| Director Bong Lauded by US Critics (Source) |
2010/03/17 |
By Cho Jae-hyon
Staff Reporter
Director Bong Joon-ho of the local top-grossing movie "Mother - 2009" is drawing acclaim from U.S. critics as the thriller opened Friday in theaters in the United States.
Jim Hoberman, a prominent American film critic with The Village Voice, praised Bong for the film's well-woven plot and suspense.
"For all its jarring sound design and herky-jerky pacing, founded on sudden incidents or shocking accidents, 'Mother - 2009' is deftly plotted, applying Hitchcockian suspense with a Hitchcockian sense of fair play", Hoberman said.
"It would hardly be surprising if Hollywood attempted a remake ― although it will be a rare studio movie with the nerve to recreate Mother's convulsive final reel, an ending that leaves its protagonist stranded in a moral netherworld, applying her acupuncture needle to the spot that 'unknots the heart'."
Indeed, Bong has said he watched Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 "Psycho" during preproduction, which examined a poiso... |More
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| Bong Joon-ho wins praise from L.A. Times for Mother (Source) |
2010/03/12 |
Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho [Asia Economic Daily]
Famed Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho has won praise from U.S. daily newspaper L.A. Times for his film "Mother - 2009", which opens today in Los Angeles.
In his March 10 movie review, Times' film critic Andy Klein called Bong "one of the best South Korean directors and arguably the most accessible to U.S. audiences".##
The article compared "Mother - 2009" with his previous work including the "The Host" (2006), the most-watched film in Korean box office history, and "Memories of Murder" (2003), adding that Bong's latest thriller "resembles a subplot" from the latter pic.
Klein also likened the Korean ... |More
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| [INTERVIEW] Actor Song Kang-ho - Part 3 (Source) |
2010/03/04 |
Korean actor Song Kang-ho [photographed by Beck Una/10Asia]
Beck: That's actually what I wanted to ask you. Do you think it's possible to become an artist, or an actor, by pure effort and no natural talent?
Song: The concept behind the word 'effort' is a bit vague. There is no such thing as putting in an effort to act well. Effort could be another word for your determination to work hard but not the secret to good acting. If you are shooting an action scene, you can make effort at improving on your physique and working better with your co-stars. And I put in an effort to play the recorder in "Thirst". But I don't think one can act ba... |More
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| Film Mother receives nominations at overseas film festivals (Source) |
2010/03/03 |
Director Bong Joon-ho's movie "Mother - 2009" (2009) continues to receive favorable reviews at international festivals abroad.
A thriller about a mother's quest to free her handicapped son from a false charge of murder was recently awarded the Best East Meets West Cinema Award at the 25th Santa Barbara International Film Festival in the United States in mid-February.
The movie already won two other international awards last year: for the best screenplay in the Asia-Africa film category at the 6th Dubai International Festival (Dec. 9 - 16) in the United Arab Emirates and the Signis Grand Prix (granted by the World Catholic Association for Communication) at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Argentina (Nov. 7-15).
At the above-mentioned Argentine film festival, "Mother - 2009" was praised "For being a complete work, which explores what a mother is capable of doing when she is determined to protect her son. The director questions it, and he does it from an ethical ... |More
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| 'The Host' Director Bong Joon-ho to Screen Latest Film in Washington D.C. (Source) |
2010/03/01 |
Korean director Bong Joon-ho, well known for his work that blends and transcends the parameters of the humor, suspense, and horror genres, will attend the Washington DC premier of his latest film, Mother, on March 2 at the Landmark E Street Cinema.
Bong, who wrote and directed box office hits "The Host", "Memories of Murder", and "Barking Dogs Never Bite", will also share his views on the blossoming Korean film industry and its filmmaking methods at a reception prior to the screening and a discussion afterwards. All events will be free and open to the public, but have limited admission (see below for details).
"Mother - 2009", which is being brought to U.S. theaters by Magnolia Pictures starting March 12, follows the story of a middle-aged single mother (played by veteran actress Kim Hye-Ja) who investigates a murder for which her son Do-Joon (played by Won Bin), a constant source of anxiety, has been accused. Mother represents another example of the dissolving Korean social real... |More
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