'Girl Scout' short on comedy, long on realism

Life is tough, especially money-wise, for these four women.

Mi-kyeong (Kim Sun-a) confronts one financial setback after another. Lee-man (Na Mun-hee) barely makes a living working at a store for a meager salary. Bong-sun (Lee Kyung-shil) struggles to find the money for her son's surgery. Eun-ji (Koh Jun-hee) is saddled with deepening debt.

The women, aged from 20s to 60s, do not need any more troubles given their dire financial conditions, but life will not leave them alone. In fact, an unexpected incident has all of them running, screaming and fighting all the way through the film.

The story development highlights a private cooperative fund, known as "kye" in Korean. This collective installment savings system, still popular among Korean housewives, has one tiny problem - the lack of security.

In general, a single "kye master" manages the collection and management of the funds, and members take turns drawing a large sum of money on a monthly basis. If the kye master turns greedy and takes off with the money, all the other members - who pay in monthly expecting to get the lump sum later - end up empty-handed.

Mi-kyeong, Lee-man, and Bong-sun belong to the innocent camp, which means their precious savings are gone. Together with their younger acquaintance Eun-ji, the three women set out to track down beauty parlor owner Hye-ran (Lim Ji-eun), a former kye master who has the temerity to vanish with their money.

So far, so good. As far as realism is concerned, the storyline up to this point is not so different from the reality often documented and reported in the Korean media. A logical jump happens when the four self-styled girl scout members go off on the woman-hunt. They drive their yellow mini-van to the front yard of a cafe in Misari, Gyeonggi Province, a place that the beauty parlor owner is said to frequent.

True to the spirit of girl scouts, the four women set up camp in the front yard of the cafe. They cook, eat and drink as if it were their own backyard. Miraculously, neither the cafe owner nor the police do anything forceful to remove them.

While the girl scouts have a field day, Hye-ran is hatching another plan to line her already bloated pockets. She has a boyfriend, Hong-ki (Park Won-sang), a trickster who scams bundles of money through embezzlement. By Hye-ran's calculation, Hong-ki's money can be turned into hers, if he falls into her trap.

Hye-ran's carefully-hatched scheme, however, is disrupted when the four fearsome women spot Hye-ran at the cafe, leading to a wild chase scene, where bags of money get change hands several times. A hired goon (Lee Jong-dae) also gets involved in the head-spinning dash for cash, creating a complex game of cat and mouse.

But curious moviegoers should not be taken in by the chase-the-money plot should. Although this film is packaged as a comedy and the cast members are fully qualified to evoke laughs, the actual outcome is far from a comedy.

All the four women in the yellow mini-van bellow out their troubles in a fashion that is hardly delightful. Even the baddies seem too serious, adding to unwarranted realism that drags down the tone of the film. Is there anyone who would take a movie titled "Girl Scout" seriously?

Source: Korea Herald

Song Hye-kyo Stars in John Woo Film

Actress Song Hye-kyo has been cast in John Woo's next film starring Chen Chang.


At the "1949" press conference held in Hotel Majestic this 20th during the International Cannes Festival, Song arrived accompanied by director Woo and producer Terrance Chang.


"1949" is a movie set in 1949 and it is about a heart-wrenching love story that takes place amidst the civil unrest in China between Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) and the Communist Party. Chen Chang and Song are its main characters.


"Out of all my movies, this one focuses most on humanity," said Woo. "It will portray true love."
Song said she received a casting call for the movie at the beginning of this year. "The script was compelling and I'm thrilled that I had the opportunity to work with director Woo," she added.


Woo is in the middle of post-production for "Red Cliff," which is a movie set for summer release about the greatest battle in the Three Kingdom's period. Chen Chang also starred in this movie.

Borders Blur for Director Bong as Cannes Calls for 'Tokyo!'

Bong Joon-ho poses during a photocall for his film 'Tokyo !' at the 61st Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on Thursday. /AFP

For Bong Joon-ho, the Cannes International Film Festival is an extra-special event. His 2006 film "The Host," which made Korean history by drawing some 13 million viewers, screened at the Directors' Fortnight series during the French film gala. It's widely believed that the strong response it received there, though not an official Cannes event, was behind the movie's huge success back home.

Cannes smiled upon Bong again this year, inviting his latest work "Tokyo!" to screen on the opening day of the Un Certain Regard section. The omnibus film directed by Bong and two other world-famous directors, Leos Carax and Michel Gondry, has attracted keen interest. A press preview at the Salle Debussy on Thursday was packed with film reporters and critics from around the world.

Working with the two French filmmakers was an extraordinary experience for the 39-year-old Bong. "It felt a little unreal, to be honest," he says. That's understandable considering that Carax, 48, famed for works such as "Mauvais Sang (Bad Blood)" from 1986 and "Les Amants du Pont-Neuf (The Lovers on the Bridge)" from 1991, was one of the leading directors of the 1980s, when Bong was just a young, passionate would-be director. The renowned Gondry, 45, is probably best known for his 2004 film "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

From left, French director Michel Gondry, French director Leos Carax and Korean director Bong Joon-ho pose at the photo call for the film "Toyko!" during the 61st International film festival in Cannes, southern France, on Thursday. /AP

While some expressed disappointment that no Korean films were invited to the In Competition section of Cannes this year, "Tokyo!" offers evidence that Korean film is breaking free of nationalistic concerns. "The special effects for 'The Host' were entrusted to teams from Australia and New Zealand, so it's been a while since national boundaries have been blurred in the film world, where everything is mixed culturally and industrially," Bong said. "'Tokyo!' is no exception."

After the interview, the director ran into Carax and Gondry in the lobby of the hotel, on their way to a final check of the film print. The three embraced, showing that here, at least, nationality has little meaning.

Source: Chosun Ilbo

'Spotlight' Shows Lives of Reporters

With MBC's new drama ``Spotlight,'' viewers will get a glimpse into the lives of broadcast news reporters covering the city beat.

``Spotlight'' depicts the journey toward success of a passionate city desk reporter Seo Woo-jin, played by top actress Son Ye-jin. Ji Jin-hee from the hit drama ``Jewel in the Palace'' will star as her strict, yet caring mentor, Oh Tae-seok. The drama will follow Seo's drudge through the grind to eventually become an anchorwoman.

At the press conference held last week in southern Seoul, reporters and camera crews swarmed the room for a shot of Son.

``Spotlight'' is the first drama in two years for Son, 26, who has starred in movies like ``The Classic'' (2003) and ``The Art of Seduction'' (2005).

``I read the synopsis and had a strong impression. I especially liked the fact that (Seo) continues to strive to achieve her dreams. I was captivated by her passion and energy,'' Son said.

A short clip of the drama drew laughter among reporters when Ji said ``You call yourself a reporter?'' hinting that the crew meant it when they said they were aiming for a ``real'' reporter drama.

``We tried to break away from the cliche love scenes this time. We focused more on their stress as human beings and reporters, not just their affections toward each other,'' said Lee Kee-won, the writer of the drama. Lee tasted success last year with his strong presentation of the political world of doctors through the medical drama, ``Behind the White Tower (2007).''

Producer Kim Do-hoon explained that reality was of foremost importance in ``Spotlight.'' ``We'll be showing episodes that might really happen in real life. I think this is hard because we never had a drama like this before. Being the first is always difficult because there isn't much to compare with.''

The actors also mentioned their share of reality, as many of them actually spent their days and nights with real reporters.

``I followed a reporter for a day. At first, I didn't believe it when they told me they didn't have time to bathe. But I realized they really didn't have the time to even wash their face,'' said Jin Gu who plays fellow reporter Lee Soon-cheol.

As top celebrities, actors bump into reporters frequently, whether they enjoy it or not. When asked if their opinions toward them changed, Ji Jin-hee admitted that it was all about the choice of words.

``I realized the importance of my words. The right words can turn you into a hero but using the wrong words will have you fall. I told myself to be careful from now on,'' he laughed.

``I started to understand their struggle to capture the truth for the public. Now I feel very pressured,'' Son added.

This is the first time for a television program to solely delve deep into the lives of broadcast news reporters, although there were some dramas and movies that briefly introduced the profession. In order to bring reality to the small screen, some scenes were shot at the real MBC News Desk set in Yeouido, Seoul, while MBC city desk news reporters will be adding reality by appearing as well.

``We'll introduce the dilemmas reporters face as people with feelings and also as people who have to dig out the truth. There is a symbiotic relationship between the two,'' Son said.

``Spotlight'' will be aired tonight 9:55 on MBC.

Source: Korea Times

Korea's "D-War" Targeting Chinese Theaters

This Sunday, director Shim Hyun-rae's sci-fi flick "D-War" will be opening in theaters across China. There is great interest about whether this movie will be able to break records of past Korean films at box offices in China.

D-war is set to open at 500 theaters in about 100 cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

When D-War was released in Korea, over 7 million people went to see it in theaters; in the United States, the film opened in 2200 theaters, amassing 11 million dollars.

There is speculation that D-War may be a greater hit than last year's release of "The Host" in China, which earned about 1.4 billion won at the box office.

Young-Gu Entertainment's assistant director Kim Min-gu announced on the 7th that the release of D-War in China is their first step towards entering the Chinese film market. "The public response to the movie in China will also affect the production of the sequel," he added.

Source: KBS Global

'Unforgettable': Return to Innocence

In tune with Family Month comes a heartwarming tale about cherished childhood memories, ``Unforgettable.'' Set in an obscure village during the 1970s, the film captures the beauty of simplicity and signals a return to an age of innocence. The old becomes new ― the retro story will be like a breath of fresh air to computer game-addicted urbanites.

It's a small jewel of a film, where director Song Dong-yoon uses analog film rather than digital to immortalize the breathtaking natural scenery of Sindo. Mellow piano tunes compliment the visuals, though some of the overly dramatic soundtracks for touching moments are a bit cliche. Nevertheless, it shows how computer-generated imagery, no matter how glitzy or high-tech, cannot rival the sight of glistening, rolling hills on a sunny day or a golden sunset by the beach.

Korea's favorite child actor Yoo Seung-ho was much loved as the bratty city boy who learns to appreciate country life and his grandmother's old ways in ``The Way Home'' (2002). As Gil-su in ``Unforgettable,'' Yoo trades in his Nintendo for a pair of traditional rubber shoes, which enables this happy little islander to indulge in outdoor play.

Gil-su is one of the dozen children that make up the student body of Sindo School on Sindo Island. In a single classroom, first to fifth graders sit down to be enlightened by their pretty and warmhearted teacher Eun-young. One day, Eun-young receives an invitation to visit a cookie factory in Seoul ― the fruits of her vigorous letter-writing efforts to the company.

For the handful of farming families that inhabit this remote island, the biggest excitement yet is visiting the fish market of a nearby town via a boat ride. The thought of Seoul ― the ``pinnacle'' of modernity and civilization ― and let alone visiting it, are out of the question, and the conservative parents firmly oppose the field trip.

But Gil-su and his friends are already swept away by the thought of seeing an actual bicycle, and set out to earn money themselves for the trip and start collecting clams with their teacher to sell at the market. For Gil-su, visiting Seoul means more than just free cookies. He's a mature little boy who must take care of his baby sister and tolerate his alcoholic single father. He's determined to find his mother who supposedly runs a store in the city.

While the stoy of ``Unforgettable'' may sound similar to ``Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,'' this is a tale about love, particularly the affection between a teacher and student. Teachers were traditionally revered for teaching more than the curriculum, but life itself.

Unlike other teachers that leave Sindo after a year or so, Eun-young had won the faith of the villagers, who eventually agree to send their children to Seoul. After much trouble, the group finally arrives in Seoul. However, Eun-young must prepare for the worst when Gil-do and his friends, fascinated by a bicycle, go missing.

The story unfolds as grown-up Gil-su (Lee Chang-hoon) recalls his treasured memories. He himself has become a school teacher in Seoul and makes a solo trip back home to Sindo ― the parents of his own students opposed a school trip there because the children are too busy with hagwon or private academies.

The juxtaposition of the modern classroom ― where the teacher must reprimand students for using cell phones and students complain about summer assignments like making ``the best memory of their lives'' ― with the pure love and joy of Sindo School enables us to question our skewed educational zeal.

``Unforgettable'' is perfect for the upcoming Teacher's Day (May 15) as it will particularly strike a pang of nostalgia in adults and enlighten children.

'Unforgettable' portrays inspiring journey from island to big city

On a remote island in South Jeolla Province, a dozen students share a single classroom. Deprived of modern technology, they hardly know the difference between a bicycle and a pair of glasses. As they see it, both have two circles, and that's that.

"Unforgettable (Seoul-i boinya)," directed by debut filmmaker Song Dong-yun, brings back memories of pre-modern day Korea when islanders used to get by with a handful of basic tools, and rarely got out of their hometown.

Director Song, fortunately, has not fallen into the trap of stirring up romantic nostalgia. Instead, he employs a story-within-a-story structure, focusing on timeless educational issues such as what makes a good teacher and what is really needed for adventure-seeking students.

In the movie which will be released on Thursday, Gil-su (played by Lee Chang-hoon) is a dedicated teacher who wants to take his students on a field trip during the upcoming summer vacation. But his desire to offer students the rare chance to get out of the city and into nature invites only a reproachful glare from the principal, who claims that parents wouldn't let their "busy" kids go on a field trip.

The summer vacation starts - without a field trip - and Gil-su goes back to his hometown of Sindo, a small island where he lived and learned along with his friends.

Unforgettable

Back then, Gil-su (played by Yoo Seung-ho) was a reserved, thoughtful and love-hungry kid who took care of his kid sister, Young-mi (Kim Yu-jeong), especially when their drunkard father lost his temper. Gil-su deeply missed his mom, who got fed up with island life and left the family several years before to find a new life in Seoul.

His only consolation was to dream about her at night. And his sister envied his ability to conjure up their mother's image in dreams, as she has no memory of her mother.

A positive sign came when their teacher Eun-young (Oh Su-a) received a letter from a cookie factory in Seoul. Earlier, she asked for permission to visit the place as part of a field trip itinerary, and the factory said it would be happy to welcome the students.

Eun-young, however, faced a harsh reality which parallels what Gil-su experiences in the present tense of the movie. While Gil-su fails to persuade the domineering parents to allow their kids to explore nature for a day, Eun-young found it extremely difficult to persuade his fellow islanders to send their kids to the big city. In both cases, the teachers want their students to experience new things in a very different setting, but the parents see no merit to the plan.

Islanders, in particular, seem to be fearful of the possibility that, once exposed to the city and its radically different lifestyle, their children might not come back to the small island again, as happened with many of their old acquaintances who left for a fresh life in Seoul.

Eun-young's efforts were eventually rewarded, but an embarrassing development unfolded in Seoul when she went on a much-anticipated field trip with her students who were dying to try out such alluring modern contraptions as the bicycle, though they're clueless about the pernicious complexity of the city itself.

The 87-minute-long film takes its time building dramatic tension and developing likable characters; there is a pensive mood here that is lacking in many mainstream movies. Evocative close-ups also capture the preciousness of innocent friends, caring teachers and loving parents - things that should be unforgettable even in the postmodern era when a simple bicycle inspires almost nobody.

Choi Min-soo to Co-Star With De Niro

Korean actor Choi Min-soo will co-star alongside Hollywood stars Robert De Niro and Andy Garcia in the up-coming film ``Street of Dreams,'' Yonhap news reported Tuesday.

``Street of Dreams'' is a 40 billion won co-production between US-based FR Productions, Korea's Hyun Jin Cinema and Japan's Wides Japan. It will be produced by Fred Roos, whose credits include ``The Godfather: Part II'' and ``The Godfather: Part III.''

Hyun Jin Cinema has produced Korean films such as ``Holiday'' and ``My Wife is a Gangster 3.''

``Street of Dreams'' is based on the true story of Montana Joe, a legendary Japanese-American gangster in the 1940s. In the film, Choi will play the role of Montana's Korean friend, Eddie. This will be Choi's first Hollywood film, having appeared in several Korean films such as ``Holiday'' and ``Sword in the Moon.''

FR Productions said De Niro has been cast as an Italian mafia leader. De Niro, who has won two Academy Awards, is known for memorable roles in ``The Godfather Part II,'' ``Taxi Driver'' and ``The Untouchables.''

Garcia, who also appeared in ``The Untouchables,'' ``The Godfather: Part III'' and the ``Ocean's'' series, will also play a mafia boss. Chinese actress Shu Qi will also star in the film.

However, no actor has been cast in the lead role of Montana. There will be auditions for the role in April and May.

Raymond De Felitta, who was nominated for an Academy Award for a live-action short film ``Bronx Cheer," will direct the film. Roger Towne, who won an Academy Award for ``Chinatown'' in 1975, wrote the script.

``Street of Dreams'' is slated for release in 2009.

Source: Korea Times

New drama rides on toy boy plotline

MBC's new weekend drama "Bittersweet Life" will debut tomorrow. Following on the heels of the romantic comedy "The Last Scandal of My Life," this 24-episode miniseries plans to capitalize on a winning plotline: Young man falls for older woman.

Actress Oh Yun-soo, who starred in the popular MBC drama "Jumong" (2006), will be playing the older woman. Actor Lee Dong-wook, who won women over in the romantic comedy "The Perfect Couple" (2007) and the hit SBS drama "My Girl" (2005), will be her young lover.

In anticipation of the forthcoming drama, one domestic viewer wrote on the drama's official bulletin board, "I am so sad that 'The Last Scandal of My Life' is over. I have not seen the new drama yet, so I cannot say much about it. But I hope that it is not sad like 'Winter Bird.'"

Judging from the title and the tagline on the official website, which reads "Love, temptation, desire, mystery," the miniseries promises to follow in the footsteps of the MBC melodrama "Winter Bird" (2007). So, those who are expecting yet another lighthearted comedy are in for a surprise.

The drama opens with Lee Dong-wook's character, Lee Joon-soo, plummeting from the 18th floor to his death. Not exactly fodder for a comedy, but a perfect start for a mystery.

Lee Dong-wook (left) kisses Oh Yun-soo in "Bittersweet Life"

The series then rewinds six months. Viewers get to tune into a spicy love foursome between Lee Joon-soo, Oh's character Yoon Hye-jin, Hong Da-ae (played by Park Si-yeon) and Ha Dong-won, who is played by veteran actor Jung Bo-seog.

Yoon Hye-jin is a housewife trapped in a bad marriage. Her husband, Ha Dong-won, is a wealthy but unfaithful fund manager. And his latest fling is turning into something more.

Deeply involved with Lee Joon-soo's sweetheart Hong Da-ae, Ha is so busy that he doesn't notice his wife.

Yoon, well aware of her husband's affair, decides to commit suicide. She journeys out to Japan to do the fatal deed, only to fall for a young man - Lee Joon-soo himself.

As the menage a quatre get tangled in a deep web of lies and seduction, the situation gets out of hand. But viewers will have to tune in to see who did what to whom.

"Bittersweet Life" will air on Saturdays and Sundays on MBC at 9:40 p.m. starting tomorrow.

Source: Korea Times