[Movie Review] ‘Zookeeper’s Wife’ looks at smaller elements of global story

A small child lifts his arms so that he can be lifted up into a waiting train. There is an innocence in the youngster’s eyes revealing no knowledge of the horrific fate that lies ahead.He’s followed by another child and then another. Finally the last child is placed on the train and the Jewish youngsters begin their trip to death at the hands of the Nazis. Only the mix of looks of anguish, loss of hope and hatred on the face of Jan Zabinski (Johan Heldenbergh) reveals the heartbreaking truth of

March 31, 2017

‘Oneday,’ a fantasy-drama hybrid about death and grief

Kim Nam-gil and Chun Woo-hee team up for an unlikely romance in “Oneday,” a quiet drama about death and the grief of those who survive.　“It felt like a fairy tale for adults. I wasn’t sure how the fantasy elements would be used in the film,” said Kim on Thursday at a press conference in Wangsimni, Seoul.　“My biggest concern is always how to convey characters as naturally as possible.”　 A still from “Oneday” (Opus Pictures)In the film, Kim plays Kang-soo, an insurance company employee who struggl

March 31, 2017

[Herald Interview] Kim Yun-jin still hungry for the next role

In the upcoming horror film “House of the Disappeared,” actress Kim Yun-jin portrays a mother fiercely protective of her children, inside a house that appears to be haunted by uneasy spirits. She plays two versions of her character Mi-hee -- as a 40-something housewife, and a much older, grey-haired woman who has lost her children through unexplainable causes. The younger Mi-hee has already been through a lot at the start of the film, having lost her first husband to heart disease and putting up

March 30, 2017

Hollywood monster flick 'Colossal' releases photos of Korean filming

The Hollywood sci-fi action thriller "Colossal" unveiled photos of its South Korean filming Thursday to attract more interest from local movie fans ahead of its release next month. In the new US Sundance Festival-screened film, Anne Hathaway plays an unemployed, heavy-drinking woman named Gloria who is forced to leave her life in New York and move back to her hometown.When news reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, Gloria gradually comes to the realization that she is someho

March 30, 2017

[Herald Interview] Actor Jin Goo is at his best when relaxed on set

In the new crime flick “One Line,” Jin Goo transforms into Jang Seok-goo, a silver-tongued scammer who has a knack for sizing people up and persuading them accordingly. In the film, which traces the story of a gang that helps people fabricate documents to obtain loans from banks, Jang squints at clients and scrutinizes their appearance while making a scanning gesture with his fingers.“It’s the most relaxed I’ve been on set,” Jin told The Korea Herald during an interview Monday at a cafe in Palpa

March 28, 2017

Director Park Chan-wook awarded Florence cultural honor

 South Korean movie director Park Chan-woo was bestowed an award from the Italian city government of Florence in recognition of his role in connecting the cultures of the two countries and his contributions to the development of culture and art.　Florence Mayor Dario Nardella presented the Key to the City honor to Park in a ceremony held on Saturday in Cinema La Compagnia, Florence.　Park is the first South Korean who has received the city award which is conferred on world-renowned artists. Park C

March 26, 2017

3 Korean films presold in Hong Kong film market

Three South Korean films have been presold to Asian markets, including Japan, China, Taiwan and the Philippines, during the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market last week, their local distributors said Friday.The distribution rights for "House of the Disappeared" were sold to seven countries -- Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei -- at the 2017 film market, also known as Filmart, the Peppermint&Company Co. said. This is a promotional poster for "House of t

March 24, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Prison(Korea)Opened March 23Crime, action. Directed by Na HyunIk-ho (Han Suk-kyu) reigns as king at a local prison, whose inmates escape outside at night to commit undetectable crimes throughout the country. Former police officer Yoo-geon (Kim Rae-won), accused of a hit-and-run, burying evidence and bribery becomes incarcerated there. Ik-ho sees a potential criminal mastermind in Yoo-geon’s ruthless grit and temper. Together, the two plan a grand plot. Ordinary Person(Korea)Opened March 23Dr

March 24, 2017

[Movie Review] Gang’s still all the rage in ‘T2 Trainspotting’

Looked at logically, “T2 Trainspotting” should not work as well as it does. In fact, it shouldn’t work at all. But up there on the screen, where it matters, the dark magic remains intact and logic be damned.When it was released in 1996, the original “Trainspotting” seemed the very definition of a one-shot phenomenon. Exuberant and pitiless, profane yet eloquent, flush with the ability to create laughter out of unspeakable situations, this look at the dead-end lives of a quartet of Edinburgh junk

March 24, 2017

[Movie Review] Terrence Malick’s ‘Song to Song’ finds beauty, frustration and hope in Austin music scene

There comes a moment in “Song to Song,” the latest cinematic symphony written and directed by Terrence Malick, when Ryan Gosling pauses to tell Cate Blanchett, “You’re beautiful.” It’s a supremely redundant statement, this beautiful man telling this beautiful woman how beautiful she is in a movie that, like every Malick enterprise, is a hymn to the beautiful interconnectedness of all things.Beauty and redundancy have become the defining hallmarks of Malick’s filmmaking, and so long as cinema end

March 24, 2017

Films ‘Age of Shadows,’ ‘Net’ continue to sell abroad

A handful of Korean films were sold abroad after showcases at the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market last week, film distributor Finecut said Friday.“One Step,” a romantic film featuring the former K-pop singer Sandara Park has been sold to Thailand’s Studio Aromdi, and rights for airline screening have been sold to Encore Inflight. Director Kim Ki-duk’s “Net,” a story about a North Korean fisherman who accidentally drifts into South Korean waters, has been sold to Distribution Company Sud

March 24, 2017

Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ filming brings Hollywood action to Busan

BUSAN - The shooting of a Hollywood action flick in Busan had residents of Korea’s largest port city excited Tuesday night. The street bordering Gwangalli Beach in Busan was closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday for the filming of Marvel Studios’ upcoming blockbuster “Black Panther.” The film is another instalment in the “Avengers” series, of which “Avengers: Age of Ultron” was filmed in Korea in 2015. Filming in Busan which began on March 17 continues through Wednesday, with up to 2,000 crew members shoo

March 23, 2017

Park Chan-wook to receive Key to Florence

Korean director Park Chan-wook, who was met with global acclaim for last year’s erotic thriller “The Handmaiden,” will receive an award from Italy‘s Florence city government for his contributions to the development of culture and arts, film industry officials said Thursday.Florence’s Mayor Dario Nardella will be giving Park a key to the city, an award given to prominent cultural figures, in a ceremony Saturday. The “Oldboy” director is acclaimed internationally for his films which have received

March 23, 2017

Choi Min-sik to star in film that ‘properly deals with politics’

Choi Min-sik, best known to international audiences for his role as a vengeful prisoner in the 2003 neo-noir “Oldboy,” tackles his first role as a politician in the upcoming film “Special Citizen.” Choi will be acting alongside a roster of acclaimed talents, including Kwak Do-won, who starred in horror-thriller “The Wailing,” and Shim Eun-kyung, who made a brief appearance in zombie flick “Train to Busan.” Both films achieved international recognition last year.“I felt that we were lacking films

March 22, 2017

‘Midnight Runners’ sold to 6 countries

The upcoming action flick “Midnight Runners” has been sold in advance to some six countries at the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market, which took place from March 13-16. Rights to the film have been purchased by companies including Japan’s The Klockworx, Taiwan’s Long Shong, Hong Kong’s Deltamac HK, Philippines’ Viva Comm and Singapore’s Purple Plan.  Kang Ha-neul (left) and Park Seo-joon star in “Midnight Runners.” (Lotte Entertainment)“We are looking forward to the chemistry between Park

March 22, 2017

‘The Handmaiden’ notches 4 awards at AFA

Director Park Chan-wook’s film “The Handmaiden” notched four awards at the 11th Asian Film Awards held Tuesday in Hong Kong.The 2016 thriller took the award for best supporting actress for Moon So-ri, best newcomer for Kim Tae-ri, best production design and best costume design at this year’s awards.“I never expected this award. I want to thank director Park, and I vow to become a better actor and a better person,” said Moon.Kim gave the credit to the production staff, saying that “we owe everyth

March 22, 2017