Changing Partners (2007) - 지금 사랑하는 사람과 살고 있습니까? (Ji-geum Sa-lang-ha-neun Sa-lam-gwa Sal-go Iss-seub-ni-kka?)

Glam affairs need dose of agony

2008/04/18 | Source | Permalink |

Does a solemn vow as man and wife mean more to one person than another?
The movie "Cross Scandal" ("Changing Partners") asks its viewers to probe the intricacies of that question about the meaning of marriage.
One-night stands, spouse swapping and seduction replete with exaggerated sexual movements: That was what I imagined when I first read the story line.
Cross Scandal, however, tries to convey more than just another love affair.
On the one hand, its main characters, Yun-a (Uhm Jung-hwa) and Min-jae (Park Yong-woo), who have been married for three years, are like best friends.
On the other hand, So-yeo (Han Chae-young) and Young-jun (Lee Dong-geon), another couple, barely talk to each another.
The two couples meet at a social gathering and the sparks fly — but in all the worst ways.
Both couples find themselves attracted to the others' spouse.
The fact that the object of their desire is someone else's partner, something just out of reach, causes their desire to grow uncontrol...| More

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Korean Films Win Recognition in Europe

2008/03/14 | Source | Permalink |

Now, there appears to be growing interest in Korean films overseas.
Domestic productions are winning critical acclaim at major film festivals in particular, in Europe.
Jeong Soyun explains.

Korean films are gaining increasing recognition on the international stage, winning numerous awards and honorable mentions in various film festivals.
Park Chan-wook's "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK" received an Honorable Mention at the FantasPorto 2008, the 28th edition of the Oporto International Film Festival, which opened March 9th in Portugal.
The film takes place in a mental hospital, where a girl who thinks she's a cyborg falls in love with another mental patient.
Park is one of the most acclaimed directors in Korea today and is famous for his "vengeance trilogy", which includes the films "Old Boy" and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance".
The film "Breath" by director Kim Ki-duk is a story about a deathrow inmate who falls in love with a married woman.
It won the Jury's Special Award in the ...| More

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SON Ye-jin puts a new spin on marriage

2008/02/06 | Source | Permalink |

Leading actress SON Ye-jin extends her roles of strong women with her latest Anaega Gyeorhonhaetta (English translation: my wife got married). JEONG Yoon-soo directs and KIM Joo-hyeok takes on the male leading role.

SON's character demands from KIM's character the right to have a second husband. The film is an adaptation of a novel. Filming started in February 2008.

SON is currently in cinemas as a confident gang leader in "Open City". KIM played in "Singles". JEONG directed last year's romantic film "Love Now" ("Changing Partners").

Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC)...| More

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Trend in 2007 box-office success in Korean film industry, "The naming value of a star and the number of audience are in inverse proportion"

2008/01/07 | Source | Permalink |

"What is the interrelationship between the naming value of a star and the number of audience?"

In conclusion, the interrelationship is inverse proportion according to the trend in 2007 box-office success in Korean film industry. Among the 100 movies released this year, only 4 movies had more than 3 million audiences, including "D-War" (8 million), "May 18" (7 million), "Voice of Murderer" (3.25 million) and "Le Grand Chef" which recently reached 3 million.

Among many movies that went into the black, following are those which closely reached the break-even point, including "Miracle on 1st Street" (Im Chang-jeong and Ha Ji-won), "Voice of Murderer" (Seol Kyeong-gu and Kim Nam-joo), "May 18" (Kim Sang-kyeong and Lee Yo-won), "D-War" (Jason Behr), "Paradise 1986" (Park Hae-il and Seong Ji-roo), and "Le Grand Chef" (Kim Kang-woo and Lee Ha-na). Among the 100 movies released this year, only 7% made a profit.

However, all movies that drew attention for top stars' appearance have fa...| More

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An urbane look at the mystery of love

2007/11/12 | Source | Permalink |

The film "Changing Partners", the English title of a recently released Korean DVD, examines the question, "Do you live with someone you love now?"
To read between the lines and put it more bluntly, the question it explores is really, "Are you married for money or love?"
In this case most Koreans are probably guilty as charged. At least that's the explanation for the 430,000 ticket buyers on the film's opening weekend in nationwide theaters.
If you married for love, perhaps there's no point in paying 8,000 won ($9) to watch a married couple in a scandal.
The film involves two young couples who are stable and bored. By meeting each other, they discover what has been missing in their own marriages.
Indeed, the idea of cross-affair is a clever hook. It allows viewers to safely enjoy the film while holding their judgment for two hours.
The affair ― there are two ― are civilized affairs. While the characters do hesitate between guilt and desire, their marriage barriers a...| More