Cha Soo-yeon (차수연)

Dreamless Drifters Take 'Nowhere' Far

2008/08/14 | Source | 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

[ChanMi's movie news] "Nowhere to Turn" about an aspiring youth

2008/08/13 | Source | Permalink |

She has a dream but needs money to make her dream come true. Just because she has no money, she can't give up and go into the fishing industry! She's willing to aspire, but she has no skill... in other words, she has a dream but no maturity!

"Nowhere to Turn" is about a girl in the 20's who wants to leave 'here' where everyone laughs at her drams for somewhere where she can be free to hope. ...| More

[ChanMi's star news] Ha Ji-won's transformation into a career woman Barbie doll

2008/07/10 | Source | Permalink |

[Talk of the town] "Kung Fu Panda" kicks his way into the spotlight

2008/06/25 | Source | Permalink |

Po (Jack Black), the obese and lazy panda in Mark Osborne and John Stevenson's animated film, "Kung Fu Panda", is now a star.

According to the Korean Film Council, the film attracted some 3.31 million Korean viewers as of last weekend, since its release on June 5.

Past animated films that attracted as many viewers were "Shrek 2" (2006), with some 3.3 million, and "Howl's Moving Castle" (2004), with 3 million.

While Kung Fu Panda ranked second at the box office last week, Kang Woo-seok's action-thriller "Public Enemy Returns", released last Thursday, ranked first. It attracted 1.3 million viewers in three days, according to the council.

Meanwhile, for those moviegoers hoping to see more Korean films on the big screen among Hollywood blockbusters like "Incredible Hulk" and "Sex and the City", wait till next month.

These films are on standby director Kim Ji-woon's "The Good, the Bad, the Weird", Lee Joon-ik's "Sunny" and Kwak Gyeong-taek's "Eye For and Eye" ("Eye For and Ey...| More

"Beautiful" Shows Ugly Side of Beauty

2008/02/14 | Source | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

While aesthetic standards vary over time, the desire for beauty and the power of its allure remain unchanged. Countless tales and myths across cultures speak about it, and director Jeon Jae-hong continues this tradition in his feature film debut, "Beautiful". He explores the dark side of this age-old human obsession in a haunting tale about how a woman's enrapturing beauty results in her downfall.

Currently showing at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival's out of competition section, "Beautiful" is based on an original story by distinguished director/producer Kim Ki-duk. The film reads like a stark fairytale for adults that is deeply rooted in reality. It takes flight with human desires and fantasies but keeps its feet on the ground with social messages.

The film is ridden with criticism of how rape victims are undermined and offers a disturbing glimpse into eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia nervosa. But it remains highly allegor...| More