[Herald Review] ‘The Great Battle’ has its flaws, but is an action-packed spectacle

While he is by no means a great actor, Zo In-sung’s acting has improved tremendously since his sitcom days. But the actor’s voice is one of his glaring weaknesses, and a weak voice is a significant disadvantage in period pieces.This is why I expected Zo, cast in the lead as Gen. Yang Man-chun, to be the downfall of “The Great Battle,” which depicts the Goguryeo Kingdom’s fight against the powerful Chinese empire of Tang.To my surprise, director Kim Kwang-sik did a clever job of masking his actor

Sept. 13, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Searching(US)Opened Aug. 29Drama, Mystery, Thriller Directed by Aneesh Chaganty After David Kim’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. Thirty-seven hours later and without a single lead, David (John Cho) decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter’s laptop. On Your Wedding Day(Korea)Opened Aug. 22Romantic comedyDirected by Lee Seok-geunSeung-hee (Park Bo-young) and Woo

Sept. 13, 2018

Actress Jung sparks controversy over feminist film

Audiences were strongly divided over the casting of Jung Yu-mi for the film adaption of the feminist novel “Kim Ji-young, Born in 1982.”A torrent of comments followed Wednesday’s news that Jung, who has appeared in hit films like “Train to Busan,” had been cast for the main role in the film. Many were critical of the actress’ decision to take on the role. Jung Yu-mi pictured above (Management SOOP)Her Instagram soon became a forum for heated debate as critics and supporters of Jung headed to her

Sept. 13, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Feng Shui’ pretty solid, but not riveting as political drama

“Feng Shui” is a film with solid acting and an awesome-sounding premise, but it made me go “Eh, OK” upon watching.The setup has betrayal, loss and a power struggle, which amps up expectations for a gripping political drama set in the Joseon era, yet the film does not make as much of an impression as its superior cousin “The Face Reader” did in 2013.The movie is set in the late Joseon era, when the royal family had all but lost its authority to powerful aristocrats, particularly the Kims of Jeong

Sept. 12, 2018

‘Aim High in Creation!’ looks at artistic passion in hermit kingdom

Before its recent pursuit of diplomacy, North Korea had appeared hostile to other countries, from its sworn enemy of “capitalist Americans” to its southern neighbor. “Whenever a film is made about North Korea, three stories are allowed: It (North Korea) is a land of gulags and starvation, it is an evil brainwashing empire where the citizens have no control, or it is a backward state and a member of the axis of evil,” said Anna Broinowski, the documentary filmmaker who directed “Aim High in Creat

Sept. 11, 2018

Orson Welles film, drama about NK defectors highlight BIFF

Netflix original films by master auteurs and a drama about a North Korean defector and the restoration of her broken family are some of the highlights of the upcoming Busan International Film Festival from Oct. 4-13.“The Other Side of the Wind” by Orson Welles, “Roma” by Alfonso Cuaron, and “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by the Coen brothers will be screened at the upcoming festival.Welles’ mockumentary will be featured in the newly created Busan classic section of BIFF, which features 13 classi

Sept. 6, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Searching(US)Opened Aug.29Drama, Mystery, Thriller Directed by Aneesh Chaganty After David Kim’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. Thirty-seven hours later and without a single lead, David (John Cho) decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter’s laptop. High Society(Korea)Opened Aug.29DramaDirected by Byun HyukA respected university professor Jang Tae-jun (Park Hae-

Sept. 6, 2018

Korean romantic movie tops box office again

A Korean romantic film stayed atop the box office in its second weekend, data showed Monday."On Your Wedding Day," starring Park Bo-young and Kim Young-kwang, brought 568,267 moviegoers to theaters from Friday to Sunday to once again top the box office for the second weekend straight, according to data from the Korean Film Council. This brought to its 12-day cumulative audience to 1.9 million. (Yonhap)The movie by first-time director Lee Seok-keun depicts an eventful decadelong courtship between

Sept. 3, 2018

N. Korean films to be shown at S. Korean mountain film festival

Five North Korean films will be shown at the Ulju Mountain Film Festival set to open in Ulju, southeast South Korea, on Sept. 7, organizers said Friday, marking the latest in a recent string of inter-Korean cultural exchanges.The organizers of the Ulju Mountain Film Festival, the only international mountain film festival in South Korea, said they will screen one full-length film jointly made by North Korea and United States and four North Korean animated films during a special event for the Nort

Aug. 31, 2018

[Herald interview] Noemi Nakai hopes to connect Japanese and European film industries

As a person in the film industry whose life and work span both Japan and France, Noemi Nakai hopes to serve as a bridge between the two.Currently based in London, Nakai is an actress, film director and scriptwriter best known for her role in the 2016 Japanese hit film “Death Note: Light Up the New World.“ She also directed and wrote a short film, “The Last Dream,” a year later. Born in Japan to a Japanese father and a French mother, Nakai is comfortable with both countries and cultures and is fl

Aug. 30, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

On Your Wedding Day(Korea)Opened Aug.22Romantic comedyDirected by Lee Seok-geunSeung-hee (Park Bo-young) and Woo-yeon (Kim Young-kwang) are two high school students with feelings for each other. However, Seung-hee’s family situation forces her to move, and the two drift apart. Years pass, and the fates of the two entangle as they are reunited as university students, and then as young adults.The Witness(Korea)Opened Aug.15ThrillerDirected by Cho Kyu-JangAn ordinary office worker Sang-hun (Lee Sun

Aug. 30, 2018

Buddy cop comedy ‘Soul-mate’ shoots for light-hearted, family-friendly

The cast and director of upcoming comedy film “The Soul-mate” said the point of emphasis for the movie was the chemistry among the actors.“We had such a good time, and I got a big leg-up from Ma Dong-seok. I played the part of a ghost, which gave me trouble with moving and not touching stuff, but Ma gave me a lot of ideas. I was able to depend on him for that,” said Kim Young-kwang on his co-star. “The best thing that can happen to a director is being able to work with good actors. I just unleas

Aug. 29, 2018

Murder confession tracked down in ‘Dark Figure of Crime’

A letter from a state penitentiary arrives, addressed to a veteran detective. The sender, a convicted murderer, boasts of the details of unknown murder cases for which he claims responsibility.And down the rabbit hole goes the determined detective, filtering through the pebbles of truth and lies the criminal has littered in front of him.Upcoming crime thriller “Dark Figure of Crime,” directed by Kim Tae-kyun, is based on the incredulous but true story from 2010. The murderer, who had already bee

Aug. 28, 2018

Henry to make Hollywood film debut

It looks like Henry, formerly of Super Junior-M, is set to spread his wings as an actor stateside, as he is set to star in new Hollywood film “A Dog’s Journey.”The announcement was made by Amblim Partners, a US film company headed by legendary director Steven Spielberg, on Sunday to mark National Dog Day in the US. It said the singer-turned-actor has been cast as onscreen character Trent in the upcoming movie, a sequel to last year’s “A Dog’s Purpose,” a heartwarming family film that used a dog’

Aug. 27, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Witness(Korea)Opened Aug.15ThrillerDirected by Cho Kyu-JangAn ordinary office worker Sang-hun (Lee Sung-min) witnesses a brutal murder of a young woman committed by Tae-ho (Kwak Si-yang) from his apartment. Sang-hun instinctively picks up the phone to report the incident to police, but reconsiders when he realizes that the murderer and he exchanged glances and decides to stay silent.The Spy Gone North (Korea)Opened Aug. 8DramaDirected by Yoon Jong-bin As North Korea pursues a nuclear program

Aug. 23, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘High Society’ has intriguing premise, but weak payoff

Byun Huk has a reputation for style, specifically when it comes to the mise-en-scene of his films. His latest piece is no exception, delving into the art world and playing up the visuals in this depiction of a middle-class couple striving for acceptance into “high society.”The film follows its protagonists, respected university professor Jang Tae-jun (Park Hae-il) and his wife, Oh Su-yeon (Soo Ae), an established curator at a prestigious art gallery. The upwardly mobile husband is on his way to

Aug. 23, 2018

[Video] ‘The Great Battle’ to reenact legendary fight of Goguryeo

The ancient kingdom of Goguryeo is a source of an immense national pride for Koreans, as it once single-handedly fought off the most powerful Chinese empires. But it is also a kingdom in which period dramas are rarely set, due to a lack of knowledge and research about it.The upcoming film “The Great Battle,” directed by Kim Kwang-sik, is one that follows the desperate 88-day fight between 200,000 soldiers of the invading Tang Empire and 5,000 Goguryeo soldiers led by Gen. Yang Man-chun.“Most of

Aug. 21, 2018

Lee Ha-nee signs with US talent agency WME

Model-turned-actress Lee Ha-nee has become a client of the major US-based talent agency William Morris Endeavor Entertainment LLC, her local agency said Thursday.According to Saram Entertainment, Lee inked a deal with WME for representation, and signed a management deal with Artist International Group.“After meeting with several Hollywood agencies, she decided to sign with the partners as she believed it would be most beneficial when working in Hollywood, Saram Entertainment head Lee So-young wa

Aug. 16, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Spy Gone North (Korea)Opened Aug. 8DramaDirected by Yoon Jong-bin As North Korea pursues a nuclear program, the South Korean intelligence service sends a black operative, Heukgeumseong (Hwang Jung-min), to Beijing. Disguising himself as a businessman, the spy soon gains the trust of high-ranking North Korean official Lee Myeong-un (Lee Sung-min), and commences his mission to infiltrate the highly secluded country.Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days(Korea)Opened July 1Action, Drama, Fantasy

Aug. 16, 2018

Story of land that made a king to unfold on screen

“Feng Shui,” starring Cho Seung-woo, Ji Sung, a political drama based in late Joseon eraIn his last film “Inside Men,” Cho Seung-woo played a stubborn prosecutor out to take down a corrupt network among media, politics and business. Now, he will suit up in hanbok to play a fictional land appraiser -- not by monetary value, but by East Asian art of geomancy “pungsujiri“ -- Park Jae-sang, who is to determine the fate of the turbulent Joseon era in “Feng Shui.” “With all the awesome actors in the f

Aug. 13, 2018