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January 18, 2008
Singer Park Hwayobi Drastic Weight Loss after surgery.
Singer Park Hwayobi experienced a drastic weight loss after her vocal cord surgery in September of last year. The Tuesday singer posted her 揳fter |
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Thursday, 17 January 2008
"Lust," "Warlords" dominate Asian Film Awards
Written by Patrick Frater
HONG KONG |
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January 18, 2008
Oh Ji-ho Lands Lead Role in New KBS Series
Actor Oh Ji-ho has been cast as the lead for the upcoming Mon.-Tues. KBS TV drama series 'Single Papa in Love.'
He will play 'Kang Poong-ho,' who has a 7 year old son and works as a pest exterminator during the day and a K-1 fighter at night. The optimistic single dad never loses his sense of humor under bitter trials.
Oh says he wants to encourage the 250,000 single fathers in Korea.
He will visit Japan this Saturday to promote his drama 'Oh Soo Jung,' in which he appeared opposite actress Eom Jung-hwa. 'Oh Soo Jung' will air in Japan from next month.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/mconten ... /1502509_11692.html |
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January 18, 2008
Actress Kim Hye-soo Denies Rumors
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Actress Kim Hye-soo
Actress Kim Hye-soo, 38, denied rumors concerning her relationships.
SidusHQ, Kim's agency, officially rejected rumors of Kim having relationships with a yakuza boss or trot singer Na Hoon-a on Thursday.
Kim is a popular actress who starred in the movies "A Good Day to Have an Affair" and "11th Mother" last year. She won the Best Actress award at Blue Dragon Awards for her role in "Tazza: The High Rollers" in 2006.
Na, 61, is a renowned trot singer who began his singing career in 1960s. He starred in movies in the 1980s and released many hit songs. But he disappeared after canceling a concert March 2007.
Rumor has it that Kim is the mistress of a yakuza boss in Korea and entered into an illicit relationship with Na, which resulted in the yakuzas harming Na.
The rumor spread like a wildfire through the Internet. Kim believed the rumor has damaged her reputation and decided to deny the misunderstandings.
According to the press release, Kim met Na only once when she was hosting a talk show named "Kim Hye-soo Plus You." The program was cancelled in 2000.
Another actress involved in the rumor, Kim Sun-a, 33, also denied her relationship with the trot singer in a telephone interview with an Internet news agency.
The police secretly investigated the yakuza-related rumor and concluded that the rumor was groundless. However, Na's is confirmed to be in Korea.
Credits: [email protected]
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/ ... 8/01/139_17574.html |
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Korean Celebrities to the Rescue
19 Jan 2008
news credit to shenyuepop
Last year, Korea was hit with the worst oil spill to this date. In December, a super tanker leaked 78,920 barrels of oil into South Korea抯 western water after being hit by a wayward barge, jeopardizing the ecosystem and the livelihood of an area that includes popular beaches and fishing grounds.
The government promised to provide residents with financial aid, but disbursements have been bogged down in bureaucratic delays. An association of residents in the area has called for legislation to ensure the swift provision of aid.
This travesty has left coastal residents like fisherman, and restaurant owners without a source of income that may take years to build back up. Luckily, many Korean celebrities stepped up to the plate to help their fellow Koreans during this time of need.
Park Sunwoo
Han Hyo Joo
Kim Haena & Kim Kangwoo
Kim Hyesung
Some stars even came without word posing as regular citizens volunteering side by side with other volunteers, coast guards, soldiers, and local residents to help clean away debris and left over oil clinging to rocks and land.
Yoon Joonsang
Lee Gyunggyu, Boom, Lee Yoonshik, Kim Goora
Park Jinhee, went without notifing her company.
Bada
Not only did some stars volunteer, but they also donate money for the local residents and businesses that was hit by the huge oil spill.
It抯 good to see celebrities to go out and give a helping hand to those in need because many often at times, stars can come off as spoiled, winny little babies that deserve no praise what so ever. But I think they are learning that it抯 better to give than to take. Let抯 hope they keep up with these charitable acts. |
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January 20, 2008
[MOVIE REVIEW] 'Lovers of Six Years' exposes risks of shacking up
Should couples live together before tying the knot? If this question were asked 20 years ago, most Korean respondents would have expressed their shock and disbelief, much less show any willingness to weigh pros and cons.
Back to the present: Koreans are not so ultraconservative any longer and the number of Korean couples trying out cohabitation is on the rise. The proof is that even a mass-market romantic flick like "Lovers of Six Years (6-nyeonjjae yeonae-jung)" has chosen this daring topic and treats cohabitation as nothing special.
"Nothing special" is also a keyword for Da-jin (Kim Ha-neul), a hard-working editor at a publishing company, and her boyfriend Jae-young (Yoon Gye-sang), an equally diligent home shopping producer. Six years ago, they began to date. Two years ago, they started sleeping together. Now, they are next-door neighbors, but the wall separating their houses does not have any significant function. They virtually share their rooms -- and bedrooms at night. They know each other inside and out so much so that they begin to feel a bit bored, and the magical sparks and excitement is already gone. Their relationships seem to have passed a stage where something special is at work.
As with other cohabitating couples, there is a risk that Da-jin and Jae-young remain unmarried and yet share so many things in life. Infidelity is one of many risks, though it's pretty fatal given that cohabitation does not entail as strong a commitment as marriage. Da-jin tries to hire a top-notch book designer for her latest project. She juggles up various strategies to win the heart of this much-sought-after designer without realizing that her charm as an attractive woman goes rarely unnoticed. By the way, Kim Ha-neul seems at ease with her role, even in a scene where she has to act as an experienced lover.
While Da-jin has to stave off repeated come-ons from the new acquaintance, her boyfriend is forced to deal with an unabashed temptation from a daring part-time worker at the cable shopping mall.
But the movie does not tackle the issue of infidelity for this cohabiting couple as seriously as it should. Certainly it is an important plot device, but even before such outside forces emerge, they are already in a precarious phase where they feel too familiar with each other and have to seek some additional excuses to stick together -- more convincing excuses than they used to spend six years together as lovers.
In fact, couples who live together before marriage tend to believe that they have the opportunity to test how well they suit each other. But when confronted with overwhelming challenges such as one-night stands, cohabitation is likely to break down faster than those shackled in marriage, which is still held together by a relatively stronger ethic of commitment.
Yoon Gye-sang, former member of now-disbanded music group g.o.d., demonstrates his hidden acting talent by infusing some realism into the stereotypical Korean man character who is extremely generous about his own extra-cohabitation "romance" and unbelievably strict about his partner's "fling." The lesson for women: when deciding to live with a man before marriage, don't set a standard too high since men are generally not so reliable, much less genuinely romantic.
By Yang Sung-jin ([email protected])
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ |
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January 20, 2008
Rumor-Ridden Singer Most Searched Online
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
A series of rumors surrounding a renowned trot singer took the top spot on the nation's No. 1 online search engine Naver last week.
Trot singer Na Hoon-a, 61, topped the Web site's most searched word list because of a string of rumors concerning him and actresses.
The singer disappeared from the limelight in March last year after abruptly canceling his planned concert and has not been seen in public since.
Recently, some media outlets said his disappearance may be linked with Japanese gangsters "yakuza." The rumor says a Korean actress of surname "Kim" is the mistress of a yakuza boss in Korea and entered into an illicit relationship with Na, resulting in the gangster's revenge on the singer.
Actress Kim Hye-soo, 38, and Kim Sun-a, 33, both of whom were allegedly pointed out to be the gangster's lover, denied the allegation.
Police started investigating this case last week, tracing the whereabouts of Na.
According to police, Na returned to Seoul on Jan. 5 after traveling to some countries in East Asia including Japan, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
Coming in second on the list was entertainer Ha Dong-hun, widely known by his stage name Haha. He won the first prize in a pop-chart program aired on Friday.
He is going to the Army in February. After undergoing four-week-military training, he will take part in a 22-month-long public service stint instead of mandatory military service.
Female comedian Kwak Hyun-wha ranked third. Some TV viewers claimed Kwak's breast was exposed during a comedy program aired on Jan. 9. Producers of the program denied the allegation the following day
Coming in sixth was Huh Kyung-young, 58, who ran in the Dec. 19 presidential election.
He gained high popularity during the electioneering period thanks to his eye-catching commitments such as 100 million won subsidy for all new married couples and a location change of U.N headquarters to Panmunjeom, a village on the inter-Korean border, from current New York City.
Credits: [email protected]
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/ ... 8/01/113_17623.html |
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January 21, 2008
Singer Na Denies Rumors
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Pop singer Na Hoon-a
"The police should be after the people who started those malignant rumors, not me."
Renowned trot singer Na Hoon-a, 61, has reacted negatively to a series of rumors surrounding him.
Na is a well-known trot singer who began his singing career in 1960s and released many hit songs including "Japcho (Weed)" and "Musiro." But he disappeared from the public eye after canceling a concert last March.
After his vanishing, rumors emerged that he was harmed by yakuza, or Japanese gangsters, due to an illicit relationship with an actress who is a mistress of yakuza boss.
Actress Kim Hye-soo, 38, and Kim Sun-a, 33, both officially denied the rumors that they were the yakuza's mistresses.
The Korea Times' sister company, Sports Hankook, accompanied the police investigating Na's disappearance and found out that Na is well and the rumor was untrue.
An unnamed police official ensured that Na is fit and healthy and traveling within the country. The police did not meet the troubled singer in person but traced his whereabouts through various channels such as his family and his agency.
Busan Metropolitan Police Agency primarily started the investigation because the rumor was related to the yakuza. Since Na had nothing to do with the yakuza, they provisionally closed the investigation on Na.
However, Na has not presented himself in public and the police want him to come forward and clear the rumors surrounding him directly.
Credits: [email protected]
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/ ... 8/01/139_17690.html |
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January 20, 2008
Koreans Filming in the Philippines
By Marinel Cruz
Two Korean movie production outfits choose the busy streets of Manila and beach of Boracay ..
MANILA- Two Korean movie production outfits have chosen the busy streets of Manila, the pristine beaches of Boracay Island in Aklan and the scenic Pagsanjan Falls in Laguna to serve as backdrops for the romantic comedy they are filming here, Department of Tourism secretary Joseph Ace Durano has announced.
The crew of DRM Entertainment Co. Ltd. and Story Factory, producers of the romantic comedy "Feel So Good," has been at work in the country since Jan. 9, Durano told Korean and Filipino entertainment writers in a press conference last week. Shooting wraps up on Feb. 23, he added.
For this particular production, the DOT is helping the Korean group obtain permits and other logistical requirements for the location shoots. It is also tapping local talent for additional assistance, said Durano.
The producers considered getting Angelika Panganiban, Michelle Madrigal and Marian Rivera to play some parts in the movie, said Maricon Basco-Ebron, Philippine tourism director and attache to Korea. However, initial talks with the actors' handlers fell through.
"The exposure we will get from this film is worth a thousand times the amount we are spending to accommodate them here,"Durano pointed out. "As much as possible, we want to portray the country as it is with beautiful destinations, warm and friendly people but also as a developing country that has its own challenges."
Department policy
Durano said it was part of DOT policy to go through the script before it supports any movie project. "The overall theme of this movie, which is love for self and country, is something the Philippines itself can stand for,"he explained.
"Feels So Good": is about six strangers who fly to the Philippines hoping to escape their troubles, unaware of what love has in store for them once they land on Boracay Island.
The movie's lead actors, Kim Yoo-jin (popularly known as Eugene) and Lee Min-ki, were present at the press conference. Kim, who speaks better English compared to the other members of the entourage, said she was excited to be back in the country.
In 2006, the DOT appointed Kim, star of the Korean hit TV series "Save the Last Dance" and "Wonderful Life," to be the face of Philippine tourism in Korea. As DOT spokesperson, Kim was in the Philippines twice in 2006, visiting key cities like Manila, Cebu, Bohol and Boracay.
The 26-year-old Kim is one of the widest-sought celebrities in Korea. She was a member of the now-defunct Korean pop group "S.E.S."and was also seen in the drama series "Loving You" and "I Really, Really Like You."
Lee, a first-time Philippine visitor, said he had heard of the beautiful beaches in Boracay but did not know it was in the Philippines until he arrived here last week. Lee was last seen in the Korean TV series "Dal-Ja's Spring," opposite Chae Rim and in the movie "A Day for an Affair."
DRM Entertainments executive Jung Sub-lee first came to the Philippines five years ago when he accompanied his father on a business trip.
"I met a lot of good people,” he said through an interpreter. "Many offered their countries for this film, but I was dead set on making it here."
The director, Kang Chul-woo, is the winner of Best Short Film trophies from the 15th Pusan Short Film Festival (now Pusan Asian Short Film Festival) and the 1997 Seoul Independent Film Festival. He was a member of the production team of Lee Jung-kook's "Promenade "and worked as a sequence director of a segment titled "Restaurant" in Kim Kiduk's "Real Fiction." (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Source: The Seoul Times
http://theseoultimes.com/ST/ |
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Korean pop culture festival in Japan
Jan. 20, TOKYO, Japan -- South Korean actors Oh Ji-ho (right) and Kim Jeong-hoon (left) and producer Lee Myung-woo (center) wave during "Hi! 2008" festival held in Tokyo on Jan. 20. Sky Perfect TV, Japan's largest commercial satellite TV network, arranged the event to air 100 South Korean drama, film, music and other entertainment programs over the next one month to highlight Korean pop culture that gains great popularity across Asia. (Yonhap) (END)
Source: Yonhap News
http://app.yonhapnews.co.kr/YNA/ ... ticlePhotoMain.aspx |
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January 21, 2008
Hong Sang-soo's Film to Compete in Berlinale
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Movie director Hong Sang-soo
"Night and Day," the latest work of movie director Hong Sang-soo, has been selected to screen at the 58th Berlinale International Film Festival of Berlin, Germany, Feb. 7-17.
The complete list for the Competition program of the 58th Berlinale was announced Friday.
Hong's "Night and Day" is the story about a painter who has fled to Paris. Kim Young-ho plays the runaway artist while Park Eun-hye plays an art student studying in France. Hwang Soo-jung plays the wife of Kim and Lee Sun-kyun, a student from North Korea.
The director debuted in 1996 with the movie "The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well." Another Hong movie, "Woman on the Beach," starring actress Ko Hyun-joung, was nominated for the Panorama section last year. He also made it to the Cannes Film Festival with "Woman Is the Future of Man" (2004) and "Tale of Cinema" (2005).
"Night and Day" will compete for the Golden and the Silver Bear Awards along with movies such as: "Elegy" by Isabel Coixet (USA); "I've Loved You So Long" by Philippe Claudel (France/Germany); "Black Ice" by Petri Kotwica (Finland/Germany) and "Happy-Go-Lucky" by Mike Leigh (UK).
Other Asian films in the competition program include "Our Mother" by Yoji Yamada (Japan), "Sparrow" by Johnnie To (Hong Kong, China) and "The Song of Sparrows" by Majid Majidi (Iran).
A film of Korean-American director Dennis Lee, "Fireflies in the Garden," featuring top actors such as Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds and Willem Dafoe, will premiere at the Berlinale as well.
The opening film of the festival is "Shine a Light," the Rolling Stones documentary by Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese To round off Michel Gondry's "Be Kind Rewind" will be screened.
Another Korean movie "Beautiful," directed by Juhn Jai-hong and starring Cha Soo-yeon and Lee Chun-hee, is included in the Panorama section.
Credits: [email protected]
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/ ... 8/01/139_17689.html |
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January 21, 2008
'Night and Day' to Be Screened at Berlinale
Director Hong Sang-soo抯 new film 揘ight and Day |
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Actress Hwang's 'Night and Day' to Compete at Berlin
Director Hong Sang-soo's film 'Night and Day' starring actress Hwang Soo-jeong will compete in the 58th Berlin International Film Festival (Feb. 7-17).
The film, Hong's eighth, is the only Korean film invited to the competitive section. It will have its world premiere during the festival.
With 90% of the film shot in Paris, the story is about the delightfully eccentric journey of a state appointed painter who suddenly escapes to Paris from Seoul. Actor Kim Young-ho plays the main lead, actress Park Eun-hye plays an art student in Paris and actor Lee Seon-gyun plays a North Korean student also studying in Paris.
Actress Hwang is the kind wife of the hero who earnestly waits for her husband's return to Korea. Although it is not a large role, her character is very important in the movie. She had no shoots in Paris and all of her scenes in Korea have been finished.
Bom Film Productions says Hwang has yet to decide if she can attend the festival due to her personal schedule. The agency is discussing the matter with Hwang.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/mconten ... /1502898_11692.html |
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January 21, 2008
'The Game' plays in wrong arena
"The Game," directed by Yoon In-ho, is a thriller with plot twists playing an important role to intrigue the audience and ignite their imagination. But the movie might have had much greater impact if it had been a comedy.
Based on a Japanese comic series, "The Game" revolves around the wildly imaginative situation where two people change their bodies. But the film has some big holes in its logic, undercutting its claim to be a hard-core thriller.
A street painter named Hee-do (Shin Ha-kyun) does not have much money, but he is nice and kind, especially to his innocent-looking girlfriend Hye-rin (Lee Eun-sung). Their relationship, however, is not without problems.
Hye-rin's family is debt-laden and gangsters often arrive and demand repayment of a loan.
The basic situation is chiefly designed to remind the audience that Hee-do is very sensitive about money. To be more specific, he is eager to make money for his girlfriend. Love, after all, transcends everything, and money is no exception.
Unfortunately, love alone does not generate money. Something should be exchanged to get money in this capitalist society where there is no free lunch. One day, Hee-do is offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hit the jackpot.
No-shik (Byun Hee-bong) is a financial big-shot. But he has his own problem. A fatal one, actually. His body is rapidly failing, and when he suffers one of his many heart attacks, he has to resort to sheer luck to recover. No-shik notices that Hee-do is in need of some money. That's how "The Game" plays out.
In fact, "The Game" is not a game at all, since the format is mobile phone betting. The rule, No-shik explains, is that they come up with each number for the random mobile phone number, and they also take sides about whether the recipient is male or female. Under this simple rule, superrich No-shik stakes part of his personal wealth -- amounting to 3 billion won ($3.1 million). Since Hee-do is a poor artist, he has to offer his own body as a stake for the dangerous bets.
Cutting straight to the preposterous, cartoonish and unrealistic betting's result -- they swapped bodies. No-shik is reborn as a young man who can go out and spend his fortune at bars, sleeping with women and partying at will. Hee-do, trapped in an old man's body, is saddled with not only poverty, but also imminent death.
The message is simplistic. Borrowing the preachy comment of No-shik, who is now touting his transformed body, every bet has a consequence and the gambler should take full responsibility.
Aside from the ostensible message, the movie has to take care of the negative consequences of its own. When Hee-do tries to reverse the situation by pretending to be a top CEO, widely reported to have died of old-age, why not just call the TV stations and expose what he has gone through? After all, he has all the scars from the extensive operations to prove his case.
Another serious gap in logic is that after the surgery is done, the greedy and merciless No-shik just let Hee-do, now in his old body, wander away. If No-shik is in his right mind, he certainly would not let the only proof of his brilliant scam walk live to tell the tale.
Despite the defective plot, Shin Ha-kyun and Byun Hee-bong showcase their seasoned acting talent, and especially Shin's versatility to act out an old man, including gestures, voice and facial expressions, is amusing to watch. Their body-changing performances might have shined much brighter if the movie had gone through a surgical operation in genre from a thriller to a comedy.
By Yang Sung-jin ([email protected]); image from Twitchfilm
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ |
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January 21, 2008
Heo Yi Jae to co-star Oh Ji Ho in "Single Papa..."
Rising actress Heo Yi Jae of the MBC series "Goong S" has been cast for her second starring role in a miniseries.
Heo Yi Jae will co-star Oh Ji Ho in the upcoming KBS drama series "Single Papa in Love" to be aired following "Bad Love" on February 18th.
The series is about a single father who is a pest exterminator by day and K-1 fighter at night.
Heo Yi Jae who is making a return after 8 months will play the role of Jeon Ha Ri, the only daughter of a wealthy family and medical student who falls in love with a single father played by Oh Ji Ho who has a 7-year old son. She will be drawing the cute love with Oh Ji Ho who seems to have a mismatched background.
Heo Yi Jae commented, "I am already excited to return in a warm and moving drama. I will do my best, putting in all my energy I gathered while resting."
Source: Broasia.com
http://www.broasia.com/lwboard/l ... amp;pg=1&no=450 |
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Popular S. Korean actor
Jan. 22, SEOUL, South Korea -- Popular South Korean actor Shin Ha-gyun plays a leading role in "The Game," a thriller that will be released on Jan. 31 in South Korea. (Yonhap)(END)
Source: Yonhap News
http://app.yonhapnews.co.kr/YNA/ ... E=3&AGINGPAGESIZE=5 |
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January 22, 2008
"Superman 2008" Features Unusual Romance
揑 feel comfortable about my life as an actress. I feel easy about living as an actress and getting older as an actress. I think I will have more to show to people in the future. It抯 because I think I could slowly improve and show that much more to people."
Jun Ji-hyun unexpectedly looked comfortable when her new movie "Superman 2008" (to be officially released on January 31) had its debut yesterday, even when the actress is getting all the attention despite there are many prominent participants in the movie. For example, Jeong Yun-cheol, director of "Marathon," made the movie and Hwang Jung-min, one of the most popular actors, is the leading male actor.
Jun is undoubtedly one of the nation抯 top actresses. However, she has failed to change her image in "My Sassy Girl," which made her a movie star, and free herself from the title as a CF queen. She is now ready to take on the global market with her another movie "Blood: The Last Vampire," which is based on a Japanese animation film and co-produced by France, Hong Kong and Japan. Before going global, she is now destined to be evaluated by the domestic audience in two years. In this regard, the promotion strategy of "Superman 2008" seemed to focus on Jun Ji-hyun抯 aspects as an actress. Much attention has been paid to her efforts to play the role. Entertainment news talked about how she had a bang haircut and was willing to turn herself into a documentary producer with cigarettes in her mouth. That is, in order to show better performances, the actress, who has been putting top priority on healthy life, dared to appear in the movie without makeup and struggled smoking herbal and low tar cigarettes.
She said that even though she first thought, "Everything will be ok only if I have trust in Jung-min," her role in the movie was the toughest one she抯 ever had. 揥hile playing the role of a producer named 慡ong Su-jeong, |
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January 22, 2008
Local films go for mega flicks in 2008
Far left: Jeong Jae-yeong in 揝hingijeon, |
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January 22, 2008
Shin Hyun-jun and Heo Jun-ho to Stage Charity Concert
Actors Shin Hyun-jun and Heo Jun-ho will stage a charity concert Jan. 24 at the Melon-X concert hall in Seoul to raise funds for the needy. The guests will include singers Baek Ji-young and KCM as well as actress Choi Ji-woo.
The concert will be held as a preview of the actors' new movie "Last Present" due to open in February. A person from the movie's production firm said one of the movie's scenes shows a child who needs a liver transplant but has no money to pay for the surgery. Shin and Heo, who play the lead roles in the movie, decided to stage the concert in line with the movie's theme.
The concert will be held free of charge. Audience members will be welcome to make donations voluntarily. The raised funds will be donated to the production team of the KBS TV charity program "Love Request," which is aimed at helping those in need.
The concert will accommodate about 1,000 people. Applications for attending the concert are currently being received on several Web sites. A person from the production firm of "Last Present" has requested active participation in the concert, which is being organized for a good cause.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/mconten ... /1503228_11692.html |
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January 22, 2008
[MOVIE REVIEW] 'Superman' flies while Jun Ji-hyun runs aground
"A Man Once a Superman," directed by Jeong Yun-cheol, relies heavily on the performances of award-wining actor Hwang Jun-min, who can transform his silver-screen image at will. This time, he turns into a self-styled superman helping out children and the elderly on the streets of Seoul.
But the question here is, can he save the movie?
"Superman," played by Hwang, sleeps a lot and often wakes up to find himself lying on the street. The first question he asks to himself when he opens his eyes is whether it's past, present or future, as if he travels in time and it's an important question to be answered. But there are more urgent questions. Who is this guy? Why does he help people out? Why can't he fly?
In fact, he's not a real superman. At least not the Superman described in the Hollywood blockbuster series. This guy believes he used to be superman, but somehow evil foes have messed with his brain, resulting in the loss of his super power.
How sad. But Song Su-jeong, played by Jun Ji-hyun, does not see any sadness when she stumbles into this mysterious (or simply crazy) man. Song does not care about others that much -- a typical Korean woman who has so many things to worry about in her own life. She is stuck in a cash-strapped situation, though she works hard. She has a boyfriend but she cannot meet him because he's doing some volunteer work in a faraway country. She even goes through a street chase to get back her precious camera bag which is snatched away by a thief. At this very critical moment, of course, our hero Superman appears. To be more specific, he runs, fast, and catches up with the bad guy and recovers the camera bag. A mission accomplished. Song, intrigued by Superman's repeated good deeds, decides to track down on his life on the street. She notices that he is not in his right mind but his behavior is mostly designed to help other people, a rare trait even for the majority of people who believe they are not crazy.
As with the Hollywood Superman, Hwang's Superman has a deep secret about his childhood, involving his mysterious father whose encouraging message is displayed on the electric screen of a street vendor. To understand the connotations about his traumatic past one has to be familiar with Korean history, especially concerning the May 18 Gwangju incident in 1980 where a number of innocent civilians got killed by the then military regime.
The movie zooms in on the past and present of Superman who proves to the world that something should be done when people need help from others. But the process is a bit tedious and repetitive. Tighter editing might have helped the audiences focus on the dramatic plot turns that reveal Superman's real identity.
Jun Ji-hyun, who has yet to transcend the image she put forward in "My Sassy Girl" (2001), has attempted to make some changes. For instance, she smokes on the screen to show some toughness about her documentary job. She does not cry as often as she did in her other box-office duds. Her hair is shorter and her makeup is minimal. But unfortunately, that's all that's changed, and Jun does not demonstrate any meaningful transformation, say, into Superwoman or Wonderwoman or even Cat Woman.
By Yang Sung-jin ([email protected])
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ |
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Post time 18-1-2008 04:39 PM
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