Up Coming Movie: My Palpitating Life / Pit-A-Pat, My Life 두근두근 내 인생 (Doogeundoogeun Nae Insaeng)

Can't wait for this movie. And I wonder how good Song Hye Kyo really swear and I've missed Kim Dong Won too. So this movie is on my top list.

Kang Dong Won and Song Hye Kyo will star in upcoming movie ‘Pit-A-Pat, My Life’ (director: Lee Jae Yong; production: Zip Cinema).‘Pit-A-Pat, My Life’ is directed by Lee Jae Yong who previously did ‘An Affair’ and ‘Untold Scandal’, while Kang Dong Won and Song Hye Kyo reunites as a couple once again having worked together previously for the 2010 omnibus movie ‘Camellia – Love For Sale’.Kang Dong Won stars as Dae Soo who already has a 16 year old son at the age of 33. Although hot-blooded, impulsive, thick-skinned, and insensitive, he loves his child very much. Compared to his previous slick city roles, Kang Dong Won takes on a role as a normal person, and a doting father.Song Hye Kyo who shone in her role as a blind woman in the drama ‘That Winter, The Wind Blows’ earlier this year, plays the role of Mi Ra in her new movie. She also ditches her usual polished and stable style, and become an unwed mother at the age of 17, as she faces up bravely to the task of raising her child.‘Pit-A-Pat, My Life’ is based on the novel of the same name by Kim Ae Ran, and revolves around a young couple who are both 17 years old and their baby A-Reum. They soon learn that A-Reum has Progeria syndrome, which is a rare genetic defect that shows advanced aging from an early age. Kim Ae Ran’s humorous way of writing and calm perspective in writing the story, has made the novel become a best-seller by selling 140,000 copies in 3 months.The movie is scheduled to begin filming early next year.By: Kang Da Ryung

Director: E J-Young
Writer: Kim Ae Ran (novel), E J-Young
Release Date: 3rd September 2014
Genre: Romance, Family

Plot

A young couple, both of whom are 17-years-old, learns that they will have a baby. The couple feels uneasy and with their heart beating faster than ever, they wait for the birth of their first child. Finally, they have a beautiful boy. Their baby is named A-Reum and the couple learns that he has Progeria syndrome, a rare genetic defect that will cause their baby to show advanced aging from an early age.

A-Reum grows up to become a 17-year-old boy who likes reading and writing. He has the mind of a 17-year-old, but he looks like a withering old man. He becomes interested in a girl his age.

Note
Based on the novel "Doogeundoogeun Nae Insaeng" by Kim Ae-Ran (published June 20, 2011 by Changbi Publishers, Inc.).

Source: AsianWiki


Cast
Song Hye Kyo as Mi Ra
Kang Dong Won as Dae Soo

Short Review and Information of the Novel: 1 | 2 |

Book Translations by mieyan

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |

21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 |

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Korean Movie : Norigae (노리개)

My Thoughts:

At first I don't even put any interest on this movie, well I'm like almost all of you out there... I prefer Gong Yoo than Ma Dong Seok so when the poster came out I don't even try to take a glimpse on it well need to blame it on the A list actors coz almost every one of them look 'hot' kekeke~. 

I only started put an interest on it because of my curiosity on the movie title, Norigae (노리개) means "Korean traditional ornaments worn by women". That curiosity brings me to this movie and later realize that the story line remind me of Jang Ja Yeon. Since I've been following her suicide case which has stir the Korean entertainment for some time. 

Watching it just remind me of how brutal the industry, and how women discriminated. For me this movie is just like a door which lead us someway we thought we knew and ignore it, and it's about time for us to open the door, take a look and listen. I don't know if this movie might change how people view on the case, or maybe take a little bit concern on how women have been treated instead of pretending to be blind, deaf and ignorance.

I've quoted a review from cliqueasia which I can relate to and agree with it.

"Although sort of an open secret, sex bribes within the South Korean entertainment industry have more recently become an indictment, not just on the industry as a whole, but on South Korea's treatment of women in general, particularly those in showbiz. How entertainment, and the desire for fame by the young, are unconsciously entwined with the power structures of big business and politics still seems, at least from a non-Korean perspective, to be a last vestige of one the misuses of Confucian morality. However, little seems to have changed for women's rights with the exposure of the issue, with sex scandals and first hand accounts of abuse popping up constantly. The latest was the Open World Entertainment scandal, in which the CEO of the company was arrested on alleged charges of sexual assault of his performers, two of them underage, and even using his power to intimidate the male singers employed by his company to assault female trainees. It seems only natural, then, that there would be filmmakers ready to ruminate on this sensitive issue with the local audience.

The director for the film Norigae, Choi Seung-ho, claims that he drew inspiration from the Jang Ja-yeon scandal of 2009. Jang Ja-yeon was a popular actress from TV, starring in the show Boys Over Flowers. She had just embarked on, what many believe would have been, a productive film career, when she was found hanged on a railing inside her apartment complex. While this was perhaps not a rare decision for women in her profession, the key comparative difference in her case was that she had a clear wish to haunt her persecutors from the grave. She did this by keeping a seven page journal with names and dates of all those involved in her abuse. (Note: The journal has since been judged as a forgery by the courts of South Korea). The journal alleged that she was forced by her manager to provide sexual services to studio execs, directors and CEOs in return for the promise of future career advancement. In Norigae's narrative, Jang Ja-yeon is represented by Jeong Ji-hee (Min Ji-hyun). Most of the story takes place in court, where prosecutor Kim Mi-hyeon (Lee Seung-yeon) brings claims against Jeong Ji-hee's agent, director and their CEO, with allegations that Jeong Ji-hee was forcibly brought to meet the CEO by her agent to perform these 'services' and was subsequently groped. Initially, Mi-hyeon gets nowhere as witnesses willing to support a dead woman's account are hard to find. The entire prosecution, therefore, relies on the existence of the diary of Jeong Ji-hee, which no-one seems be able to find or, for the authorities covering up after themselves, claim didn't exist at all. Lee Jang-ho (Ma dong-seok) enters the story at this point as the key player in the whole saga, being the only reporter dogged enough to hunt down the diary. Of course, the plot is helped along by the fact that, having been acrimoniously fired from his post with a popular newspaper and relegated to an online news company with few staff or viewers, Jang-ho can't sink much further down the social ladder of South Korea, where status is everything.

Despite the claim of being merely 'inspired' by the Jang Ja-yeon scandal, which includes the great lengths the opening credits go to leave no doubt that the film is entirely fictional and the characters are in no way related to real people, the script ends up being a carbon copy of how the story played out in the media. This is the first problem with the film. Even one with a cursory knowledge of the issue will be able to predict and comprehend in advance the roles of each of the characters. Bad guys over here, good guys over there. This is a surmountable problem but, unfortunately, the one dimensional characters never take the viewer anywhere unexpected. Although the treatment of Jeong Ji-hee is reprehensible and many instances of abuse and bullying are shown, we are given no other answer to the questions posed by the actions of the individuals themselves. The perpetrator's actions are not really explained with any real depth, other than the fact these men are cretins and seem to be able to get away with their behaviour. The fact that the why of their actions is not discussed, leaving us with a simple story of abuse of authority and criminality, means the director fails at his attempt at resonance with social reality that he must have sought in the first place. This renders the film inert and rather boring to watch during stages one would expect to be riled up, intrigued, informed or braced by any other emotion that would keep them motivated enough to keep watching. The second, related problem, is that of the intermingling of flashbacks with the courtroom proceedings of the present. For the most part, the flashbacks do not help build tension or add insight but pull the viewer out of the events and any explanation behind the motives of all of the key players. For example, one of the key perpetrators, her agent Cha Jeong-hyeok (Hwang Tae-gwang) is meticulously descriptive in his dialogue in the flashbacks. It's almost like he is narrating the course of his future court proceedings from the point of view of the prosecutor. The flashback containing the CEO and his S&M session with Jeong Ji-hee surpasses this ridiculousness. Presumedly, this was done for shock value, to bring to light the real perverseness of the ones with the most power and how they are able to hide themselves from any responsibility. The scene, however, felt like it was spliced from another movie. Worst of all, through this blatant eroticism, the audience becomes complicit in the torture by the fact that it gives no license to the viewer's imagination or to ruminate on their own personal values. Not only that, it detracted from the real substance of the movie; Kim Mi-hyeon's struggle to bring the abusers to justice. This is perhaps the only compelling feature of the narrative.

Making a film that is a mere reanactment of the actual life of a specific victim and not giving an analysis of what lead to the characters actions, or at least an interpretation of what kind of a society would deem it permissible to function in this particular way, disempowers the director for whatever he wanted to say with this movie. The only advantage that a movie like this has is that it broaches the issue as it is still relatively fresh in the media and has a chance to reach a receptive audience. But is that done for the benefit of the victims or someone else? Any proper analysis would take years of research and hard work in committing this social reality to film. This film only appears to be cashing in on the hardships of the real victims. There is plenty of need for a film dealing with this aspect of South Korean society. Sadly, this is not it and one could only hope that other film makers would have the courage to approach this issue with more sensitivity and less sensationalism.

The film ends with the perfunctory images of angry women with placards as some sort of indication that the issue will carry on in the hearts of the victim's families and those with a stake in the righteous cause of female equality. By that stage, however, all good will is already lost on the filmmakers part. It is lost because, as was said before, the film merely captures the rage of a particular, specific incident but not the rage of those abused then and still today. Just before the credits, statistics from a recent survey by The Korean Women’s Development Institute are shown. One of them was this: 60.2% of the actresses surveyed agreed to the statement “I received a request for sexual bribery or to sit in for drinking parties.” Facts can always be a launching pad for great film. Upon seeing this, in retrospect, one could be forgiven for feeling like the movie had just started, since this simple statistic is far more revealing than the rest of the movie that preceded it."

Credit Source: cliqueasia

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Based on Infamous Rape Case, 'Wish - 2013' reopens old Wounds

Recently in cinema, there has been a surge of real-life crime stories turned into movies, many of them about sex crimes committed against young girls and women. 

Earlier in the year in Korea, there was "Norigae", loosely based on the suicide of actress Jang Ja-yeon, whose tragic end in 2009 revealed a life riddled with coerced sex and a sleazy network of entertainment companies that exploit aspiring young actresses. 

And in February in Germany, "3096" chronicled the days of the 10-year-old Austrian girl Natascha Kampusch who was kidnapped and held captive for nearly 10 years.

On Wednesday, the Korean film "Wish - 2013" was released, based on the horrific rape in 2008 of an 8-year-old girl, called "Na-young" in the Korean press, by a drunk 57-year-old man. The court sentenced the man to 12 years in prison, which caused outrage around Korea due to the terrible brutality of the crime and the man's history of violence and rape. 

Based on such a truly terrible incident, "Wish - 2013" garnered plenty of criticism from the media and general public well before its release. Many people questioned whether it was right to profit from such a horrible event, no matter the intentions of the filmmaker. 

It's no secret that the girl known as Na-young has tried to rebuild her life as far out of the public eye as possible. For veteran director Lee Joon-ik to tell this story seems insensitive to say the least.

Lee, famous for such hits as "The King and the Clown" and "Sunny", maintains that he made the film to "encourage Na-young and other victims of sex crimes". 

He said that most movies based on a similar subject matter have focused on the sensationalist aspects, like the crime itself, rather than what happens after. "Wish - 2013", according to Lee, is more about showing how Life is Good and worth living, emphasizing how the community rallied around the victim. 

Those are some rather pretty words coming from a man who's probably never been beaten to a bloody pulp, or had his head held inside a toilet bowl while he was raped until his intestines spilled out.

It's true that the film does steer clear from the gory details and focuses mostly on the emotions.

There is some first-class acting, too, especially the emotionally charged mother, played by Eom Ji-won, who is shaken to her core by the attack, and the furious father, played by Seol Kyeong-gu, who you expect will destroy the perpetrator any time the two come into contact. 

The 7-year-old actress Lee Re who plays the Na-young character - renamed So-won, or "Wish", for this film - is also adorable and carries the role well. 

The love that the young victim receives from her community plays a huge part in the film. Overall, the movie does make you feel all warm and fuzzy at the end - but that doesn't take away from the fact that, in the end, it is someone's life that is being shown, someone who is now a young teenager, someone whose parents have repeatedly pleaded to be left alone. No matter how well-intentioned, "Wish - 2013" feels like it is opening an old wound, and some pretty rainbow-covered bandages and expensive ointment doesn't change that.

One can only hope that such films don't catch on and, to the extent that they are seen, that people come away with the desire to improve the legal system and better protect victims of sexual abuse. Clearly, many reforms are needed.

Ultimately, "Wish - 2013" fails to convince that the filmmaker made the right choice in telling this story. And as the credits role, the overwhelming question one is left with is, "Was that really necessary?" 

By Carla Sunwoo [carlasunwoo@joongang.co.kr]

Source : koreajoongangdaily.jo...

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My Thoughts on: Blind (K-Movie)

To tell the truth... I'm bias when it comes to Yoo Seung Ho, my brother even hate me for that. But, for this movie you'll definitely agree with me...if not 100% well at least 10% of it... can you at least be nice to me? please :D 

So what I like about this movie:

The story line, this thriller movie makes me jump, scream and hold my breath. If I don't do that means it's not that thrill. I like how it start with siblings quarrel and end up as a tragedy... it give us a lot of thing to guess. I like the fact that its about a crazy serial killer who randomly pick his victims even if you're blind. If everything was set up, it might be a little bit boring.

I do think Kim Ha Neul doing great with her character as Min Soo Ah, since Min Soo Ah use to be a hyper active lady and turn blind after the tragedy I believe Kim Ha Neul portray the character well. Being blind and live her life with guilt Kim Ha Neul makes me feel that. 

I even like Jo Hee Bong character as Detective Jo, not a strong character but not bad. So, overall the acting is good.

What I don't like:

I have to say I don't like how every character develop their feelings to each other... it was too fast that I can't even feel it, well I feel it just not happy with it. The movie focus too much on the thriller and the result is it feels like every character has lost in their own character and lack of family and relationships.

Overall:

I will still watch it! 

4.5 out of 5 for this movie.

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My thoughts on Girl K aka Killer Girl K

As promised before, I'll put my thoughts on this movie when I'm back. And it might be a little bit late, thanks to my busy schedule. But promise is promise... below is a synopsis or whatever you call it, I've quoted from Dramabeans and right after that is my thoughts... a short one of coz :)

"Is it a movie? Is it a drama? I dunno which classification is more apt for a three-part TV movie airing on cable, but in any case cable channel CGV’s Girl K looks pretty badass.

Mixing action and thrills, Girl K is being called the “Korean Nikita,” which automatically piques my interest; I loved the 1990 French movie, the Hollywood adaptation Point of No Return, and the ’90s series with Peta Wilson. I’m actually least familiar with the newest incarnation, the CW series, but I’ll be getting right on that. And now there’s a Korean mini-drama/movie with a similar premise? Count me in.

In the Nikita universe, the heroine is coerced into working as an assassin for a secret organization, essentially blackmailed into being their killer for hire while longing for her freedom. Girl K shares some similarities with that premise, but deviates in some significant ways: It centers around a high school student, Yeon-jin, whose mother is killed before her eyes. Mom had been affiliated with a secret organization, SS1, but upon learning that the chief was planning to use her daughter, she’d run away with Yeon-jin, only to be eliminated.

Afterwards, Yeon-jin vows to hunt down the killer, left to fend for herself with only one helper/Daddy Long Legs figure for moral and material support. To claim her revenge, she joins SS1 and turns herself into one of their killers. All while apparently attending school and dealing with boys with crushes. It’s like all my favorite CW shows, mashed into one.

The movie/show stars newbie Han Groo as the lead character, Yeon-jin, and funny-creepy-scary man Kim Jung-tae (Can’t Lose) as her helper. The 19-year-old Han Groo is a singer who will be making her acting debut with this project, but she did beat out 100 other hopefuls in the audition process and performed most of the action stunts herself, so I have hopes that she’ll be a good fit for the role. (Her background: She learned dance in the U.S. in middle school, and martial arts in high school in China.)

The movie also features another idol star, Kim Dong-joon of ZE:A, a big man on campus who falls for transfer student Yeon-jin at first sight. Park Hyo-joo (Air City) plays an ex-assassin who trains Yeon-jin. Her role is mostly office-bound as she gives orders on missions, but Park stated that she had to work out hard for a pivotal, emotional action sequence near the end.

In addition, the always-fantastic Kim Roi-ha (Comrades) plays Yeon-jin’s enemy, while Baek Do-bin (Queen Seon-deok) plays a hot-blooded detective who lost a colleague to that enemy and is now on a dogged hunt to track down SS1."

Quoted from Dramabeans

So here is my thoughts on this Movie or Drama? whatever...

I'm impressed with Han Groo acting skills, seriously I think she should just continue acting rather than singing. The fact that she looks like Moon Geun Young in Cinderella's Sister did bother me a lot, well not that I don't like it... it just that sometimes I forgot she is Han Groo hahaha...

So did I like this movie/drama?

YES

What I like about it?

The Lead character- Yeon Jin (Han Groo) is strong, good looking and cold hearted. Everything about this character is dark. The fact that she turn into a serial killer just to revenge itself is full of hatred. And the reason why I like her character is because she's always on track... she knows what to do, how to react and when to take control. Instead of looking at her killing instinct, I prefer checking on her strong vibe... as a girl well a woman to be exact, I wish I have that strength on me. 

The action pack- Since I like Yeon Jin character than it will be weird if I don't like the action pack right? hehe~ it was non stop. well of coz it stop kekeke~ ... I like the fact that Han Groo know how to fights. She runs, jumps, hides, punches, kicking and shoots all the time... accept when she's in school. Where will you find someone active like her? 

The crush moment - Love it that the script writer fit in some romantic character in this action pack movie, it will be tiresome if there don't conclude that small character in here. The only way to remind us that Yeon Jin is indeed just a human being is when she have that soft spot on her. A light that shine her dark path... well of coz the light goes off at the end but still it was an awesome moment.

Is there anything at all that I don't like about?

Of coz, there is some naked scenes that I seriously think... if they don't show it the movie will still awesome. Some might think, oh it's okay, that's cool or be open minded... but this is me, and my mind and soul says... it just not right.

Overall, I like this Movie but hate that scenes... :)

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K-Movie: Blind (블라인드) (2011)

Information:

Movie: Blind
Revised romanization: Beulraindeu
Hangul: 블라인드
Director: Ahn Sang-Hoon
Writer:
Producer:
Cinematographer:
World Premiere: July 22, 2011 (Puchon International Film Festival)
Release Date: August 11, 2011
Runtime:
Distributor: Next Entertainment World
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot

A missing person case involving a female university student and the victim in a hit and run case appears to be the same person. Detectives look for a witness. A witness, Min Soo-Ah (Kim Ha-Neul) appears, but Min Soo-Ah is also blind. She used to be a promising student at the police academy. With her acute senses, Min Soo-Ah is able to reveal importants clues on the hit and run case.

Another witness, Kwon Ki-Sub (Yoo Seung-Ho) then appears. Ki-Sub, who witnessed the case with his own eyes, gives contradictory statements to Min Soo-Ah. The investigation then goes through many twists and turns, while Min Soo-Ah finds herself up against the killer ...
Notes
The script for "Blind" won the "Hit By Pitch" project fair held by the Korean Movie Producers Guild in 2009

Cast

Kim Ha-Neul - Min Soo-Ah

Yoo Seung-Ho - Kwon Ki-Sub

Sa-Hee

News:

Korea Media Rating Board rated R for the upcoming movie Blind in which Yoo Seung Ho and Kim Ha Neul star as main characters. This keeps Yoo Seung Ho from watching his movie because he still is a minor.

Blind is said to contain violent scenes. Its story develops as the witness of a female university student missing incident and a hit-and-run turns out to be blind. The movie premieres on August 11.

Source: Daum

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Joo Jin-Mo and Lee Da Hae Cast in New Historical Movie

According to Trophy Entertainment the film's distributor, Joo Jim Mo and Lee Da Hae have been cast in a new historical movie 'Coffee'. It was based on a novel "Russian Coffee" written by Kim Tak-Hwan, about a first barista Korean woman who served the king in late 19th century in Korea.

Joo Jin Mo will play the role of brilliant swindler who is also a double spy from Russia, while Lee will take on the role of the barista.

"Coffee," to be helmed by director Chang Yoon-hyun, is based on the story about Imperial Japan sending spies to the Korean Peninsula to assassinate King Gojong (1852-1919) before he declared the independence of the country.

King Gojong was known as the first to drink western coffee in the country which was provided by the Russian Embassy.He later built an additional guest house within the palace grounds to enjoy the drink and invite foreign diplomats.

The movie also stars actor Park Hee-soon and actress Yoo Sun, will be filmed in Russia and Japan and set to open in local theaters during the summer of 2011.

Source: 10asiae

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