a housewife in her 30s, and all the townspeople become afraid to go out, while the police are faced with embarrassing bad publicity.

Jae-shin (Lee Seon-gyun), a detective who leads an investigation into the serial killer case, struggles hard to find clues, with his boss getting anxious about the manhunt getting nowhere.

But Jae-shin has a personal channel to vent his frustration: his childhood buddy Gyeong-ju (Oh Man-seok), a self-styled writer who wants to hit it big with a realistic detective novel. But publishers do not want his novel, so Gyeong-ju cannot make any money to pay the rent.

The plot accelerates when Gyeong-ju gets engaged in a bitter fight with his landlord and ends up killing her in his own room. At first, he does not see anything and does not have any idea about what he has to do. Soon he realizes that his town has a serial killer, murdering only women, and he believes he might get away with his accidental murder.

Following the details of previous murder cases, Gyeong-ju puts the dead body in a small town park, in the middle of the night. The police and the media believe the case also belongs to the notorious serial killer, but Hyo-e (Ryu Deok-hwan), who runs a small stationery shop, knows something really interesting has happened. Hyo-e knows it is a copycat crime because he is the real killer.

The virtue of the film is that director Jeong starts off with all the key plot elements exposed and fully explained. The two killers are well aware of the existence of their counterparts, and the film's camera tracks down what they are up to at every key moment. This is an innovative approach. Unlike other thrillers that tend to hide key information until the last moment, "Our Town" offers what is at stake up front, and challenges the audiences to follow the plot and what is really going on for themselves.

Also notable are the fine performances of Oh Man-seok, who has built fame as a leading television actor following his success on the musical stage, and Ryu Deok-hwan, a teenage celebrity actor who showed off his talent in "Like a Virgin." In this film, Oh plays a dark character who has long been sidelined by society. He used to be lonely; even now, his life is filled with disappointing turns and poverty. Oh's realistic portrayal of the character also comes from what is called "animalistic instinct." When the character is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, sparked by sheer anger, Oh seems to understand how to control his emotions in order to amplify the effect.

Meanwhile, Ryu lends authenticity to the serial killer's psychopathic state by keeping a calm and cool posture throughout the film. The serial killer has a complex web of emotions inside, including tactfulness, and a merciless killing instinct, and Ryu's innocent appearance adds to the perplexing sentiment when the character's hidden violence is exposed toward the end of the film. In particular, Hyo-e's emotion-packed murder of his old acquaintance is realistic enough to pump up the adrenaline of the audience, thanks to Ryu's amazing ability to infuse the character with vitality.

The film's heavy reliance on violent murder scenes may not appeal to mainstream audiences who want a happy ending in every drama, but those who want a serious thriller with a decent script are likely to find some fine moments in "Our Town," which will be released nationwide on Nov. 29.

Source: Korea Herald

'Our Town' Deconstructs Murder

In "Our Town," bona fide actors Rue Duk-hwan, left, and Oh Man-seok, center, star as two dueling killers, while Lee Sun-kyun plays the role of a police officer. Rather than being a cat-and-mouse chase between the criminals and the police, the crime thriller delves deep into the workings of troubled minds and crisscrossed human relationships. / Courtesy of IM Pictures

Unlike what its title might suggest, director Jung Gil-young's ``Our Town'' is not some fuzzy family drama. It's a crime thriller where five women are brutally killed. Not another serial killer story, you may say. But, again, the film kills your expectations as it takes you on a novel cinematic experience ― a flight into the mind of not one, but two, killers on the loose in what could be ``our'' neighborhood.

First off, the title needs some explanation. It is a literal translation of the original title ``Uri dongne.'' A Los Angeles Times column (July 24, 2006) once highlighted how the Korean language thoroughly reflects the collective nature of Koreans, who prefer the unassuming ``we'' over the individual ``I,'' and thus leads to the stapling of group pronouns ``our'' (uri) rather than ``my'' in front of objects. So saying ``our house'' or ``our town'' creates a communal sense of ownership and establishes a sense of mutual connection.

That's the irony. This is a violent and disturbing murder story that is definitely not for children ― so the ``our'' part doesn't work there. And yet, the movie suggests such horrors can happen next door.

In a quiet, ordinary neighborhood, three women and a young girl are ``crucified,'' with their dead bodies tied up in the form of a cross in public areas. Kyeong-su (Oh Man-seok), a struggling novelist, impulsively kills his landlady during a nasty quarrel over rent. With the recent happenings around town, he conveniently covers up his crime as the doings of the serial killer.

Kyeong-su's childhood buddy and police officer Jae-sin (Lee Sun-kyun) begins to suspect the fifth victim was a copycat case. Meanwhile the actual chain killer, Hyo-i (Rue Duk-hwan), begins to track down his mimic.

This isn't a conventional cat-and-mouse game between the police and murderer. The movie immediately reveals the who, what, when, where and how, and the action feeds upon the disquieting why part as the systematic murderer and impulsive killer trail each other's paths.

Even the most hardened of crime thriller fans will be able to taste something new, as the suspense is rooted in the mind game between two murderers. And it's more daunting yet as the story takes place within the context of a neighborhood.

Hyo-i is the great guy next door. He's the helpful owner of a small stationary store and has the face of an angel. Kyeong-su is also an ordinary guy, but can apparently commit murder when cornered. It shows how, in a spur of the moment, one can give into one's darkest desires and bestial urgencies.

What the movie does is play with the human thought process, the stark difference ― or lack thereof ― between imagination and reality, wanting to kill and the actual act of killing.

In one scene, the murderer makes a girl sing a song, but still takes her life with a smirk: ``It's just technique, nothing genuine'' (obviously he's not happy with the singing). Lee Moon-sae's good old love song is juxtaposed with the inhuman act, making it even more harrowing. It suggests the psyche of the psychopath, someone who kills for the sake of killing without a vengeful motive.

But unlike psychopath films like ``Black House,'' the movie deals with more ``humane'' murderers and does a decent job of portraying the aftermath of a trauma and the copycat effect on individuals. ``Our Town'' is an unsettling psychological drama that shows how the act of killing becomes a source of emotional release and rapture for the shattered soul. It deserves some comparison to Jean Giono's novel/film ``Un Roi sans divertissement'' (1963).

Although some of the highly dramatized, crisscrossed relationships in the film are slightly cliched, the bona fide actors ― theater stars Oh Man-seok and Lee Sun-kyun who have recently been giving stellar appearances on TV and rising star Rue Duk-hwan (``Like a Virgin'') ― give gripping, and disturbing, performances. These are neighbors you definitely don't wish for.

Source: Korea Times

Kim Tae-hee, Sul Kyoung-gu Battle Onscreen

A joking Sul Kyoung-gu, left, unveils the real side of actress Kim Tae-hee, at a press conference held to promote their new movie, “Venus and Mars.” In the film, Kim, who has mostly portrayed the pure and innocent girl image, plays hardball. / Korea Times photo by Lee Jae-moon

In the ``hardboiled'' romantic comedy ``Venus and Mars'' (working title), two unlikely actors have teamed up to give new meaning to a lover's quarrel. Screen star Kim Tae-hee has cast off her sweet and elegant image to play a bitter ― and violent ― woman while bona fide actor Sul Kyoung-gu has toned down his tough on-screen persona to play the battered husband.

``It's basically about two people, who, before getting married, couldn't stand being apart, but afterwards can't stand each other,'' said Sul during a recent press event.

The film could be seen as a homegrown version of ``The War of the Roses'' (starring Michael Douglas) with a touch of Brangelina's ``Mr. and Mrs. Smith.'' To this, director Han Ji-seung (``A Day'') said he was definitely influenced by the Michael Douglas movie, but ``Venus and Mars'' was actually inspired by the true, ultra-dramatic story of a friend and his girlfriend.

``Rather than focusing on romance, it's a story that defines love through fighting,'' he said.

Kim's character embarks on a mission to destroy, and nothing can stop her. She smashes her husband's car and sets things on fire, and flies around doing high kick and drags around a metal pipe (this is Kim Tae-hee, not a scene from ``My Wife is a Gangster'').

But Kim's character may not be so disparate from her real self.

``(Kim) Tae-hee confessed! When she was young she used to beat the hell out of her younger brother (actor) Lee Wan and scared the life out him,'' Sul exclaimed. ``The physical beating scenes were real ― she said she couldn't fake them and really kicked me!'' he said, complaining playfully.

``He really loves his body and wanted to spare himself,'' Kim retaliated, but went on to admit the abuse. ``I am actually hot-tempered. I think I was able to release a lot of what I've grown used to suppress,''

``My brother calls me `iron foot' because I used to kick him a lot… Once I broke a window trying to get him when he escaped to the veranda,'' Kim recalled her action-packed childhood ― smiling ever so sweetly ― to the shock of everyone present, except her co-star and director.

``I didn't really believe it until we went into shooting,'' said the director. ``She did that thing where you don't simply stop with kicking someone, but rub the spot with the foot afterwards ― now that's someone who's done some kicking before, because you're rubbing in the pain,'' he said.

``She hits you to the point where she hurts her own fist,'' added Sul. Yet Sul's string of grievances suggested his own similarity to his lily-livered character ― perhaps a sharp turn away from his strong characters in films like ``Silmido.'' But to this, he disagreed, saying that his previous roles were far from macho.

``They were really delicate characters who only resorted to aggression because of their instabilities. I think this role is a continuation of this,'' he said. ``Besides, I really am a bit timid and grumbling.''

As for Kim, her surprising departure from the fragile heroine of TV drama ``Love Story in Harvard'' does not stop with hard kicks. This project shows she's more than just a pretty face.

``Pretty, neat and proper… are not the words (to describe Kim),'' Sul continued to tease his co-star. ``She's really down to earth and one tough ball. She'd jump into fires and do wire action without hesitating one bit, so the stunt person went home in vain… And she runs like a man, an athlete,'' he said.

``Because I have such a soft image I wanted to show a fresh, new and more dynamic side in the film,'' said Kim. ``I was also attracted to the movie because I love romantic comedies, but it's not romantic at all ― that's why is called `hardboiled.''' The supporting cast, actor Seo Tae-hwa and musical-actress Jeon Su-kyoung, also joined the three to discuss their role in heating up this war of the sexes.

For the press event, comedian Park Hong-su revealed an online survey listing top five reasons for fighting with a significant other: when she/he 1. apologizes insincerely; 2. doesn't get my message; 3. says she/he isn't angry but sulks; 4. blames me for everything without thinking of what she/he's done wrong; and 5. is kind to everyone except me.

Source: Korea Times

Film puts new spin on domestic violence

Director Han Ji-seung enjoyed a high degree of popularity in the 1990s with sophisticated films such as "Yellow Ribbon" and "A Day," but since 2000 he has not made a movie.

He is coming back with "Venus and Mars (Ssaum)," which will hit the theaters on Dec. 13. The film is drawing attention not only because it is Han's comeback feature, but also because the country's top actors took part in the project.

The new film stars Sol Kyung-gu ("Public Enemy" and "Silmido") and Kim Tae-hee ("The Restless"), and the peculiar storyline -- a married couple fighting viciously and violently -- raises speculation about how the two stars have adapted to their new, challenging roles.

For Sol, acing tough is a piece of cake. He is, after all, adept at playing the tough guy. But what he has to deal with in "Venus and Mars" is a seemingly frail and vulnerable character played by Kim, who is now the most sought-after actress in Korea. Of course, Kim's character is not so fragile once the couple gets entangled in a series of bitter life-or-death battles. Since violence is a key element in the film, "Venus and Mars" is being promoted as a "hardboiled romance," a term that needs some explanation.

At a news conference held on Friday, director Han explained to reporters that he has long been interested the romantic comedy genre, and has attempted to go in the opposite direction. "I thought it would be interesting to combine romantic comedy with something that is not so romantic," he said.

But a couple fighting to death is not an entirely new concept. "The War of the Roses," a 1989 feature directed by Danny DeVito, has a similar storyline. But director Han insisted that his new film goes takes a new cinematic track. "I like 'The War of the Roses' but it's very different from my film because I wanted to focus on the fighting itself, not depicting love in any romantic way."

Han said he took a motif out of a real couple he knows, who continued to fight for about two years and yet maintained their marital relationship.

Sol Kyung-gu plays Sang-min, a narrow-minded yet sensitive character. "Many people got a strong impression of the previous characters I played, but on a closer look the characters did have some vulnerable aspects, and I believe Sang-min amplifies such hidden characteristics," Sol said.

Sol said what was unexpected was Kim Tae-hee's willingness to act tough. "In the movie, I usually got hit and punched, and she didn't pull any punches," he said.

Director Han said a scene involves Kim kicking Sol mercilessly, and he felt a sense of exhilaration when Kim kicked Sol and then twisted her feet on the very spot she attacked. "She definitely knew how to kick effectively," Han said, laughing.

Kim plays Jin-a, a character who steadily becomes violent in response to the callous treatment from her husband Sang-min. "I was drawn to Jin-a because I thought she had some similarities to my own character. And I also wanted to change my static image," she said. "Fighting is also an important process in getting to know each other. Perhaps we fight because we love each other too much," she added.

Source : Korea Herald

`West 32nd' Breaks Down NY Koreatown

`West 32nd' Breaks Down NY Koreatown

Actors John Cho, center left, and Jun Kim star as two very different yet similar Korean-Americans in the urban crime film ``West 32nd." It gets down-and-dirty like the gritty streets of New York. In ``West 32nd,'' Korean-American director Michael Kang gives the classic detective genre a fresh twist as he tells the untold story of a Korea that exists in the heart of the Big Apple. West 32nd Street is the geographic location of New York Koreatown (K-town) near the Empire State Building. But even those who are familiar with the ``noraebang'' (karaoke), stationary stores and ``seoleongtang'' (Korean beef broth) restaurants lining the strip will be shocked to know that there lies a whole new world beneath it all -- where Korean gangsters and ``organized'' mayhem reign. While snippets of Koreatown have began to appear (fleetingly) as an exotic backdrop in Hollywood films like ``Collateral'' (2004) and ``Shoot 'Em Up'' (2007), it remained a relatively unexplored territory, and ``West 32nd'' breaks it down, once and for all. In the dark corner of K-town, a bar owner Jin-ho (Jeong Jun-ho) is shot to death. Ambitious young lawyer John Kim (John Cho) offers to defend the 14-year-old Korean boy convicted of the homicide pro bono. Over the course of the investigation, he meets Mike Juhn (Jun Kim), a ruthless thug ascending the hierarchy of the Korean underworld. Though polar opposites, the two quickly become friends. Mike is contemptible as much as he is charismatic -- an anti-hero with the tempting appeal of Kurtz in ``The Heart of Darkness.'' He attracts John like a lamp would a moth in his anarchical world that lies outside the reach of state laws. To complicate things, John starts to fall for his client's beautiful older sister Lila (Grace Park). But winning the case -- a fast ticket to promotion -- is always his top priority, while Mike takes ``the guy from the other side'' under his wing to manifest his own grand visions. ``West 32nd'' is a classic crime movie but it's also a story about Koreanness and Americanness, and the murky middle ground in between -- a critical branch of the Korean diaspora that constitutes the thin but integral thread of the American social fabric. In recent years, independent films like ``Better Luck Tomorrow'' (starring John Cho) and Kim So-yong's ``In Between Days'' began to accurately portray the Asian American community, but ``West 32nd'' really punches the genre through with a strictly mainstream appeal. In the American context, the film shines through for breaking the model minority myth -- the false stereotype about Asian kids being all math whizzes who go to Ivy League schools and thus in no need of Affirmative Action. For mainland Koreans, it looks at the dark side of the American Dream, that moving to the U.S. does not guarantee wealth and success. Just as ``West 32nd'' serves as the missing link between the two Korean communities, it brings together top talent from each side, popular actor John Cho (``Harold and Kumar'') and ``Battlestar Galactica'' heroine Grace Park from the United States and top star Jeong Jun-ho and hot newcomer Jun Kim (also known as Kim Jun-seong) from Seoul. The film also does justice in presenting the Asian community, like the dialogues that are realistically crafted with ``Konglish'' or a clever mix of Korean and English. Characters like Mike and Jin-ho (Jeong) ooze with sex appeal, bashing stereotypes that deprived Asian men of their sexuality. It depicts more disturbing truths, touching upon racial conflicts within the Asian American community and hints upon human trafficking issues. ``West 32nd'' is not a feel-good movie. Deeply embedded in the bitter and ironic reality of life, the film's ambiguous nature will leave some feeling slightly confounded. But it doesn't drown with heavy drama. Far from being preachy, it has a rhythmic street-style beat sprinkled with good humor -- provided by a pair of ``Dumb and Dumber'' characters -- and an eye-catching array of ``poktanju'' or Korean-style boilermakers. So get ready to descend into an intoxicating underworld you may find hard to turn back from. Source: Korea Times

`Seven Days’ Offers Gripping Suspense

Kim Yun-jin plays the role of a lawyer who must safely get her abducted child back in “Seven Days.”

``Seven Days'' just may be what audiences have all been waiting for: a great homegrown crime thriller. With a good serving of believable characters, a scoop of wholesome drama, and even a sprinkle of good humor, director/scripter Won Shin-yun whips together all the right ingredients to offer an edge of the seat experience.

The main plotline is fairly simple. Ji-yeon (Kim Yun-jin) is a hotshot lawyer who wins case after case. One day her daughter is kidnapped, and the abductor gives her seven days to win an impossible case ― to set free a man whose death sentence is practically set ― or else she will never see the child again.

The abductor orchestrates the perfect crime. He watches her every move and forces her to comply by outwitting the police. Ji-yeon has no time to break down because she must run around in a frenzy to get this case together.

To make things worse, those around her get in her way. Her friend Seong-yeol (Park Heui-soon), a less than perfect policeman, is too tangled up in his own mess to help her out. In the meantime, the prosecutor is a longtime rival who's determined to crush Ji-yeon and naturally gives her a hard time. Plus he's backed by a power-thirsty superintendent.

To top off our protagonist's misery, she faces moral a dilemma. Her client is charged with brutally murdering a young woman, with almost all evidence proving his guilt. When she meets the mother of the victim, her own motherly instincts surface.

But deeper into the investigation, dark secrets unravel one after another in a rhythmical fashion. The movie deals with some heavy issues ― drugs, violence, corruption and loopholes within the judicial system, but they add to the gripping drama rather than weigh it down. The crime investigation scene is delightfully reminiscent of ``CSI,'' which is highly popular here.

These well thought-out subplots are in tune with the fast-paced beat of the movie, and even minor characters contribute to the intrigue.

The 126-minute running time goes by quickly as seven suffocating days tick by like a time bomb. The surprise ending is not contrived; rather, it hits you with a deep pang as you go with the suspenseful flow of the film, piecing together fragments of the case.

Actress Kim Yung-jin returns to the Korean screen for the first time in two years. The star of ``Lost'' gives a compelling performance with her screaming and running around, which is done with tasteful moderation. She manages to keep her cool by finding the right balance as a distraught mother and elite lawyer. Kim gives life to one strong-willed woman with a high emotional quotient ― a three-dimensional heroine that is quite rare in Korean cinema.

Park Heui-soon also deserves a pat on the back as a grumbling police officer, who walks the fine line between a thug and officer. Kim Yun-jin complemented the actor as a ``prepared star,'' and one can surely expect to see more of Park in the future.

Be warned, however, that the shaky hand-held camerawork may leave some feeling a bit nauseous.

Source: Korea Times

'Virgin Snow' contrasts Korea and Japan

"Virgin Snow," a Korean-Japanese co-production, is not exactly a seamless integration of Korean and Japanese filmmaking sensibilities. Although Korean director Han Sang-hee helms this ambitious project, the film's overall identity is pretty much Japanese.

The film's key developments take place in the historic Japanese city of Kyoto. Min (played by Korean heartthrob Lee Jun-ki) follows his father, a professor of ceramics, to live in Japan as an exchange student for a while, and encounters a shy Japanese girl named Nanae (Aoi Miyazaki).

From the very beginning, the film defines what's Korean and Japanese in a way that amplifies their contrasting features. Min is portrayed as a very upbeat, carefree and highly competitive Korean high school student. A typical extrovert, he quickly mingles with his Japanese friends, and even beats up some bullies, using his well-honed taekwondo tricks.

Nanae is exactly the opposite character. She's shy and thinks carefully when she is required to express her feelings. Her mood seems almost always gloomy, except for when she strolls the streets of Kyoto with Min. The unlikely couple first faces the most fundamental challenge in forging an international relationship: the language barrier. Min does not understand a single Japanese word. Nor does Nanae grasp what Min tries to say.

Of course, a strong desire to understand each other conjures up the fundamental communications tool: body language. When Min and Nanae find a shelter in the corner of a temple to avoid the rain, she tells Min that the raindrops are "ame" (rain). It takes only a second for Min to realize what it means and offers an Korean equivalent, "bi."

The body language, however, is fairly limited in exchanging romantic feelings; so the couple begins to put in some time to learn the language of their beloved. But the cultural gap turns out to be bigger than imagined. Min does not have any patience in building relationships. He jumps like a puppy outside of the classroom to draw the attention from the calm, composed Nanae.

Min's straightforward characterization reinforces, perhaps falsely, the stereotype that Korean men tend to be more aggressive than Japanese men in wooing women -- be they Korean or Japanese.

Even when things turn sour, the contrasting characteristics between Korean and Japanese determine the way the story plays out. Nanae has some problems with her family, and she decides to cool off for a while. And she makes a crucial decision that she believes will be understood by her boyfriend, but Min is not familiar with the subtle message.

A serious miscommunication distorts their relationship, and it is Min who gets the wrong picture, thanks to his hot-tempered and impatient character. Min is not a hopeless brat, however. He's considerate and affectionate in many respects. But the trouble is that his cultural code is not in sync with Nanae's more reserved and conservative one.

In the film, which was released in Japan in May, Lee Jun-ki looks as handsome as ever. His adventure into this Korea-Japan co-production reflects his steadily rising profile and popularity among Japanese fans. But it's questionable whether Lee has taken a step further in this romantic flick because his acting is less than impressive.

In contrast, Miyazaki exhibits a depth that is usually found in mature actresses. This young but experienced Japanese actress seems to know her role to the full and how to control her emotions to create dramatic effect.

Despite the somewhat simplistic contrasts between two cultures, the film leaves the audiences on a largely positive note. It carefully sets up a number of well-drawn details throughout the film, which make up for the otherwise flat plot.

Source : Korea Herald

`M' Showcases Style Over Substance

A scene from director Lee Myung-se's ``M,'' which stars model-turned-actor Gang Dong-won. In the highly stylistic psychodrama ``M,'' director Lee Myung-se explores a classic theme sought time after time by (particularly male) filmmakers here ― the haunting imprint of first love, romanticized in all its glory. Lee showcases one stunning mise-en-scene after another, but ``M'' proves to be a rather anticlimactic audiovisual experience. It shows that throwing in all the visually pleasing ingredients available does not necessarily cook up a great movie. Min-wu (Gang Dong-won) seems to have it all ― on top of being a best-selling author, he is blessed with good looks and a rich and beautiful fiancee (Gong Hyo-jin). But beneath it all, the poor guy is suffering from a serious case of writer's block and a family debt to take care of. To make matters worse, Min-wu is seriously convinced someone is watching him and is plagued with daunting daydreams and hallucinations. But the writer manages to piece together fragments of the puzzle, which leads to something deeply buried in his heart: his first love Mi-mi (Lee Yeon-hi) who died 11 years before. ``M'' is novel in its attempt to deconstruct the inner workings of Min-wu's mind. It depicts his spiraling mentality from both an observer's point of view and through direct enactment's of his delusions. He is literally chasing after mementos of his past in obscure alleyways, and his fiancee, like the viewer, finds his strange demeanor rather creepy, and you see recurring daydreams involving his obese publicist and obnoxious future father-in-law. Sure, it's understandable that this guy is stressed out ― he's on the brink of tying the knot and is pressed by the looming deadline for his novel. But the film loses its climactic edge as it stuffs in too much, and it eats well into the first half of the movie. The film takes viewers on a surreal journey where dreams become more compelling than reality and the past becomes infused with the present. Yet, as much as the fantastic quality of ``M'' is captivating, it's also causes its downfall, for the movie fails to provide a gripping tale to back up the fancy camerawork. So concentrate hard and long enough and you might catch up. Another regretful part of the movie is that it highlights a modern yuppie couple enjoying a high-end lifestyle rather than going deeper into the drowning relationship. And yet, the storyline (or lack thereof) melts in beautifully with the mellow music score, in particular its theme song ``Mist'' (angae). There is also a spectacular scene where Min-wu's hysterical state of mind is highlighted by erratic typing and Mozart's Symphony No. 25. ``M's'' stunning music video-like audiovisuals exceed the stylish cinematography of Lee's previous works ``Nowhere to Hide'' and ``Duelist.'' Gang Dong-won gives life to a charming character and isn't too terrible in embodying a sweet young high school student to an intellectual artist. Gong Hyo-jin is also intriguing while Lee Yeon-hee is the quintessential ``first love,'' sweet, shy and innocent. But other characters are more like chic characters, such as an Aresene Lupin look-alike harbinger of death or a shady bartender. They just add a stylish touch to the movie, but nothing more. The film created a stir in Busan earlier and had long been the talk the town, especially since its male lead Gang makes an appearance for the first time in about a year. The sensation followed through with a crowded press preview in Seoul recently and the early released music video featuring the movie's theme song by international pop star BoA. Lee deserves much credit for experimenting with new ideas in ``M,'' which makes you expect something with more substance next time to match his sixth sense for style. Source: Korea Times