An enormous amount of reviews marking the stateside releases of a few Korean films, particularly WWII blockbuster My Way and Hong Sang-soo's brilliant The Day He Arrives. No less than three NY Times writeups this week, I particulary like Manohla Dargis' take on the latest Hong.
The Weekly Review Round-up is a weekly feature which brings together all available reviews of Korean films in the English language (and sometimes French) that have recently appeared on the internet. It is by no means a comprehensive feature and additions are welcome (email pierceconran [at] gmail [dot] com). It appears every Friday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News, and the Korean Box Office Update. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
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The dominance of local product at the Korean box office shows no signs of abating as yet another Korean film has topped the chart for the tenth week in a row. It was once again a healthy weekend for this time of year with 1.65 million tickets sold and a 56% indigenous market share, well ahead of last year's 1.1 million and 37%. Local films managed this feat with only three entries in the top ten, in fact, despite holding five of the spots, Hollywood films accounted for a meager 16%.
The new number one this week was the cross-generational romance film Architecture 101, from Lee Yong-ju, the director of the excellent K-horror Possessed (2009). The film took in 565,020 admissions this past weekend and a commanding one third of the total marketplace. Reviews are good so it may stick around but then again that's been the case for most of the recent spat of Korean films so it's hard to predict how this will continue down the line. It will also have a fresh local release to contend with in a few days time.
The surprise opener at number two was the French movie Untouchable, a remarkable little film that has become the most successful in that territory of the past few years. It's 393,639 haul is enormous for a non-US/Korean release although I was told that the marketing push for it was significant. This film has quickly been winning over audiences all around the world so it may catch on here and a week-on-week increase is not out of the question.
Dropping two spots was Helpless as it took a further 324,520 tickets in its third week. It has cleared the two million mark and will now be hoping to take down three before long. I imagine it has a good chance at this but given the last few months, where a number of successful films have suddenly faded away quickly, it will have to remain stable for a few more weeks to secure the milestone.
John Carter dropped one spot but nearly 60% for a 82,464 weekend. Disney has already accepted defeat on this picture as it was announced that they were writing it down to the tune of $200 million earlier this week.
In its sophomore week, Chronicle receded a hefty 70% for a poor 63,475. The high concept picture could still land just north of the half million mark but that's not much to write home about.
This Means War, now in its fourth week, actually went up one spot event though it lost 40% of its business. Its 49,381 weekend brings its total to a respectable 824,206.
After a dismal opening Russian Coffee has crumbled. It was off nearly 80% for a 32,084 take and now the $5 million picture will likely end up with less than 350,000 admissions.
Mark Whalberg's new action/thriller Contraband was a no-show as it debuted at number eight with a puny 30,446 tickets. Meanwhile Russian animation Space Dogs 3D made little impact at number nine with its 22,781 start. Rounding out the top 10 was the second week of The Vow which tumbled 80% after an already poor opening for a 21,712 frame.
The Ryoo Seung-beom and Lee Beom-su black comedy Over My Dead Body opens next week and stands a good chance of taking over the top spot, though Architecture 101 could hold it or Untouchable might sneak in and grab it. Another contender is Wrath of the Titans which follows Clash of the Titans, a sizable hit in Korea during 2010. I don't think that this one will go over as well but it may still be enough. Should be interesting to see which of these four take next week's crown!
The Korean Box Office Update is a weekly feature which provides detailed analysis of film box office sales over the Friday to Sunday period in Korea. It appears every Sunday evening or Monday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Review Round-up. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
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While Korea's new release was pretty much dead on arrival, domestic films continued to exert their dominance as the market held at a strong 60% of the weekend's 1.55 million admissions. This compared very favorably with last year's 16% figure and 1.23 million total. While the local film industry has been doing well and has put out a number of high profile and quality products, it must be noted that competition from abroad has been weak as no recent Hollywood films were really expected to clinch the top spot.
Top of the pile is the sophomore stint of Helpless which raged on with another 561,323 admissions, a huge weekend that was off a minuscule 7%. Clearly word of mouth has caught on for this thriller and it may be another early hit for 2012. It will cross two million admissions before long and unless it suffers a big drop, three million should come along soon after.
The top US offering for the week was Chronicle which pulled in a respectable 205,425. In its second weekend John Carter dropped a little over 50% for 179,449. It has a good shot at crossing one million now which, while not a particularly impressive figure for such a huge production, will be seen as a decent result after its calamitous failure in its domestic market.
The expensive period action drama Russian Coffee, starring Joo Jin-mo, Kim Yo-seon and Park Hee-soon was a no-go as it opened in fourth place with a meagre 139,594. The continued success of Helpless most likely contributed to its disappointing performance but more than that the film presented an awkward image in its marketing and couldn't hope to match the diverse and popular local offerings of the past two months. I don't expect things to get any better for the film further down the line and it may vanish altogether within a fortnight.
Hollywood romance The Vow, starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams opened with 110,159. An okay start for a film that has limited appeal in Korea but this performance pales in comparison to the US where it became a big hit.
Love Fiction dropped three spots and lost almost two thirds of its business as it sold another 89,658 tickets. Last week I said it wouldn't have much trouble crossing two million admissions but now I'm not so sure as it looks to be fading fast.
US action romcom This Means War slowed about 45% for 81,900 in its third weekend. Though it will likely fall short, it does stand a chance of crossing the one million threshold.
Korean romance Introduction to Architecture played in previews ahead of its opening next Thursday. It scored a strong 64,960 and considering its positive early notices it could be in for a healthy run.
Nameless Gangster slipped 60% to 35,814 and will likely fall out the top 10 altogether next week. It won't hit five million but with 4.6 million and counting, it is already by far and away the year's biggest hit.
Rounding out the chart was the new Nicholas Cage revenge pic Seeking Justice as it sold a paltry 24,397 tickets in its opening weekend. I imagine that this will be the last time we hear about it.
Introduction to Architecture goes wide next weekend and should do strong business but I wouldn't be surprised if it can't muster enough to stand up to Helpless. Mark Whalberg action-thriller Contraband will also be opening but will likely be playing third fiddle to the aforementioned Korean duo.
The Korean Box Office Update is a weekly feature which provides detailed analysis of film box office sales over the Friday to Sunday period in Korea. It appears every Sunday evening or Monday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at Korean Cinema News and the Weekly Review Round-up. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
This monthly features previews the coming month's attractions in Korean cinema. All of these monthly posts are available in an archive on the Upcoming Releases page.
March 1
Eighteen and Nineteen
Stateless Things
March 8
Helpless
Romance Joe
Mirage
Taking Architect
The Dearest
Sympathy for Us
Chocked
March 15
Russian Coffee
Fighting Family
Pink
The Beat Goes On
Home Sweet Home
March 22
Planet of Snail
Architecture 101
Hand in Hand
March 29
Over Her Dead Body
Eighteen and Nineteen
Director: Bae Gwang-soo
Cast: Yoo Yeon-seok, Baek Jin-hee
Synopsis: Eighteen and Nineteen chronicles the youthful scandals of Hoya and Seoya, fraternal twins who are going through their last winter before becoming adults.
Release date: March 1
Stateless Things
Director: Kim Kyung-mook
Cast: Lee Paul, Yeom Hyeon-joon, Kim Sae-byeok
Synopsis:Stateless Things crosscuts between the lives of two young men, one an illegal immigrant from North Korea stuck in dead-end jobs, the other the kept boy of a married businessman stifling in a swanky apartment. Release date: March 1
Stateless Things premiered at the Venice Film Festival last September and has received a number of positive notices since that time as well as screenings at many other prestigious events.
Synopsis: When a woman (Kim Min-hee) disappears overnight. Her nervous, cartoonist boyfriend (Lee Sun-gyun) searches for her, only to come across some dark secrets.
Release date: March 8
Judging by the below trailer Helpless could be another solid addition to Korea's crime thriller genre. Based on the Japanese novel Kasha by author Miyuki Miyabe, known as the Queen of Crime Fiction.
Synopsis: Romance Joe is an assistant director but after an actress commits suicide, he quits his job. He returns to his hometown after suicidal thoughts begin to creep into his mind. At home he meet a boy whose mother is in Japan and happens to be his first love.
Release date: March 8
Romance Joe had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival last October during which it won a Citizen Reviewers' Award and has subsequently been featured in the Seoul Independent Film Festival and the International Film Festival of Rotterdam. The film is Lee Kwang-kuk's debut as a feature filmmaker after having worked as an assistant director on a number of Hong Sang-soo films.
Mirage
Director: Jang Jung-ho
Screenplay: Jang Jung-ho
Cast: Mun Jeong-ung, Kim Chang-hwan, Sin Jae-seung, Kim Tae-yoon
Synopsis: One day, Dong-jo wakes up drunk on a subway on his way to his hometown, where he is to receive an award from an annual spring literary contest. But then he soon he's lost his bag. He visits an old friend to borrow money and suddenly his old memories return.
Release date: March 8
Talking Architect
Director: Jeong Jae-eun
Synopsis: A documentary about an architect and his fight to create a better society through architecture.
Release date: March 8
The Dearest
Director: Kim Sun-ah, Park He-sui
Screenplay: Kim Sun-ah, Park He-sui, Shin Hye-jin
Cast: Hwang Eun-jin, Han Hyo-jeong, Jeong Yoo-jeong, Sang Hyeon-joo
Synopsis: In-hye and Sun-mi visit their hometown only to discover that their old friend Eun-sil died while giving birth. While the town is in an uproar over the orphaned child, it is up to In-hye and Sun-mi to look after it.
Release date: March 8
Sympathy for Us
Director: Choi Young-seok
Screenplay: Choi Young-seok
Cast: Lim Joon-sik, Lim Chae-seon, Kim Sang-ho
Synopsis: Three friends play a concert at a restaurant in order to surgically remove a spot on for Yo-da's face. But after messing up the show, Yo-da takes a job at a deep-sea fishing vessel.
Release date: March 8
Choked
Director: Kim Joong-hyun
Synopsis: The story of a family fraying at the seems.
Release date: March 8
Kim Joong-hyun's first film, previously an assistant director on Family Ties (2006), premiered at Busan in 2011 and has since been showcased at the Seoul Independent Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival.
Russian Coffee
Director: Jang Yoon-hyeon
Cast: Joo Jin-mo, Kim So-yeon, Park Hee-soon, Yoo Seon
Synopsis: A tale of the attempted assassination of the 26th king of the Joseon Dynasty, King Gojong (Park Hee-soon). A Russian rifleman and a beautiful barista are tricked into carrying out the hit.
Release date: March 15
Russian Coffee, which is based on the novel of the same name by Kim Tak-hwan was initially a very big affair, with a 10 billion ₩ budget but after some delays and casting changes the budget was ultimately halved. The film does still boast an all-star cast and was in production for five months across 16 locations on two continents.
Fighting! Family
Director: Hong Ji-young, Kim Seong-ho, Lee Soo-yeon, Shin Su-won
Cast: Kim Ji-young, Seon Woo-seon, Lee Myeong-haeng, Jeong In-gi
Synopsis: An omnibus movie created by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to increase the nation's interest in low birth rates. The four-part story tells us the reality of our society.
Release date: March 15
Fighting! Family is a new omnibus feature which will debut in March.
Pink
Director: Jeon Soo-il
Cast: Lee Seung-yeon, Seo Kap-sook, Kang San-eh, Lee Won-jong
Synopsis: Pink is rundown bar run by Ok-ryun and the film chronicles the characters that come through it.
Release date: March 15
Jeon Soo-il, a festival favorite, returns with his 8th feature.
The Beat Goes On
Director: Byeon Seong-hyeon
Cast: Bong Tae-gyu, Lee Young-hoon
Synopsis: Korea's first hiphop film!
Release date: March 15
Home Sweet Home
Director: Moon Si-hyun
Cast: Kim Young-hoon, Yoo Ae-kyung, Kim Jong-soo
Synopsis: A young man puts his life on the line when he underwrites a friend's debt. Things go from bad to worse as he must escape debt collectors and gets in with the wrong people.
Release date: March 15
Home Sweet Home had its world premiere at last year's Puchon International Film Festival.
Planet of Snail
Director: Yi Seung-jun
Screenwriter: Jo Young-chan
Synopsis: Young-Chan is blind and death and goes about life with the aid of his feeling touch. Soon-Ho suffers from stunted growth after long-ago accident. They see the beauty in each other and help one another achieve their dreams.
Release date: March 22
Documentary Planet of Snail premiered at last year's Jeonju Film Festival and has since played at many others.
Introduction of Architecture
Director: Lee Yong-joo
Screenwriter: Lee Yong-joo
Cast: Uhm Tae-woong, Han Ga-in, Lee Je-hoon, Bae Suzy
Synopsis: An architect (Uhm Tae-woong) is asked to design a house by a former classmate (Han Ga-in). As the house goes up, the pair fall in love.
Release date: March 22
I've been very excited about Lee Yong-joo's follow up to the phenomenal Possessed (2009) since it was announced but upon learning that it was a romance film and looking at the trailer below I admit that I'm not as excited as I was. Lee previously studied architecture which led me to think it might be incorporated in an interesting way here, not sure how it figures in the final product though. However, the presence of Lee Je-hoon, who was remarkable in last year's Bleak Night and The Front Line, is encouraging.
Hand in Hand
Director: Choi Jong-tae
Screenwriter: Choi Jong-tae
Cast: Joo Hyeon, Ye Soo-jeong, Chae Min-hee, Kim Bong-geun
Synopsis: Min-ho (Joo Hyeon) and Hee-jeong (Ye Soo-jeong) have been together for 40 years and one day Min-ho has a heart attack. He survives the crucial moment but the danger is not past.
Release date: March 22
Over My Dead Body
Director: Woo Sun-ho
Cast: Lee Beom-soo, Ryoo Seung-beom
Synopsis: Hyun-Chul (Lee Beom-soo) is a a researcher who fights against a group attempting to steal core technology from an important semiconductor chip. That group uses corpses in their crime. Jin-Woo (Ryoo Seung-beom) is a man who faked a suicide for the insurance money. Hyun-Chul then unintentionally pulls out the body of Jin-Woo who is pretending to be dead. This is how their relationship begins...
Release date: March 29
Filming for Over My Dead Body finished in September and with its high-concept comedy plot and charismatic stars like Lee and Ryoo, could prove to be a springtime hit.
Some good features this week and lots of news from the Berlin Film Festival as foreign rights to hot Korean films are getting snatched up. Lots more news, trailers, interviews, and posters as well.
KOREAN CINEMA NEWS
Finecut Unveils Another Film by Hong
South Korean sales company Finecut Co Ltd has released the first images from In Another Country, the new Hong Sang-soo film that it is representing. The film is the South Korean debut of leading French actress Isabelle Huppert. She plays three characters each with the same name who each visit the same seaside town and meet the same local residents. The rest of the cast, including Yu Jun-san, are South Korean, but much of the dialogue is in English. (Film Business Asia, February 15, 2012)
The Korea Media Rating Board (KMRB) denied the poster for the movie Gabi for the reason that Kim Min-hee's topless pose is too raunchy. Therefore, this poster can't be used in theaters or promotional uses. There have been other cases where posters like these have been denied. One it has been refused, the production has to go through the process of editing the poster and getting it re-examined by the KMRB. The posters are usually denied because they are too erotic. 2009 movie Thirst by Park Chan-wook was denied because it was too erotic and was only passed when the KMRB re-examined it after editing. (hancinema.net, February 8, 2012)
Popular Korean Films Reflecting Social Issues
Korean movies that tackle social issues head on have recently become the center of attention in the country. They not only portray reality, but also provoke discussions. Arirang News correspondent Park Ji-won analyzes two films that are now screening here in Korea, which are now raising questions about Korea's political and legal conditions. (arirang, February 8, 2012)
With the start of the new year, the Korean film industry looks to its brightest prospects. Kang Byeong-jin of Korean Cinema Today profiles eight highly anticipated films of 2012, including Ghost Sweeper, The Thieves, Korea, Howling, The Tower, The Masquerade King, and Hoogoong: Jaewang-eui chub. (Korean Cinema Today, February 7, 2012)
Tom Giammarco considers the history of sport in Korean film over on Seen in Jeonju. (Seen in Jeonju, February 5, 2012)
From Korea With Love
Bangkok-based writer and critic Kong Rithdee looks at the influence of Korean moving images in Thailand and gauges the depth of the Korean Wave. In late January, So Ji-sub and Han Hyo-ju walked down the red carpet at HuaHin International Film Festival, the inaugural edition of the cinefest held in Thailand’s popular resort town. (Korean Cinema Today, February 6, 2012)
Finecut Launches Sales on Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta
Seoul-based sales agent Finecut has picked up international rights to Pieta, the latest film from prolific Korean auteur Kim Ki-duk. Scheduled to start shooting this month, the film tells the story of a cruel loan shark, who believes he doesn’t have any family or loved ones, so has no need to fear when committing brutal acts. But one day a mysterious woman appears in his life claiming to be his mother. (Screen Daily, February 10, 2012)
Finecut Adds Grand Heist, Ghost Sweepers to Berlin Slate
Seoul-based sales company Finecut has picked up two new Korean genre films – $10m period action adventure The Grand Heist, and $5m comic action horror Ghost Sweepers. (Screen Daily, February 9, 2012)
Berlin 2012: Universal Pictures International Inks Multi-Territory Pact for My Way
Universal Pictures International Entertainment has taken multiple territories for the Korean war epic My Way, which has its world premiere Friday night at the Berlin international film festival. UPIE snagged rights in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand for the film, a World War II epic directed by Kang Je-Kyu and featuring Asian stars Odagiri Joe, Jang Dong-gun and Fan Bingbing. (The Hollywood Reporter, February 10, 2012)
Korea’s M-Line Opens Doomsday Book
Korea’s M-Line Distribution is launching sales on the sci-fi drama Doomsday Book, co-directed by Kim Jee-woon and Yim Pil-sung, at the EFM. The $5m film comprises three short stories – the first about a robot achieving enlightenment, the second about a zombie invasion and the third about a meteor wiping out mankind. (Screen Daily, February 11, 2012)
Korean Movies Reflecting Social Issues Fly High at the Box Office Dancing Queen, a comedy about a middle-aged married couple who each pursue their lost dreams, and Unbowed, a low-budget courtroom drama based on a true story, have both broken the 3-million mark of viewers in less than a month of their release. According to data compiled by the Korean Film Council, Dancing Queen and Unbowed attracted 3.09 million and 3 million viewers, respectively, as of Saturday since their release on Jan. 18. (The Korea Times, February 12, 2012)
Drama Producer Son Committed Suicide Jan. 21
Hit drama maker Son Moon-kwon committed suicide last month, a local daily recently reported. Family members told the Sports Chosun that Son hung himself Jan. 21 from a staircase at his house in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. He was 40 years old. Son was married to famed script writer Im Seong-han, 52. (hancinema.net, February 13, 2012)
Shout! Factory Takes Korean Creature Feature Sector 7
Shout! Factory announced today a multi-year agreement with CJ E&M, the leading film distribution and production company in Korea, to be the exclusive North American home entertainment distributor for two widely popular Korean motion pictures, including the creature feature Sector 7. (Shock Till You Drop, February 14, 2012)
INTERVIEWS
Director Kim Joong-hyeon
Ahead of its international premiere in the Berlinale Forum, director Kim Joong-hyeon talks about his debut feature film Choked with Kim Seong-hoon. A low-budget film made at the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA), Kim Joong-hyeon’s Choked deals with economic troubles and the dissolution of the family in contemporary Korean society. The film made its world premiere in the Busan International Film Festival’s New Currents competition and is due for an international premiere in the Berlinale Forum section. (Korean Cinema Today, February 3, 2012)
Lee Na-young Faces Tough Challenge on New Movie
Actress Lee Na-young's latest film Howling, which will be released next Thursday, sees her take on the role of a rookie cop investigating a series of murders by a mysterious wolf-like creature. In this action-thriller, Lee flexes her muscles as a hard-nosed police detective and even rides a motorcycle. "This film had so many enticing factors. First of all, I wanted to play a part with many action scenes. Veteran actor Song Kang-ho was already cast, so I had an even stronger interest in it when I read the script," said Lee. (The Chosun Ilbo, February 11, 2012)
Korean Cinema News is a weekly feature which provides wide-ranging news coverage on Korean cinema, including but not limited to: features; festival news; interviews; industry news; trailers; posters; and box office. It appears every Wednesday morning (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update and the Weekly Review Round-up. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
To keep up with the best in Korean film you can sign up to our RSS Feed, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
