2006 Korean Cinema Previews - Part 2

Read Part 1 here.

MEATY BLOCKBUSTER

한반도 (The Korean Peninsula)

Directed By: Kang Woo-Suk

Cast: Jo Jae-Hyun, Cha In-Pyo, Ahn Sung-Gi, Kang Shin-Il, Kang Su-Yeon, Moon Sung-Geun

Produced By: Cinema Service

Expected Release: Summer 2006

The very near future. After decades of trials and errors, North and South Korea are on the verge of unification. In this inspiring and solemn moment, there’s people who still harbor aggressive sentiments toward the peninsula, and want to ruin the whole thing: Japan. Constantly refusing to allow the two countries to take the necessary steps to build their relationship further, the neighbouring country puts the Korean Peninsula in a state of crisis. Now if the historical secret quietly concealed and protected for the last 100 years won’t be revealed, the peninsula risks turning into the worst possible pandemonium, a scene of carnage.

Ouch… I think my fingertips were burning just typing that synopsis. Yessir, Kang Woo-Suk is at it again, making his usual social satire deeply rooted in allegory. But, like in 실미도 (Silmido), it seems to be a little more high octane than his action comedies. This sounds like something people like Seo Se-Won would produce, but when it’s Kang Woo-Suk, the former Emperor of Chungmuro, now dethroned of his title and even the presidency of Cinema Service (and whether that was a completely voluntary act or not we’ll probably never get to know), you can expect a huge spectacle yes, but probably not a simple nationalist potboiler. Which is why this is still one of the most interesting projects of the year, huge cast and 10 Billion Won budget aside. And the cast is huge indeed: Jo Jae-Hyun plays the historian who has to solve the plot’s riddle, Kang Shin-Il the grave snatcher who helps him; ‘National Actor’ Ahn Sung-Gi will play the President (who else!), and Cha In-Pyo an Intelligence agent sent to follow the expedition.

Yes, it all sounds like a mix of ‘The Da Vinci Code’, ‘Raiders of The Lost Ark’ and political thrillers like 이중간첩 (Double Agent). The mystery of finding what’s inside those tombs, what that historical secret is; big time action scenes and improved CG effects, the allegory of the whole thing, perhaps pointing to Korea’s own relationship with its friends, foes and neighbours. It all sounds like a very ambitious project. Something which could miserably fail too, if the film is too concerned with waving the flag and less about storytelling, rhythm and intensity. Kang seems really proud of what he’s about to embark on, he calls this film his 직설화법 (frank statement). Of course looking at his past films, the kind of ideology on display shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out, but the man has surprised me before.

What’s for sure is that this will not be an easy film to make. Case in point, first day of shooting for Jo Jae-Hyun (an actor known for being ultra-professional and rarely making NG): 200 NG. And at the end Kang joked (or did he?): Cha In-Pyo.. next!

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BAD ASS ACTION NOIR

비열한 거리 (Mean Streets)

Directed By: Yoo Ha

Cast: Jo In-Sung, Nam Goong-Min, Lee Bo-Young, Cheon Ho-Jin

Produced By: Sidus FNH

Expected Release: May 2006

Can the rat finally escape from his little hole? Jo In-Sung is a ‘No.2’ of a third rate gang, collecting petty money here and there, controlling an arcade room he took by force from one of his younger ‘colleagues’. But that seems enough to survive for him, and to support his grandmother and two younger brothers. Even inside his gang, he’s not regarded too highly, perhaps because of his attitude. But one day things change for him: the gang boss (Cheon Ho-Jin) who kept overlooking the organization from afar comes to him with a proposal: he promises to guarantee his future, if he can take care (and you know what that means in a gang) of a particularly annoying prosecutor who’s on his tail. Can he deal with the mean streets out there? Can he finally make something out of his miserable condition?

Yoo Ha has had quite an interesting life so far: although most people think he started off as a poet, he actually produced a 8mm short film in 1986, directed by Ahn Pan-Seok (a good friend of both Yoo Ha and director Kim Sung-Soo). Then came the acclaim for his poetry - some of which you can check in the book part of the Limited Edition DVD of 말죽거리 잔혹사 (Spirits of Jeet Kune Do: Once Upon a Time in High School). His first film was adapted from one of his most famous poems, 바람부는 날이면 압구정동에 가야 한다 (We Must Go to Apgujung-dong on Windy Days) in 1993 - which, by the way, is actress Eom Jung-Hwa’s real film debut, even if her role wasn’t major.

But it wasn’t until 2002 and his first big feature work 결혼은, 미친 짓이다 (Marriage is a Crazy Thing) that he started to gain recognition in the film world. Again working with Eom Jung-Hwa and back then underrated Gam Woo-Sung (now he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves), the film was a distinctive look at married life, from a very honest and uncompromising point of view. The sexy drama prompted Eom Jung-Hwa to become a big star in Chungmuro, and Yoo Ha had more chances to develop the stories he wanted to create.

His fourth work was perhaps his most interesting, ‘Once Upon a Time in High School’ mixed tropes of coming of age dramas with social commentary, and a very striking portrait of the Korea of the 70s and 80s, with a touch of the nostalgia you could find in Kwak Kyung-Taek’s film but perhaps more punch (literally). The film wasn’t a huge hit, but it did well both at home and even overseas, thanks to the popularity of its leading stars Kwon Sang-Woo, Lee Jung-Jin and Han Ga-In. And in ‘Mean Streets’, Yoo seems to further try to delve into the tropes of Genre Cinema, manipulating them as he feels fit, until they become a ‘Yoo Ha film.’

Gangster Dramas have populated Korean Cinema for quite some time, and there’s always the danger of falling into two camps: the beefcake macho-drenched melo a la Choi Min-Soo, or the saturi-spewing dumb swearing machines of comedies like 가문의 위기 (Marrying The Mafia 2). Just like he did with his previous work, Yoo will try to create a type of microcosmos outside the microcosmos, so to speak. Like he was able to paint the characters outside the school setting (teachers, students) with interesting traits, he’ll try to make something interesting out of the people who have nothing to do with the gang, like Jo In-Sung’s friend, played by Nam Goong-Min, who is an aspiring director.

The cast, despite its ‘Youth Drama’ appearance, is not bad at all. Although Jo In-Sung has been criticized for his acting on many occasions (myself included), he’s clearly someone who’s trying to shed his pretty boy image with meatier roles - like Kwon Sang-Woo, until his next TV Drama, at least. He follows other ‘pretty young faces’ in Chungmuro, such as Kwon Sang-Woo and Kim Rae-Won, in trying to distance himself from his previous roles with meaty noir full of spectacular action scenes, a trend I confess I don’t mind at all; Nam Goong-Min, while not a great actor by any means, has been showing some improvement, especially in his latest turn in the TV Drama 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink); Lee Bo-Young might be a (very, very!) pretty face, but she’s never disappointed so far, and often rises over the simple characters she plays; And then there’s Cheon Ho-Jin, quite an underrated actor capable of great performances. The genre and even the theme of the film has been tried so many times already, but if there’s anyone who could draw something interesting out of this premise, Yoo Ha is certainly one of those people.

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CUTTING EDGE(s) BARBER

손님은 왕이다 (The Customer is Always Right)

Directed By: Oh Gi-Hyun

Cast: Sung Ji-Roo, Sung Hyun-Ah, Myung Gye-Nam, Lee Seon-Gyun

Produced By: Jowoo Films

Expected Release: February 2006

A shabby barbershop in the outskirts of Seoul. If you ask Barber Ahn Chang-Jin (Sung Ji-Roo), people don’t give quite enough importance to his profession. ‘Haircutting is Art, too!’ he says. But for all those years, people just ignored him, asking for a simple cut or shampoo. But every dog has its day, and thanks to Kim Yang-Gil (Myung Gye-Nam), Barber Ahn receives the visit of the first customer who believes his own words. Yes! Haircutting is really art. Then again, he’d probably wish that day never came. This strange, mysterious customer starts blackmailing him for no apparent reason. Barber Ahn is forced to co-sign a loan for the man, to look at Mr. Kim tease his wife, not being able to do a thing about it. When Ahn leans on a detective agency’s help to discover the man’s past, Barber Ahn finds something shocking. Unable to find a way to escape Kim’s blackmailing threats, Barber Ahn takes matters into his own.

Sung Ji-Roo is a familiar face, since at least Im Sang-Soo’s 눈물 (Tears). But his career started way before, in theater. After 20 long years of hard work, and after losing 12kg for the role, he’s finally got his leading part. Director Oh - who studied in Missouri and California - is making a debut here, but given the synopsis and the cast, it sounds like a very interesting little film. Myung Gye-Nam, a big time producer (responsible for producing all of Lee Chang-Dong’s works) and influential figure behind the scenes, has never been the type of actor easy to define. Sometimes you’d see him in really small roles, often with not so pleasant characters. Some others, he’d play iconic roles with the right amount of tongue in cheek spunk, like in Jang Sun-Woo’s 성냔팔이 소녀의 재림 (Resurrection of the Little Match Girl). But it’s in roles like the one he had in 스물넷 (My Beautiful Days) that he shines the most. This is his first major leading role, and it’ll be interesting to see how he plays out this character.

The first time I heard about this film, it sounded like the type of black comedy Kim Ji-Woon would direct, but now it seems more like a weird thriller with touches of comedy.

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TOUCHY(ing) MELODRAMA

도마뱀 (Lizard)

Directed By: Kang Ji-Eun

Cast: Jo Seung-Woo, Kang Hye-Jung, Byun Joo-Yeon, Park Geon-Tae

Produced By: Morning Films

Expected Release: Spring 2006

Ask who’s the hottest couple in Chungmuro nowadays, and most will reply Jo Seung-Woo and Kang Hye-Jung. Although following different paths, the two became big stars in the last two years, commanding an increasing amount of interest around the projects they’re involved in. Jo Seung-Woo became popular thanks to his musicals, but also his smart choices in films, working with established directors like Im Kwon-Taek, or starring in commercial films with potential, like 말아톤 (Marathon). Kang Hye-Jung started with small roles in sitcoms and films, but emerged as one of the bravest, most eclectic young talents in the country in just a few years. Mostly starring in Genre Cinema, or films from unique directors like Park Chan-Wook, Kang isn’t afraid of risky roles and controversial themes. So it was inevitable that their first work together would attract the kind of attention Shin Sung-Il and Eom Aeng-Ran would command in the sixties.

For Jo-Gang (Jo Seung-Woo), Ah-Ri (Kang Hye-Jung) has always been the closest friend, perhaps something more than that. But one day Jo-Gang catches the measles, and from that moment on, Ah-Ri stops hanging around him. After ten years, the two meet again, this time in high school. Jo-Gang discovers she’s been living in a small Buddhist temple all that time, but even if Jo-Gang understands her position, she leaves again without saying a word. 8 years later, Jo-Gang is now a bank employee. One day, acting as if she hadn’t seen him since the day before, Ah-Ri reappears in front of him, talking about her upcoming trip in the US, all happy and bright. But the next day, after sending Ah-Ri off on a good note, a woman looking exactly like her appears in front of Jo-Gang.

Uhmmm…. do I smell Doppelganger? I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a lame melodrama, maybe it’s just a star vehicle, but considering who’s involved, I don’t think so. Jung Seung-Hye, president of Morning Films, said they picked the title because they thought of Ah-Ri as someone who cut her tail and ran off. It’s a story about 18 years of breakups and meetings, repeating continuously. A story about secrets of the past that can’t be revealed, and about the nature of friendship. Of course, there’s a minefield of pitfalls the film could fall into. It could become a sappy Kwak Jae-Yong styled melo with a crying heroine for 2/3 of the film. The violin arpeggio’s could ruin the acting of the two talented stars, the script could stink up the place like two bloated cows in a boutique… but I don’t know. Just the fact these two are involved, and reading the story makes some fuses in my brain go ‘bling’. We’ll see soon enough.

Kang Ji-Eun has worked as assistant in some of Kang Woo-Suk’s films, including 공공의 적 (Public Enemy) and 실미도 (Silmido). This is the director’s film debut.

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SEXY HISTORICAL DRAMA

황진이 (Hwang Jin-Yi)

Directed By: Jang Yoon-Hyun

Cast: TBA

Produced By: Cine2000

Expected Release: Chuseok Holidays 2006

Quick, who’s the most famous 기생 (gisaeng, female entertainer) of the Joseon Era? Hwang Jin-Yi! She’s been the protagonist of many film and TV Drama adaptations, from Jo Gung-Ha’s version in the 50s, to perhaps the most famous, Bae Chang-Ho’s version in 1986. But with Chungmuro’s fortunes on the rise, it was inevitable sooner or later some of the most important (or at least colourful) figures in the Joseon Dynasty would re-emerge. While Jang Heebin only resurfaced on the small screen, Hwang Jin-Yi will come back to the big screen thanks to Jang Yoon-Hyun.

Perhaps one of the most stylish directors in Korea, Jang was responsible for one of the best (anti) melodramas of the 90s, 접속 (The Contact), then made the super-stylish and undeservedly maligned thriller 텔 미 썸딩 (Tell Me Something). And, although it wasn’t by any stretch a great film, his latest work 썸 (Some) had several interesting elements. Now Jang will try with Historical Dramas, a genre which has developed a lot in recent years, especially in the form of Fusion Comedies and extravagant genre hybrids like 스캔들 (Untold Scandal). Promising to depict not only the famous gisaeng’s romantic escapades but also her spiritual highs and lows, the film will be an adaptation of Hong Seok-Joon’s original - Hong is one of the famous Hong Myung-Hee’s grandsons. Telling the fortunes and tragedies of one of the most beautiful and infamous women in Joseon, her dreams and aspirations, within the political and social background of the era sounds like an intriguing subject to tackle.

I confess I don’t really know what to expect. Jang’s films are all stylish and use a very uncharacteristically (for the genre) distant viewpoint, which could pave the way for a film similar to ‘Untold Scandal’. But the fact he always makes films of different genres (melodrama, horror, stylish action noir) leaves you with little room to predict what he’ll be able to create this time. I don’t think his films have that aura of mysterious sexuality E J-Yong’s Historical Drama had, nor they follow typical tropes of melodramatic Historical Dramas. And with so little known about the film, it’s even hard to predict if it will be anything looking good.

But two things remain: Jang is a very creative and talented director, and if the release is set for Chuseok, you can expect a big cast to head this production. More on this as more detailed info leaks out.

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QUEER EYE FOR THE FAT GUY

천하장사 마돈나 (Madonna, The Strongest Man in The World)

Directed By: Lee Hae-Young and Lee Hae-Joon

Cast: TBA

Produced By: Sidus FNH

Expected Release: Summer 2006

Height: 170cm; Weight: 120kg. Name: Oh Dong-Gu…

Yes, he’s a 슈퍼돼지 (Superpig, slang for extremely overweight), but deep inside he think he’s a woman. He even dreams of becoming the perfect woman everyone admires. If he could return to school, he’d wear a skirt, put on make-up, and try to learn to dance like his idol, Madonna. If he could just graduate from school, he’d instantly undergo one of those surgeries to ‘become a woman.’ He always promised himself to do that, but he never had any particular talent, nor he was someone overflowing with strength. And, worse of all, he didn’t have the 5 Million Won to undergo that surgery! But like the training gym magically appears in front of Song Kang-Ho in 반칙왕 (The Foul King), one day he suddenly sees an ad for a Ssirum (Korean traditional wrestling) competition. Prize for the winner: 5 Million Won. Joy to the world… right? But complications arise: to fight in a Ssirum competition, he’d have to strip of all the clothes in his upper body, and fight in the mud to win. Quite a problem, for someone who thinks he’s the reincarnation of Madonna.

Yes, Ladies & Gentlemen. That’s probably the weirdest synopsis I’ve ever read (although Gom’s post about the Koala employee probably beat it), but it sounds like a fun, weird film in the vein of Lee Mu-Young’s work. Directing team Lee Hae-Young and Lee Hae-Joon are responsible for working on the script team of films like 신라의 달밤 (Kick The Moon), 품행제로 (Conduct Zero), 아라한 장풍대작전 (Arahan) and especially 남극일기 (Antarctic Journal), which along with Sidus FNH’s usually impeccable choices should guarantee a nice production. The film clearly needs someone to look the part, and Koreans are not exactly fans of ‘Nutty Professor’ like ‘transformations’, which makes me think the lead will either gain weight to look the part, or be someone already on the ‘big’ size. If I had to pick one, right off the bat, I’d say Lee Doo-Il, from the sitcom 안녕, 프란체스카 (Hello, Francesca): he looks born to play the part.

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BLOODSUCKING COPS

흡혈형사 나도열 (Vampire Cop Ricky)

Directed By: Lee Shi-Myung

Cast: Kim Soo-Ro, Oh Kwang-Rok, Son Byung-Ho, Cheon Ho-Jin, Jo Yeo-Jung

Produced By: SM Films

Expected Release: February 2006

Remember 투캅스 (Two Cops), in 1993? That scene where Park Joong-Hoon parks the car and enters the Police Station for his first day on the job. A skinny young guy greats him, the camera merely showing his face. The man was barely 20 years old back then, but who would have imagined he’d turn into one of the most memorable character actors in Chungmuro. That young man was none other than Kim Soo-Ro, in the first of a long list of cameo appearances. Over a decade later, and it seems all the hard work finally paid off for the talented and underrated actor. From the Chinese delivery guy in 주유소 습격사건 (Attack The Gas Station) to the technical wrestler Yoo Bi-Ho in 반칙왕(The Foul King): from student ‘Jjang’ Jang Ryang in 화산고 (Volcano High) to the conman in 바람의 전설 (Dance with the Wind), Kim has built a career out of taking advantage of his priceless facial expressions. But up until now, he was mostly misused in small roles, his great energy only used to generate laughter. Well, finally, here’s Kim Soo-Ro’s first real leading role, in Lee Shi-Myung’s 흡혈형사 나도열 (Vampire Cop Ricky).

Yeah, I hear you. Lee Shi-Myung doesn’t exactly brings up the best of memories. If his previous film 2009 로스트 메모리즈 (2009 Lost Memories) ended at its 20 Minutes point, it would have been one of the most interesting blockbusters in Korean Cinema history, but it sadly wasn’t so. Although watchable in a campy fun way, the film loses all its impact with silly nationalist shenanigans and failed genre-bending. But we can always give directors a second chance, right? This film sounds much more interesting: Kim plays a cop named Na Do-Yeol, who after a weird accident with a strange woman, one day discovers of having a quite peculiar interest in women’s necks, and finds himself increasingly thirsty whenever he smells blood. But the fact he discovers he’s become a vampire doesn’t make him forget his duties! Vampire cops, vampire hunters. It sounds like the type of film with could enter the cult sphere. And although a few films about vampires are under production/planning - of course Park Chan-Wook’s 박쥐 (Evil Live) being the most famous - this is quite an unique genre for Korean Cinema. Sounds promising, we’ll cover it more in depth in the coming weeks.

Next Week:

Swindlers who play Go-Stop, black houses, great rivals, hot blooded boys… and more!

Via Cine21