The Art of Seduction (2005) - 작업의 정석 (Jak-eob-eui Jeong-seok)

2008/05/13 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

With MBC's new drama "Spotlight", viewers will get a glimpse into the lives of broadcast news reporters covering the city beat.

"Spotlight" depicts the journey toward success of a passionate city desk reporter Seo Woo-jin, played by top actress Son Ye-jin. Ji Jin-hee from the hit drama "Jewel in the Palace" ("Dae Jang Geum") will star as her strict, yet caring mentor, Oh Tae-seok. The drama will follow Seo's drudge through the grind to eventually become an anchorwoman.

At the press conference held last week in southern Seoul, reporters and camera crews swarmed the room for a shot of Son.

"Spotlight" is the first drama in two years for Son, 26, who has starred in movies like "The Classic" (2003) and "The Art of Seduction" (2005).

"I read the synopsis and had a strong impression. I especially liked the fact that (Seo) continues to strive to achieve her dreams. I was captivated by her passion and energy", Son said.

A short clip of the dr...

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2008/05/12 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

MBC's upcoming drama "Spotlight", which airs this Wednesday night, promises to bring back a bit of excitement to the small screen.

Following on the heels of its more-than-lackluster predecessor "Who Are You?", "Spotlight" focuses on the gritty and enterprising lives of city desk broadcast news reporters. The drama tracks one woman's rise to fame, from her struggles at the city desk to her eventual success as an anchorwoman.

With a plot like that, the success of "Spotlight" rides on the strength of its heroine and on its scripting.

And the script promises to be solid. The drama's writer Lee Ki-won possesses a finesse for drawing out the dark political power struggles that go on in the workplace. And his intense and cutthroat writing will play out well in the newsroom. Lee also wrote last year's hit medical drama "White Tower".

"I focused on the inner struggles that reporters face as humans", Lee said at a press conference held last week. "While there is romance, more importa...

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2008/01/17 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Puberty, angst-ridden youth and menopause, first kisses, marriage and a Demi Moore-Ashton Kutcher-type romance. Director Kwon Chil-in dishes out an endearingly off-key romantic comedy "Hellcats" as he traces the lives and loves of three ladies at different stages of womanhood.

While the particular age of these ladies is their defining trait, the movie is no Klimt painting mapping out the "Three Ages of Woman".

It's a classic commercial flick that boasts mass appeal with its tactful casting, trend-spotting ploys and elements of fantasy. But there are nevertheless pleasant surprises that fill in for the holes of the loosely structured script, making it rather believable and even slightly touching.

First off, the movie unfolds, out of all places, in a crumby, third-rate motel room. In her less-than-fortunate "office", 27-year Ah-mi (Kim Min-hee) spends her birthday typing away the 17th draft of a hellish movie script she's been working on for th...

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2008/01/10 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Loaded with action and marked by sexual tension, "Open City" is yet another urban crime story set in the gritty streets of Seoul. But what sets it apart is that the cat and mouse game involves a network of professional ― and really scary ― pickpockets.

Lee Sang-gi makes a big directorial debut with a high-profile cast and a novel subject matter. He zooms into the world of "corporate" pick pocketing, but the story soon turns sour with some poorly crafted "Basic Instinct" elements and cliched family tragedies that are inherent to Korean dramas.

Son Ye-jin ("A Moment to Remember", 2004) trades in her innocent image for a dangerous persona, going all out with the hint of sex appeal she showed as a perky playgirl in "The Art of Seduction" (2005). She's ravishing, but like her character's cheesy name Baek Jang-mi (homonym for "white rose" in Korean), the new role seems to be an awkward fit.

Jang-mi is the boss of an organized gang of pi...

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2008/01/09 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

"Open City" is the feature film directorial debut of LEE Sang-gi who is also responsible for the scenario. The film stars SON Ye-jin as the leader of a pick pocketing gang and KIM Myeong-min plays a police detective working on her case. Unaware of each other's identity, the situation becomes more complicated when they meet by accident and feel attracted towards each other, and both are yet unaware of a shared incident from the past.

"Open City" is a stylish crime film set in a modern city with criminals who enjoy the fast life, and includes several clashes between rival gangs, and between criminals and the police. The film juggles fast paced action scenes with romance and drama, often filmed in atmospheric night scenes.

SON plays a headstrong and bold character body guarded and admired by SHIM Ji-ho's character. SON's character is equally matched in boldness and stubbornness by KIM's character. The two clash, but KIM's character can't resist SON's advances.

KIM also starred...

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