Our Happy Time Together (Aka Maundy Thursday)Woo-ri-deul-eui Haeng-bok-han Si-gan (2006) 우리들의 행복한 시간 was a top hit #7th overall in South Korea in 2006. I rented this movie not knowing anything about the plot except that the title was "Our Happy Time Together". At a glance, I was thinking "oh this will be a light hearted romance". Boy was a totally wrong!
The first few scenes, I saw quite the opposite! It tells the story of Yu Jeong, an University Art Lecturer who is from a privileged back ground and only teaches for fun. But she has tried to commit suicide but has failed a few times. She dislikes her mom and has a hard time being around her family. She decides to talk to her aunt Monica who happens to be a nun. She follows her to the prison that aunt Monica volunteers her time. There she meets a convicted killer on death row Yun Soo. Yun Soo had wanted to meet her due to his little brother always saying Yu Jeong had a voice of an angel. He too has given up on life and just wants to end his.
Slowly through their time together, these two people are drawn together to spend time to heal and learn from each other. Unfortunately, Yun Soo's path is definite but Yu Jeong and he learn alot about on another and gain a deeper understanding.
I give props for Kang Dong Won in this role being a murder. I am used to seeing him as the handsome male lead. With his bad haircut and "acting up" in the prison he does a credible job but he still has a baby face. Lee Na Young as Yu Jeong plays her job credibly telling you she is just not another pretty model trying to act.
My thoughts on this 2002 Korean Movie called Fun Movie or Funny Movie 재밌는 영화 is the first Korean Parody movie. It is obvious it is a parody. I liked it but I admit I am not a novice to Korean flicks but nor am I an expert. I did not get all the "inside" jokes to get the full humor. Overall the movie does seem very messy if you do not get how it jumps around here and there. In fact, the reviewer below is correct in saying avoid this film if you have no Korean cinema knowledge.
Cast: (ILOVEHKFILM.COM) Kim Jung-eun, Im Won-hee, Kim Soo-ro, Suh Tae-hwa, Park Kyung-lim, Lee Won-jong, Lee Mi-yeon (cameo)
Fun Movie is entertaining crap - if you've seen the films it mocks. Some of the parodies are brilliant, but the plot endlessly drags trying to pull one gag out of the bag every five minutes. The leading trio is terrific, though Suh Tae-hwa certainly isn't. Reviewby LunaSea (ILOVEHKFILM.COM): It was inevitable that someone would come up with a film like Fun Movie. Korean Cinema has become famous enough to be on the receiving end of a parody, and this is the country's first attempt to tackle the genre. If your knowledge of Korean Cinema (and culture) is good enough to get 3/4 of the jokes, you'll often be amused. Otherwise, it's likely Fun Movie will seem like a huge mess, and not a very interesting one, to boot.
The film drags even from the first portion. It doesn't have enough panache to sustain a pace of its own. It always needs to go back to the parody, otherwise it'd bore you to tears. Talking about a plot here would be silly. It takes the main theme of Shiri (this time it's Japanese extremists instead of North Korean ones), and intertwines parodies from just about every successful Korean film of the last ten years. Some are done in a subtle way, some rather obviously. The most successful parodies are those from Nowhere To Hide (the forty steps murder, only they use tempura and sauce to kill!), My Sassy Girl (Kim Jung-eun is brilliant as The Girl), and Green Fish (the phone call home and the final car scene are recreated to hilarious perfection).
The most disgusting parody is the one merging the baseball bat scene from Lies with Ahn Sung-ki's "unusual" investigative methods in Two Cops (Don't watch this while eating - I'm warning you). While the three main leads are tremendous in their timing, delivery and body language, Suh Tae-hwa is a disappointment. His acting is bland and stiff, and he seems out of place. He's been consistently mediocre in one too many films (with the notable exception of Friend, where his blandness was perfect for his character).
At almost two hours, Fun Movie is overlong, and it drags way too much to be as enjoyable as it could have been. It has no lasting effect as a whole, but some memorable scenes will remain in your mind. If anything, the film highlights the industry's current wave of success and creativity, and could be a fun test of your knowledge of recent Korean Cinema. However, if all you've seen is Musa: The Warrior and Shiri, I'd stay away. Fun Movie is not the right film for you if you're just starting to explore Korean Cinema. (LunaSea 2002) Name that Movie: This list shouldn't be considered a spoiler, since you still have to find the actual scenes. The following is a list of parodies I've found in the film. Some of them last just a few seconds, so blink and you'll miss them. The movie advertises 28 parodies, so - if they're telling the truth - this list is almost complete.
1993 Sopyonje (D: Im Kwon-taek) Two Cops (D: Kang Woo-suk) 1997 Contact (D: Jang Yoon-hyun) Green Fish (D: Lee Chang-dong) No. 3 (D: Song Neun-han) Beat (D: Kim Sung-soo) 1998 Christmas in August (D: Hur Jin-ho) A Promise (Kim Yoo-jin) Whispering Corridors (D: Park Ki-hyung) Dachimawa Lee (D: Ryu Seung-wan) 1999 Shiri (D: Kang Jae-gyu)Nowhere to Hide (D: Lee Myung-sae) Attack the Gas Station (D: Kim Sang-jin)The Spy, Lee Chul-Jin (D: Jang Jin) Lies (D: Jang Sun-woo) 2000 Joint Security Area (D: Park Chan-wook)The Foul King (D: Kim Ji-woon) Bichunmoo (D: Kim Young-jun) Ditto (D: Kim Jong-kwon)The Scissors/A Nightmare (D: Ahn Byung-ki)The Isle (D: Kim Ki-duk)Peppermint Candy (D: Lee Chang-dong) 2001 Friend (D: Kwak Kyung-taek)My Sassy Girl (D: Kwak Jae-yong)Kick the Moon (D: Kim Sang-jin)Bungee Jumping of their Own (D: Kim Dae-sung)
Note: There's also a poster of The Last Present (a 2001 film with Lee Jung-jae and Lee Young-ae) in one of the scenes, but I doubt that counts as a parody.
The movie Leave Me Alone (Ah ma yau nan) by director Danny Pang.
Plot (wikipedia)
Gay fashion designer Yiu Chun Man (Ekin Cheng) is visited in Hong Kong by his straight twin brother, Yiu Chun Kit (also Ekin Cheng). Kit borrows his brother’s driver’s license, and is then involved in a car crash in which a woman dies (see also Ab-normal Beauty), and Kit falls into a coma. With no ID card, Man is unable to prove his identity, so he assumes the identity of his brother, and takes up with Kit’s girlfriend, Jane, (Charlene Choi), and goes with her to Thailand. Jane, however, is has some money problems, and is deeply indebted to a loan shark (Chi Wah Wong), who pursues Man and Jane. Kit comes out of his coma and finds himself struggling to fend off the amorous advances of Man's boyfriend (Jan Lamb), who is a high-ranking Hong Kong police officer.
THOUGHTS:
This is movie where Ekin Cheng (know from the Young and Dangerous series) plays a dual role as twins in this flick. Charlene Choi of "TWINS" fame is Kit's girlfriend. Both do a great job. Ekin Cheng has done alot of movies but he is charming playing the twin brothers leaving the nuances of being both gay and straight very well. I found it entertaining even. It was weird seeing Charlene Choi having to act all "tough" as Jane with her cute baby face. She admitted in the "making the film" portions it was her first action flick.
The signature shooting and walking moves (a la "John Woo") and other HK movie directors is in this film. I liked the cameo by Kenny Bee as Charlene Choi's dad. It was funny especially in his first scene with the ridiculous hair!
Good fluffy action movie that has its charms but will never win any movie awards.
This year is the 70th anniversary of Nanking massacre, one of the darkest events during WWII. Some say it is a forgotten holocaust. These two words should never be put together. 300,000 civilians (men, women, children) were slaughtered by Japanese army when it invaded Nanking (Nanjing) on December 13th, 1937. Nanking was China's capital city at the time.
It was only one of many massacres Japanese army committed toward Chinese people during its invasion and occupation of China from 1931 to 1945. China suffered over a thousand million civilian casualty. Yet they are forgotten by most of the world. Many sources (eg. Britannica) do not list this number, or list it as N/A!
Come attend an event to commemorate the victims of this terrible toll of the war. The documentary film "NANKING" will be presented at this event and the producer Ted Leonsis and the parents of Iris Chang, late author of "Nanking", will be the special guests. The event will be held on Nov. 9th at Back Bay Events Center, formally the John Hancock Hall.
For more detail, please see http://www.nanking1937.com, to print a flyer, please click http://nanking1937.com/doc/
Nanking should be forgotten no more. Please help us spread the word.
Some background about the film: Ted Leonsis who is the former vice chairman of the AOL, inspired by the late Iris Chang and her book "Rape of Nanking", decided to finance and produce the Film NANKING after an initial intensive research on the topic.
NANKING, directed by the Academy Award®-winning team of Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman ("Twin Towers"), is a powerful reminder of the heartbreaking toll of war. The film tells the story of the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, in the early days of World War II and focuses on the efforts of a small group of unarmed Westerners who established a safety zone where more than 200,000 Chinese found refuge.
B O S T O N P R E V I E W
special guests Ted Leonsis the producer of Nanking The parents of Iris Chang-the author of The Rape of Nanking and The Yellow River Chorus
7:30 p.m. Friday November 9, 2007 (door opens at 7 p.m.) Back Bay Events Center (John Hancock Hall) 200 Berkeley Street, Boston MA 02116 ticket@nanking1937.com $50, $15, $10 advance purchase only (A 10% discount for group of 10 is available for $15 zones.)
For other inquiries, please send email to info@nanking1937.com
Unless we truly understand how these atrocities can happen, we can't be certain that it won't happen again. -Iris Chang
Best essays from Iris Chang Memorial Essay Contest 2006 Available on November 9, 2007
To order this book ticket@nanking1937.com
Limited quantity $10 ea. advance purchase only pick up at the movie Preview 7 p.m. Back Bay Events Center(John Hancock Hall)
sponsored by World War II Asian History Society http://www.ww2ahs.org Asian American Cultural Foundation in Boston http://www.aacfb.org
We sponsor the 2008 Global Alliance Study Tour to China for qualified high school teachers with full scholarship. Details available at this Nanking preview event.
Scheduled U. S. Premiere December 12, 2007 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A US documentary chronicling Japan's notorious 1937 invasion of the Chinese city Nanjing will open in Chinese cinemas on July 7the 70th anniversary of the War of Resistance against Japan. Director Bill Guttentag, Producer Ted Leonsis, Co-Director Dan Sturman, Producer Michael Jacobs, and Co-Producer Violet Du Feng came to Beijing Tuesday to attend the premiere of the film, then they left for Shanghai to promote the film.
Han Do Kyung (Choi Ji Woo), specially scouted by the Incheon Airport Director, willingly accepted a 1/3 of the pay she was receiving when working in Singapore to come back to Korea as the chief of operations of Incheon Airport. She speaks five different languages. However, Do Kyung lives with an uneven wound of her family and a regret of leaving her sister behind. She meets Kim Ji Sung (Lee Jung Jae), a National Intelligence Service agent and gets entangle with him. Kim Ji Sung is very passionate about his work to the extend that he is willing to bend the rules to ensure the security of the country even if he is only acting on his instincts. After being stationed at the airport, he finds himself in an emotional turmoil with a woman he used to love who is also working in the airport. At the same time, he is falling for Han Do Kyung. Kang Ha Joon (Lee Jin Wook), a childhood friend of Han Do Kyung is also falling for Do Kyung. Kang Ha Joon is a quick tempered with a habit of talking aggresively due to his nature of work watching over thousands of surveilance cameras in the airport but has good relations with all the airport employees even the cleaners because of his kind personality outside of work. As his friendship develops with Do Kyung, he becomes a strong source of refuge for her. But as his feelings for her grows, his relationship gets more and more complicated with a woman who is his friend, superior at workplace and unrequited love. ============================================== I read that this drama had tough competition during its time slot while being shown and was not as successful as the expectations were for the long awaited return of Lee Jung Jae (almost a decade away from Dramas and he has built a great film career for himself "Typhoon") and Choi Ji Woo (away for 3 years from Kdramas but did do a Japanese Korean production RONDO during that hiatus). I see Lee Jin Wook again, my first drama I saw him in was "Always" with Bae Doo Na.
I am almost done with four episodes left and I enjoy this drama. It is alot of plot, many characters to keep track of and romance (but not a huge emphasis on it). Unfortunately the version I have with the English subs it is not great. It is butchered English (after episode 9) but luckily I can make out alot of the plot with my limited command of Korean (over the last two years of watching them). I have to say the fansubs are better.
I liked the behind the scenes look at Incheon Airport 인천국제공항. (I was there last December but did not get a chance to look around much after spraining my ankle before departing South Korea. When I arrived, I was having problems using the pay phones!) I liked the fast pace and various stories I have seen so far.
Going from Incheon to Hong Kong, crime syndicate, conterfeit money, drugs, murder are just a few side stories I have seen in this drama. I enjoyed Choi Ji Woo and Lee Jung Jae characters' initial meeting causing them to be handcuffed together. Choi Ji Woo's Mandarin is not bad and even the other characters who have to speak Japanese, English are pretty good. (I am not a fan of garbled language). I liked Lee Jung Jae as the brash, intelligent Kim Ji Sung back from Cairo after his break up with Dr. Seo Myung Woo (many years ago). He is back in Korea but to avenge his partner's death among other things. Han Do Kyung returns to Korea for the first time after leaving as child. She left behind her younger sister and has lived abroad with her stepmom and dad in abroad. She is smart career woman who is multilingual and very hard working.
I am looking forward to the last 4 episodes of this drama.
Hyun Ju is a 29 year old woman who has dated her exterminator boyfriend Soo Hoon for 7 years. She was smitten the day they met while in college. She is patiently waiting for his marriage proposal but he never proposes. He is sweet, gentle and kind but always forgetful. One day while on a shopping trip for Hyun Ju he bumps into the gorgeous movies star Dae Young. After their meeting, Dae Young is smitten for Hyun Ju's earnestness, gentleness and sincerity.
Dae Young decides to promote Cesco, Soo Hoon's company and work on their promotional commercial. Hyun Ju's jealousy and insecurity comes out as both women battle it out for Soo Hoon's affections. Who will win? The movie screen hottie that all the men want to date or his patient, loving but a bit loopy girlfriend of seven years?
I enjoyed this movie because it was not weird or far fetched. Love will be yours and you will have trials within your relationship but as my mom always says to me "if it is yours it is yours". To her, it does not matter what obstacles or trials you may face, your love will be yours no matter what. Cute romance comedy!
16 episodes-SBS Played in Korea earlier this year in the Spring CAST
Han Ga In 한가인. as Ma Yoo Hee 마유희 Jae Hee 재희 as Chae Moo Ryong Jun Hye Bin 전혜빈 (Singer/actress) as Nam Seung Mi (Moo Ryong's girlfriend) Kim Jeong Hoon 김정훈 (actor/singer/model) as Yoo Joon Ha (Yoo Hee's first love) Dennis Oh 데니스 오 (Model, Actor-Dennis Joseph O'Neil) as Johnny Kruger (Yoo Hee's old friend)
Extended Cast Ahn Suk Hwan as Chae Byung Seo (Moo Ryong's father) Song Ok Sook as Moo Ryong's mother Jung Dong Il as Lee Tim Chang Hwang Ji Hyun as Han Sae Ra (Yoo Hee's friend) Byun Hee Bong as Ma Yoon Hoon (Yoo Hee's father) Jo Kye Hyung as Chae Song Hwa (Moo Ryong's brother) Jennifer Bae as Alison
Synopsis (Dramawiki)
As the director of her father's advertising company, Ma Yoo Hee (Han Ga In) is known as a witch for her ruthless, no nonsense character. After a string of failed attempts to hire a housekeeper, she (literally) runs into Chae Moo Ryong (Jae Hee), ex-medical student turned aspiring chef. As a way to work off his debt for crashing into her car, he agrees to become her housekeeper and personal love affairs coach for one month. Gladly, he gives her a makeover that attracts both her old friend Johnny Kruger (Dennis Oh) and her first love Joon Ha (Kim Jeong Hoon). Despite having a girlfriend, Sung Mi (Jun Hye Bin), Moo Ryong eventually finds himself falling for Yoo Hee.
Thoughts:
I was excited to watch this drama. It is my first time watching Han Ga In (married to the second male Yeon Jeong-hoon lead in SAD LOVE SONG). She was great as Ma Yoo Hee. Some forums were looking forward to her wardrobe in this drama supposedly rivaling the one in "The Devil Wears Prada". I can say there were some cute outfits. But I dislike the trend of having the guys (especiall Chae Moo Ryung) wear skinny pastel colored scarfs (I have seen in Goong and Hello Miss). Luckily Dennis Oh's character was saved from wearing these ridiculous scarves!
This time around it is three guys like one gal. Usually it is a love triangle and the twist is the rich girl is falling for the poor guy Chae Moo Ryong (Jae Hee) who is helping her to "learn to date and love" though he has a patient and loving girlfriend. But it all starts with a car accident and big debt Moo Ryong owes Yoo Hee. I have to give props for Dennis Oh for saying his lines in Korean (I have yet to see Daniel Henney do it). It was my first drama seeing him. He is well suited for his role as the reclusive, handsome but renowned French chef Johnny Kruger. One of the high points of this drama are the cooking, food prep scenes that Johnny and Moo Ryung are in as well as Moo Ryung's dad who makes a mean bowl of Jajangmyeon 자장면 炸醬麵.
My sister and I found the OST to be very cute. The ending was kind of unsatisfying (I agree with some forums I have read) and the last few episodes dragged a bit. Kim Jeong Hoon (Goong) as Yoo Hee's first love does not seem too believable to me. He has too much of a baby face and seems weaker than Johnny Kruger and Chae Moo Ryong as a love rival. I do like how Johnny despite liking Yoo Hee realizes the feelings are not returned tries to be a great friend to Moo Ryong (a mentor and friend) and Yoo Hee and bring them together.
Overall, I would watch this drama again (with some better subs than this version I watched!). I dislike that they do not translate the texting scenes or have the correct food terms during the cooking tests.
Last weekend was the opening weekend for "LUST CAUTION" (色，戒; pinyin: sè，jiè) by renowned Taiwanese director Ang Lee's (李安 Li Ān)newest film that recently won best Directory at the Venice International Film Festival. This film does have a NC17 rating due to some scenese of explicit nature.
But the pure shining star is actress Tang Wei (湯唯 Tāng Wéi), who won out over 1,000 Chinese actresses for her first leading role in a motion picture. According to various sources, she graduated in the same class with Zhang Zhi Yi (who broke out to international fame with "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon." Her multi nuanced expressions with her eyes as Wong Jia Ji /Mak Tai Tai is amazing. This film is set in both Hong Kong and Shanghai in the turbulent 1940's during WWII. With the dialogue mainly in Mandarin there is Shanghainese, Cantonese and Japanese in this film Tang Wei was put to work for 8 months to study Shanghainese, singing and playing mahjong for her role. She comes into this dark web of desire and deceit when her acting troupe leader one day wants to do something for the people and the country. Brief foray one summer in Hong Kong ends in with the loss of innocence and faith. Wong Jia Ji acts as Mak Tai Tai, the bored housewife who enters an elite group of wives headed by Mrs. Yee (Joan Chen 陳沖 Chén Chōng ) the wife of their assasination target Mr. Yee (Tony Leung 梁朝偉 Liáng Cháowěi) a powerful political figure. Before anything can happen, Mr. Yee leaves for Shanghai due to a promotion.
Fast foward three years later, Miss Wong is approached to be Mak Tai Tai again. She did what to other trained spies tried to seduce Mr. Yee but unsuccessfully. Tang Wei's character gets caught up in a savage web of lust, desire for Mr. Yee while trying to remain true to the resistance. But in the end Wong Jia Ji is swept in with her affair with Mr. Yee to a level she cannot ever go back again.
Though the film clocked over two hours and thirty eight minutes, I was not bored at all. The scenes of old Shanghai and Hong Kong were beautiful. I loved how even the simplicity of I love how Ang Lee knows how to tell a story. This is based on a short story by a famous Chinese writer Eileen Chang.
Under the amazing acting chops of Tang Wei, she carries this film to new heights! She is the shining star of this film! As usual, Hong Kong actor Tony Leung always delivers. As Mr. Yee, he matches Tang Wei with his amazing acting intensity all in his eyes.
I did not care for the extended bedroom scenes, I understood some needed to be put in to get the point across but I thought it could have been trimmed a bit more. I just read in an interview that Ang Lee had almost a mental breakdown due to those arduous scenes as they were difficult for him to direct.
With this film, Ang continues in his great tradition of making great films! It was more an erotic thriller than any spy and espioange subplot which was more on the back burner. I have read many comparisons to "BLACK BOOK" now I have to go watch it!
Jung Da Bin (정다빈 ) ---Han Shin Bi (daughter to SeungWan and Se Jin)
Wonder Life came out in 2005 and poses the question of love and responsibility. Two people meet in Singapore far from Seoul South Korea. Han Seung Wan is there to surprise his girlfriend Lee Chae Young (there studying English) for her birthday. Jung Se Jin is there to say farewell to her first love who had passed. Seung Wan and Se Jin meet at the airport after a few mishaps. Their lives are further entertwined while in Singapore when Seung Wan has Se Jin's stuff. She goes to Chae Young's to get it back meeting Min Do Hyun, Chae Young's boyfriend she met in Australia.
Seung Wan and Se Jin meet up and she tries to help him look for Chae Young (but really she wants to avoid him from getting hurt). Despite her best efforts to "look" (and sightsee) he finds out Chae Young two timing him. Both decide to help each other out and console each other be drinking and having a one night stand.
Moving forward, both head back to their lives in Korea. But Se Jin has a baby and wants to tell Seung Wan but does not. She decides to raise the daughter on her own. Se Jin's older sister cannot stand it and reveals all at Seung Wan's engagement celebration to Chae Young.
This drama dealt with issues of taking responsibility of your actions. Both Seung Wan and Se Jin are young (only in College) and both have hopes and dreams. Se Jin wants to be a diplomat and Seung Wan a pilot. But now with Shin Bi, they are told to marry and make the most of it. To Se Jin, Shin Bi is her everything. The young coupledecide to have a secret five year contract to make their situation more bearable. Chae Young wants Seung Wan back and Min Do Hyun falls for Se Jin. While the young couple cope, survive and live together with Shin Bi but also learn that they need one another through thick and thin.
I enjoyed this drama and Kim Jae Won is my mom's favorite for his "warm and bright" smile. Eugene does a good job as Se Jin along with the rest of the cast. Jung Da Bin as Han Shin Bi is cute and adorable.
This movie follows a handsome archaeology major whose speciality is "Hooking up" with pretty girls. His advisor decides to send him to China or he cannot graduate from college to find ancient Korean treasures there. While in China, he meets a beautiful North Korean girl from a powerful family, a top student and loyal follower to Kim Jung-Il. Chul-Soo becomes smitten with her and works hard to win her over. Slowly their differences melt away but will their love survive the oppressive obstacles between the North and South that threaten their relationship?
Opinion:
I enjoyed this film. It is nice to see a film that is not too weird or overwrought. Jo In Sung plays the handsome Chul-Soo well with the right amount of cockiness, playfulness to pull this role off. Kim Sa Rang as the object of affections as the girl from the North mixed the correct amount of innocence, beauty and strength to her role. I enjoyed their mating dance alot.
It is not an earth shattering film, but I enjoyed it alot.
Uhm Jung-hwa 엄정화 as Min Joon Daniel Henney 다니엘 헤니 as Robin Heiden Do-bin Baek 백도빈 as Dae-ri Hong Jong-ryol Choi Holly Karrol Clark as Jennifer Cohen Ki-hyeon Kim as Min-jun's father Seong-min Lee as Sang-mu Yang Su Mun as Jun-hyeong Mi-yeon Oh as Min-jun's mother Ji-young Ok as Yun-mi Hyeon-yeong Park as Seo-yeong
I finally saw this film that was out in Korea last year when I was visiting. This is Daniel Henney's debut into the big screen. (I have seen his small screen efforts in "Kim Sam Soon" and "Spring Waltz".) This hapa who is model turned actor has been turning heads with his chiseled good looks and physique.
In this film, Henney plays Robin Heiden a young up and coming star executive who is in Korea for work. Min Joon (Uhm Jung Hwa-singer /actress) while heading to work crashes into the car in front of her. She exchanges words with the driver who does not speak any Korean but purely in English. Once at work, she discovers to her dismay she is working a new position as assistant to to Mr. Robin (whose car she crashed into earlier). To make matters worse, she lied she did not speak English and she had a big smear of lipstick on her cheek.
This is a cutesy romantic comedy only for die hard fans of the genre and Daniel Henney fans. It was good fluff to watch away from the serious films I have been watching lately. I adored Umh Jung Hwa's acting even if it was a bit over the top at times. She maximized her acting ability and had a palpable chemistry with Henney. Her character Min Joon though a great woman, motherly and caring, she is always dumped. Mr. Robin reminds her the reason she is dumped is because she does not know the "rules" to love.
Off starts their teacher student relationship but Min Joon soon learns that she does not like being contrived and not natural despite taking Mr. Robin's advice to the "t". This is all the while Mr. Robin realizes he has feelings for her.
I love Daniel Henney and the video of him singing with Alex called "Kissing Me" is cute. But I cannot say he is a great actor beyond his few emotions---smiling and frowning. Plus there are a few shots with him shirtless thrown in for his female fans.
I loved the backdrops of both Hong Kong and Seoul when making this film fully utilizing the buildings and scenery. Great job!
The Skinny: The stars have chemistry, and the cinematography looks good. But the formulaic storytelling, a contrived script, and a wooden performance by Daniel Hanney certainly don't help things. For die-hard fans of the stars and Hollywood romantic comedies only.
Review: by LMFDean9: Korea delivers a carbon copy of a slick Hollywood romantic comedy with Seducing Mr. Perfect, a serviceable romantic comedy that charms enough thanks to an all-out performance from Uhm Jung-Hwa. The feature film debut of director Kim Sang-Woo, Seducing Mr. Perfect does enough visually to emulate its Hollywood counterparts, but it also emulates Hollywood with its script, which takes the usual "odd couple" clichés and presents them in the most straightforward manner possible. This doesn't make Seducing Mr. Perfect necessarily bad, but it does feel tired.
The main draw of the film is its hunky male star, half-Korean/half-American model Daniel Henney. He plays Robin, a young fund manager sent to Korea to take over a Japanese firm. On the road one day, his car is rear-ended by Min-Joon (Uhm Jung-Hwa), who pretends to not speak English to get out of trouble. As fate would have it, Robin turns out to be her boss and he decides to handpick her to be his assistant on the project. Why pick a woman who hits your car and skips work under false pretenses to be your assistant? To get on her nerves so much that maybe she'll eventually fall in love with you, of course!
Naturally, they're the worst match. She's the maternal type of girlfriend that showers boyfriends with attention, but only ends up driving them away. He's the charming arrogant know-it-all that wants to be challenged. But why let clashing personalities get in the way of contrived circumstances? When Min-Joon is dumped unceremoniously by her boyfriend, Robin simply insults her by telling her that she'll be treated like trash all her life. Provoked, Min-Joon decides to seduce her boss just to prove him wrong. Will he buy into her ruse, and will she ultimately fall in love? Just treat that as a rhetorical question for now.
There were rumors floating around saying that Uhm, who is 35, was cast because producers wanted a "less attractive" actress to play up Daniel Henney's appeal in order to attract female audiences. I consider that the biggest irony of Seducing Mr. Perfect. Many will watch the film because of Henney's presence, but people will end up enjoying it because of Uhm's performance. Director Kim and his team of four(!) screenwriters wisely concentrate the screenplay on Min-Joon and her foolish quest while breezing past Robin's darker past. Min-Joon may not have much smarts, but her story fits the structure of a romantic comedy, while Robin's seems to come from a melodrama play playing at a different stadium. Theoretically, Kim's choice of Uhm over Henney can be called flawed characterization, but it makes the film more interesting to sit through.
What about the star of the show, Daniel Henney, who is making his feature film debut here? I can say that his dialogue (delivered almost completely in English) is among the best English dialogue I've heard in a Korean film, and Henney manages to deliver his lines with enough charm to make them work. However, his inability to show a facial expression beyond a smug smile or a frown takes away any sense of playfulness this character should have. The script provides him with the right lines, but Henney, who in real-life can speak Korean but refuse to do so onscreen, can't follow up due to his lack of acting chops. The result is that Robin seems like a man who likes to step on his subordinates when they're down. Henney has the looks to be a star, but I doubt that he'll be seen as anything more than a pretty face when people watch Seducing Mr. Perfect. Yet, when Uhm and Henney are together onscreen, they are somehow able to conjure up some chemistry. Uhm compensates for Henney underplaying his role by overplaying hers and still managing to come out lovable. Their chemistry, along with the slick upper-class Seoul urban visuals, really saves Seducing Mr. Perfect from being a dud.
The script meanders with corporate subplots, an inexplicable prologue in Hong Kong (which captures the city nicely, but is really a waste of money for the production), and an epilogue that's played entirely for laughs, but not much else. And Kim's direction is by-the-books and devoid of any real style. In the end, any success achieved by Seducing Mr. Perfect rests entirely on its slick Hollywood-like cinematography and its stars, but I doubt that any of the 600,000 people who went to see the film in theatres watched it for the cinematography. After all, who cares about cinematography when the film provides shots of Daniel Henney's bare chest? It may just become the chest that can launch a thousand ships. (LMFDean9 2007)
FINISHING THE GAME, our new independent film, has been an opportunity to revisit our indie roots and reunite with many in the BETTER LUCK TOMMOROW family. The challenges of making a no-budget film are harsh and demanding, but at the same time, it is filmmaking in its purest form. Clearly, passion on the part of the cast and crew made this film possible. Now we are hoping to share FINISHING THE GAME with you as it comes out in theaters and into your homes.
When BETTER LUCK TOMORROW was released, we showed Hollywood that we are a viable audience. In an industry governed by box office receipts, there is strength in numbers. The turnout for the film sent a clear message that we demand to see ourselves on screen as multi-dimensional characters. Five years later, we are asking for your support again. At this point, we need to demonstrate that BETTER LUCK TOMORROW was not a fluke; we are a vital consumer community that will no longer be ignored. However, out of respect for your time, energy and taste, we don't want you to come see the film simply because it¹s an "Asian American" project. Rather, we want you to connect to the work itself and let the film stand on its own. We welcome you to take a look at the FINISHING THE GAME trailer on our
Among other things, it features a behind-the-scenes look at our journey from BLT to FTG that was made by film student Anson Ho.
We are happy to announce that IFC Films, our supportive partner, will be distributing FINISHING THE GAME. However, this "platform release" is merely an opportunity and, in certain ways, an uphill battle. The lifespan of a truly independent film is determined on a week-by-week basis. Every weekend could be its last.
Through making studio films, I have learned that "word of mouth" is the most important aspect of any film's release. A big budget movie could buy up every billboard and flood TV with commercials in order to generate audiences. An indie film does not have the budget or the platform to do that. But, the great equalizer is the viewer. Good or bad, every film is ultimately subject to "word of mouth." It's simple: if you like the film, tell your friends. And if they like it, they should do the same. FINISHING THE GAME will open in New York on October 5th at the IFC Center; October 19th in San Francisco and Berkeley; and October 26th in Los Angeles, San Diego, Costa Mesa and Minneapolis.
We are also excited to announce that on October 5th, aside from its traditional theatrical release, the film will simultaneously be available ON DEMAND in 42 million homes in the United States through every cable and satellite TV distributor. This is something we are extremely excited about because it could potentially bring more of us together and build a distribution model for future Asian American films.
By supporting projects with representation and elements that you want to see, you are sending a clear message to the decision makers in Hollywood. If we can get enough people to do the same, then we will truly have a voice. So please share this with your friends and family.
Last night I saw Roger Fan again promoting Finishing the Game and this time Sung Kang (Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift 2) was also on hand at Law Auditorium on Boston University. This movie promises to be a an awesome mockumentary (I saw trailers and was rolling on the floor laughing so hard!) **Sorry Roger for running out on you when you were answering my question on MC Hammer.
It was good to see Roger Fan again (at OCA and in BU with Parry Shen promoting Better Luck Tomorrow a few years back).
Opening OCTOBER 5TH in New York @ IFC Center and as a Testimonial to the Evolution of the Film Industry, will also be Available ON DEMAND via cable providers. Then a rolling opening schedule as follows:
October 19thSan Francisco, CA / Landmark Embarcadero Center Berkeley, CA / Landmark Shattuck
October 26th Los Angeles, CA / Landmark Nuart Theatre
San Diego, CA / Landmark Ken CinemaMinneapolis, MN / Lagoon Cinema
November 2nd Salt Lake City, UT / Broadway Centre Cinema
November 16th Philadelphia, PA / Landmark Ritz at the BourseDallas, TX / Landmark InwoodHouston, TX / Landmark GreenwayAustin, TX / Landmark DobieSeattle, WA / Landmark Varsity Theater
TO BE PART OF THE NEXT BIG WAVE:
Step One: Mark Your Calendars with Your Local Opening Date!!!
Step Two: FORWARD THIS TO YOUR FRIENDS!!! (and tell them about Step One to Five)
Step Three: Go Watch FINISHING THE GAME with Friends and Family!!!
Step Four: Program Your ON DEMAND to Order Finishing the Game and Watch it Again!!!
Step Five: Give Yourself a Pat on the Back for Being Part of Asian American History.
