[Herald Review] ‘Parasite’ feeds on class rage, delivers thrilling ride

Bong Joon-ho is just a brilliant storyteller. His films encompass the hard-hitting issues confronting today’s society and they reek of cynicism, yet they are just fun to watch. This is the difference between him and other directors, such as Kim Ki-duk, whose films are hard to watch: Bong’s films don’t rattle you and force you to think. They lure you in with interesting stories, get you hooked, then leave you lost in thought about what you’ve just seen as you leave the the

May 29, 2019

Cannes-winning 'Parasite' hits No. 1 in presale tickets

The Cannes-winning film "Parasite" is on its way to creating a sensation in South Korea, as its presale tickets outnumbered big-name movies.With three days to go before the movie's opening, the data from the Korea Film Council showed that the flick has already sold more than 90,000 presale tickets as of Monday morning. That accounted for 42.3 percent of all tickets reserved as of 9:10 a.m., while Walt Disney's live-action film "Aladdin" posted 19.6 percent. Local crime action

May 27, 2019

Bong Joon-ho bags Palme d'Or in Cannes milestone for Korea

Bong Joon-ho’s social satire “Parasite” made history Saturday by becoming the first Korean film to win the Palme d’Or, the top award at the Cannes Film Festival.According to the jury president Alejandro Inarritu, the nine-person jury had made the decision based on a unanimous vote.“The film has been an astonishing journey, which was made possible with the artists that stood by my side. Above all, I wouldn’t have been able to shoot a single scene without great

May 26, 2019

President Moon celebrates Korean film's Cannes victory

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday delivered a congratulatory message for the South Korean film "Parasite" after it won the top Cannes festival award, calling it a big gift to all South Koreans."Parasite" won the top honor at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on Saturday (French time), making it the first South Korean movie to take the main prize at the eminent film event.  "The status of hallyu culture has risen one step higher," Moon said on his Twitter and other so

May 26, 2019

Bong Joon-ho's films pursue balance of commercial, artistic values

South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho, who won the top prize at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, is known for works that cater to both commercial and artistic tastes.His films often use metaphors, but they are not too difficult -- not only for film critics but also for audiences -- to understand. Throughout his filmography, he sheds light on chronic social issues like materialism and class division through analogy, and he never fails to cast a warm, good-humored eye over the weak. In his fi

May 26, 2019

S. Korean cinema finally embraces Palme d'Or at Cannes

Thanks to Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" being awarded the Palme d'Or at Cannes on Saturday, South Korea has bagged the highest honor at two of the world's three most acclaimed film competitions -- Cannes, Venice and Berlin.The 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival gave its top prize to Bong's black comedy movie about a poor family becoming obsessed with a rich one after their son gets a job as a tutor for the wealthy family. It is the first time that a South Korean filmmaker has grabbed

May 26, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil(Korea)Opened May 15Crime, ActionDirected by Lee Won-taeA notorious gangster Jang Dong-soo (Ma Dong-seok) narrowly survives a random attack by a serial killer, and sets out to bring justice to his attacker in his own way: by brutally murdering him. At the same time, a cop Jung Tae-suk (Kim Mu-yeol) seeks to arrest the killer. The two men join forces to form the most unorthodox and perilous team, which will break down the moment they locate Kang.Miss & Mrs. Cop

May 24, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘A Boy and Sungreen,’ a pleasant and loveable coming-of-age story

Director Ahn Ju-young’s first feature film is not a masterpiece, yet it has a strange appeal to it.The narrative and the plot are a bit plain, and I felt like Ahn dropped the ball a bit in the climax, but it is well-cast, the two leads are fantastic and work extremely well together and the tone of the film is adorable. The small-budget film is getting barely any exposure, and without any big names and standout effects will likely drown rather quickly in sea of blockbuster films. But I feel

May 23, 2019

Director Bong Joon-ho: stairs are a key metaphor in ‘Parasite’

CANNES, France -- South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho said Wednesday that stairs serve as a key metaphor for hierarchical social status and materialism in his Cannes-nominated black comedy “Parasite.” “Nearly 90 percent of the story takes place in a big house, the home of the rich family. It has a vertical structure -- second floor, first floor and basement,” the director said at an official press conference for the 72nd Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. &ldqu

May 22, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Aladdin’ remake is OK, but not enchanting

Watching the trailer of the “Aladdin,” 2019 remake of the beloved 1992 Disney animation, I thought it would be either be fantastic or a steaming pile of disappointment. To my surprise, it was neither. The Guy Ritchie film had its fun moments, and was an absolute joy to the eyes. Its characters were likeable, but the flick had some clunky storytelling moments and did not really capture the wonder and magic of the original.  “Aladdin” / Walt Disney Co. Korea“Street rat” Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a

May 22, 2019

Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' receives standing ovation at Cannes

South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" has premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival Tuesday (local time), with the director getting an eight-minute standing ovation.The new movie from the "Snowpiercer" and "Okja" director tells the story of a poor family becoming obsessed with a rich one after their son gets a job as a tutor for the wealthy family. Renowned actor Song Kang-ho stars in the film, along with Lee Sun-kyun and Cho Yeo-jeong.  Th

May 22, 2019

After a successful debut, Kang shoots for fun in ‘Long Live the King’

Kang Yoon-sung’s first feature film, “The Outlaws” from 2017, was a bit cliched but had fantastic characters and great action. That was enough to hype up expectations for the director’s next film, “Long Live the King,” set for release June 19.Like his previous movie, the upcoming flick also stars gangsters, but it has a completely different tone. “I aimed to make a fun film above all else. ... It’s about a mob boss becoming a hero of Mokpo through a certain incident, and his life getting overtur

May 20, 2019

'Avengers: Endgame' becomes most-viewed foreign film in S. Korea

"Avengers: Endgame" became the most-watched foreign film in South Korean history, with over 13.33 million admissions Sunday, its distributor said.The latest Marvel superhero flick set the record at around noon, Walt Disney Company Korea said based on a real-time box-office tally from the Korean Film Council.The previous No. 1 was "Avatar" (2009), which sold 13.30 million tickets from 2009 to 2010. (Yonhap)"Endgame," the epic finale to the superhero studio's decadelong series, has been breaking S

May 19, 2019

Song Kang-ho becomes first Asian to receive Excellence Award at Locarno Film Festival

Actor Song Kang-ho is to be recognized at the 2019 Locarno Film Festival, becoming the first Asian to receive the Excellence Award. The festival, founded in 1946, is a prestigious film festival held every August at the Swiss-Italian town of Locarno. The film festival organizers announced in a press release Thursday that Song would receive this year’s Excellence Award, becoming the first Asian awardee.  Actor Song Kang-ho poses for photos during a press conference for “Parasite,” held at The West

May 17, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil(Korea)Opened May 15Crime, ActionDirected by Lee Won-taeA notorious gangster Jang Dong-soo (Ma Dong-seok) narrowly survives a random attack by a serial killer, and sets out to bring justice to his attacker in his own way: by brutally murdering him. At the same time, a cop Jung Tae-suk (Kim Mu-yeol) seeks to arrest the killer. The two men join forces to form the most unorthodox and perilous team, which will break down the moment they locate Kang.Miss & Mrs. Cops(Ko

May 16, 2019

Scandal-ridden director Kim Ki-duk's newest film screened at Cannes

Scandal-tainted South Korean movie director Kim Ki-duk's newest film was unveiled at Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.According to the Cannes Film Market, Kim's latest film, titled "3,000" in English, was screened exclusively to buyers on Wednesday night.Only about 20 invited buyers were admitted to the screening of the 72-minute film, reportedly shot in Kazakhstan, at the Palais H hall in Cannes. (Yonhap)With a "Guest List Only" notice placed at the entrance, many journalists and uninvited peo

May 16, 2019

[Herald Interview] ‘Sons of Denmark,’ a glimpse into a dystopian future

Danish director discusses his debut feature, a political thriller about a future marred by extremismJEONJU, North Jeolla Province -- There is a thin line between standing up for what you believe is right and extremism, a line that fades when the safety and security of the ones you hold dear are on the line. This is realm the young director Ulaa Salim ventures into in the film “Sons of Denmark,” set in 2020s Denmark, where a terrorist attack by an extremist group sends the country spiraling down

May 13, 2019

Actor Ma Dong-seok returns to tough guy character in new movie

Actor Ma Dong-seok has carved out his own presence in the South Korean movie industry, with viewers coming to mostly know him for his muscular arms, rock-solid build and rugged looks. But alongside his tough exterior, he exhibits a friendly, cute demeanor that earned him the nickname "Mavely," a combination of his surname, "Ma," and "lovely." Actor Ma Dong-seok (Yonhap)    In the action-adventure film "The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil," to be released next week, Korean movie fans may find themse

May 11, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Avengers: Endgame(US)Opened April 24Action, Adventure, FantasyDirected by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo After the devastating events of last year’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe. Inseparable Bros(Korea)Opened May 1Drama, ComedyDirected by Yook Sang-hoSe-ha (Shin Ha-kyun) possesses a sharp mind but cannot go anywhere without Dong-gu (Lee Kwang-soo), who is

May 9, 2019

‘From Tomorrow On, I Will,’ ‘Scattered Night’ win at Jeonju IFF

The 20th annual Jeonju International Film Festival on Wednesday announced the winners of this year’s international and Korean competitions, along with winners in other categories.“From Tomorrow On, I Will,” a Chinese-German-Serbian film directed by Ivan Markovic and Wu Linfeng, took the grand prize in the international competition category. The second directorial feature by Markovic was a collaboration with the Chinese director Wu about a migrant worker in Beijing and his roommate whose lives ru

May 9, 2019