Cherry Tomato (2007) - 방울토마토 (Bang-wool-to-ma-to)

'Santamaria' overly emotional, mawkish

Source | 2008/06/30 | Permalink |

How many films can a Korean director put out every year? When the industry is booming, the optimal number might be one, maybe more if they are lucky. When business is sluggish, the number is bound to shrink, and so far 2008 has been a bad year for most Korean filmmakers.

Director Jeong Yeong-bae has defied the conventional wisdom dramatically. At a time when releasing even one film is regarded as an admirable feat, he is now set to introduce his second film - "Santamaria" (Jalmot-doen man-nam) - in less than two months after the release of his debut feature, "Cherry Tomato", in May.

It is all the more surprising when you consider that "Santamaria", to be released July 10, is not the best candidate for a box-office jackpot. The movie focuses on how two men cope with an emotionally taxing mixture of mistrust, hatred and resentment, even though they were best friends when they were young.

Il-do, played by Jeong Woong-in ("My Boss, My Hero"), was once an up-and-coming police detec...| More

[MOVIE REVIEW] 'Cherry Tomato' a stark, painful story

Source | 2008/05/19 | Permalink |

"Cherry Tomato" depicts the poverty-stricken life of an old man and his granddaughter in a realistic way that evokes a strong sense of sympathy. But the ultimate emotion the film triggers is, for better or worse, helplessness.

The debut feature by former television producer Jeong Yeong-bae wastes no time highlighting the key theme: poverty. Park-gu (played by veteran actor Sin Goo) is barely scraping by with his granddaughter Da-seong (Kim Hyang-ki), and their life is unbearably miserable.

Living in a shabby single-room rented house, they do not have enough money to feed themselves. Park-gu works as a porter for a shopping mall in Seoul but he soon finds himself kicked out of the place. In his 70s, Park-gu tries to survive by collecting papers and recyclable stuffs on the street, but the money he earns is always too small to buy a decent meal.

His granddaughter, 6, seems mature for her age, possibly due to her trouble-laden life. After her mother left away years ago and her fa...| More