Jo Min-ho (조민호)

Dreamless Drifters Take 'Nowhere' Far

Source | 2008/08/14 | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

There's no breathtaking drama or enlightening moral message, nor does it feature something ingeniously surreal as one might expect in an independent movie. Nevertheless, "Nowhere to Turn" by Lee Seung-yeong is a small gem of a film that shows the art of simplicity and the hallmark of creativity only possible in low-budget projects.

This coming-of-age drama finally meets the larger public since premiering at the 2007 Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival (PIFF). The 29-year-old director writes "youth" all over it: mellow music by indie band Sogyumo Acacia Band heightens the narrative and fresh faces portray unforgettably forgettable, antiheroic personas. While digitally shot, the movie's audiovisuals are surprisingly polished (fine touches by top cineastes like Jo Min-ho and Go Nak-seon) and veteran actors play hilarious cameo roles.

Soo-yeon (Cha Soo-yeon) is an unemployed 26-year-old college graduate unable to abandon her dreams to become a...| More

A story held hostage to camera tricks

Source | 2006/08/22 | Permalink |

It is probably every film director's nightmare to tell a story that's already been told before (especially one that's been told better). It's that fear that is behind the bad habit of many directors to omit or manipulate critical parts of their narratives, opting for cinematic cliches over straightforward explanations.
Sure, there's no one proper way to tell a story. Yet in films such as "Gangjeok" (Les Formidables), the editing is so choppy that by the time the closing credits start rolling you wonder whether everything you just saw was completely delusional.
It's understandable why the director Jo Min-ho had to take this approach. Drama overwhelms the film, which is about a strung-out cop who is taken hostage by an escaped inmate of a prison.
Sung-woo (played by Park Joong-hoon) is desperately trying to pay for an operation for his sick son; Su-hyun (Cheon Jeong-myeon) eats broken pieces of his lunch plate in prison to protest that he was falsely accused of a murder charge. He esc...| More

Less 'Formidable,' But Enjoyable

Source | 2006/06/22 | Permalink |

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

The movie "Les Formidables" (Kangjok) may lack originality, a well-organized plot and a strong message, but it entertains with action-packed scenes well blended with hilarious jokes.

Directed by Jo Min-ho, the film revolves around detective Sung-woo and jailbreaker Su-hyun, who team up to help each other.

Sung-woo (played by Park Joong-hoon) is a corrupt detective who frequents bars, often leaving his partner alone on duty.

One day when busy collecting dirty money from a bar owner, his partner is killed, an event Sung-woo could have stopped if he had been with him.

Meanwhile, Su-hyun (by Cheon Jeong-myeong) begins a new life after breaking away from a criminal gang and begins running a small restaurant with his girlfriend in the hopes of leading an ordinary life.

But one of his best friends from the gang asks him to do a favor, which leads him to be falsely accused of a murdering Sung-woo's partner. The accusation ends in a prison term ...| More