A Man Once a Superman

Director

Jeong Yoon-cheol(정윤철)

Cast

Hwang Jeong-min

Jeon Ji-hyeon

Jin Ji-hee

Lee Sang Yeob

Seon Woo-seon

Seo Yeong-hwa

Park Yong-soo

Kim Jae-rok

Kim Gi Seok

Major Korean Films Offered With English Subtitles

CGV Yongsan in central Seoul will devote a screen to the exclusive showing of popular domestic movies with English-language subtitles, an unprecedented move by a movie theater. ``It's to serve the many foreigners in Korea who want to watch Korean films. They won't have to wait for DVDs with English-language subtitles anymore,'' Chong Choe from CJ Entermatinment's International Strategy team told The Korea Times. The country's largest motion picture studio, CJ Entertainment and multiplex theater giant CGV have teamed up for this long-term project, and will begin with ``A Man Who Was Superman,'' starring high-profile actors Jeon Ji-hyeon (`My Sassy Girl's'' Gianna Jeon) and Hwang Jung-min (``Happiness''). Coming to CGV Yongsan Jan. 31, it will have regular showings for the entire duration of the film's run in Korea. For the time being, there will be seven showings per day through Feb. 4. ``That's a lot of showings, and we plan to maintain this for the entire duration of `A Man Who Was Superman.' This shows how committed we are,'' said Choe. ``This is just the beginning, not just a one-time deal,'' he said. The entertainment giants will select movies with mass appeal to show at the exclusive screen throughout the year. Following ``A Man Who Was Superman,'' this year's line-up include the retro film ``Modern Boy,'' starring Kim Hye-soo and Park Hae-il, due for release in April; ``The Good, The Bad, The Weird,'' with superstar trio Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho and Jung Woo-sung in June; and the historical epic drama ``The Divine Weapon'' and director Park Chan-wook's upcoming (unnamed) film project later on in the year. The Yongsan chain will be a pilot program for English-language subtitle project. ``We'll have to see how this goes,'' sad Choe, when asked about the possibility of offering such services at CGV theaters in other parts of the country. Until now, small independent movie theaters have offered a handful of homegrown works with English-language subtitles, such as the critically acclaimed indie flick ``In Between Days'' by Kim So-yong last fall. Large multiplex theaters serve as barometers of the popularity of films, and even highly anticipated works disappear in less than a week if they fail to attract large audiences. To devote an entire screen is significant, especially given that the Yongsan chain is a major location among the CGV chain. Building such a framework is only possible if there is a demand. It signals the increasing recognition of Korean films' international appeal. By releasing a Korean film subtitled in English, the film is no longer limited to the local market, and may even speed up exports of Korean films to other countries. Entertainment giant CJ seems to have recognized this and taken action, and if other companies follow suit it will considerably affect the Korean film industry and its globalization. For the time being, expatriates in Seoul may now expand their movie-going habits to include not just Hollywood blockbusters but local films as well. CGV Yongsan is connected to Yongsan station on subway line 1 and near exit 4 of Sinyongsan station on line 4. By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter

Jeon Ji-hyun Takes a Big-Screen Gamble

Many Korean star actresses of the small screen have dismally flopped in movies although they achieve brilliant success and earn astronomical amounts of money in TV commercials. Now Jeon Ji-hyun is taking the gamble, returning to the silver screen with “A Man Once a Superman” directed by Chung Yun-chul. She follows in the perilous footsteps of Kim Tae-hee , who recently appeared opposite Seol Kyung-goo in “Fight.” It attracted a mere 300,000 viewers amid controversy over Kim’s poor acting skills, which have been in question since her debut. Ko So-young, whose beauty defies age, was also unlucky in films. Her movies “A.P.T” and “Go Go Sister” were both failures. And Moon Geun-young, once considered the queen of the small screen and the nation’s little sister, fell flat on her face with “Love Me Not.” After a long rest, she announced her return to TV soap opera. Song Hye-kyo, meanwhile, did not meet the expectations of fans in the movie “Hwangjiny”, although her performance was slightly better than those of some fellow actresses and it drew 1 million moviegoers. But that was not enough for the producer to make profit from the production, which cost W10 billion (US$1=W937). Jeon Ji-hyun is well aware of what she is up against. In fact, she has been there before, with the failure of “Daisy” two years ago. So the new movie is clearly a critical juncture in her career: that is why she chose to work with director Chung Yun-chul and actor Hwang Jung-min, both renowned for their superb achievements. But the road ahead is not easy. “A Man Once a Superman” will be released on Jan. 31, coinciding with other potential blockbusters like “Once upon a Time”, “Radio Days” and “The Game.” Will she be able to break the jinx?

`Superman,' the Good Samaritan

In ``A Man Who Was Superman'' director Chung Yoon-chul, the tear jerking maestro behind ``Marathon'' (2005), teams up with superstars Jeon Ji-hyun (aka Jianna Jeon) and Hwang Jung-min. It's a multi-dimensional story that, while buttressed by the safety net of the American superhero's iconic cultural appeal, is reborn with an unconventional Superman ― a modern-day hero who battles urban apathy and preaches the virtues of lending a hand. Soo-jung (Jeon) is a producer of human-interest TV documentaries. Cynical, worn out and shrouded in cigarette smoke, she doesn't believe in the product she sells, and even resorts to throwing in bits of fabrication to heighten the schmaltziness of her lame subject matter. Sick of contrived drama, she decides to leave with the firm's camera instead of her overdue payroll to shoot ruthless lions in Africa. But things don't work out, and to make matters worse, a thief runs off with her camera. But then along comes Superman (Hwang) ― a rather odd fellow clad in a Hawaiian shirt ― to the rescue. And so Soo-jung returns to her dead-end job with a new story. She starts documenting the mystery man and his chronic willingness to help others, like helping the elderly cross the street and rescuing puppies, as well as his obsessive environmental activism, like hand-standing in the middle of the street to ``push off'' the rays of the sun. What's more, Superman claims he cannot use his superpowers due to a piece of kryptonite (the fictional element in the original cartoon that weakens Superman's powers) stuck in his head. But when an X-ray reveals that there really is some foreign object rooted in his brain, Soo-jung knows she has a hit story. But even greater surprises await Soo-jung, as Superman starts knocking at her frigid heart. The film's conquering tactic is fairly simple: overwhelm and amuse the audience with Superman's utterly bizarre existence, while Soo-jung's cynicism and disheartening practicality downplay the absurdity. Viewers will fall in love with the characters and have their hearts broken by the revealing of the tragic secrets of the characters. There's also a biting moral lesson about something we're all guilty of. The movie explores the ``bystander effect'' ― how individuals are less likely to help others when in a group _ and its traumatizing aftermath. But ``Superman'' is not a bitter social commentary. It's a fuzzy human drama, and counters that feeling of uneasiness by throwing in a ray of hope, thus wrapping it up with a smile. It works how we expect a movie to. Sure, it's ridden with fairytale conventions, but has a modern edge that make you want to believe in it. The director also showcases a new directorial style by adding elements of fantasy. You need to let go of your inhibitions and just tune into the fun, like the parody of the original comic strip and other surreal scenes. But despite the comic relief, the first half of the two-hour flick seems to drag out a little too much before reaching the climax. But Hwang works his magic and saves the script. The director has said Hwang (``Happiness,'' 2007) is the one and only actor in Korea to pull off Superman, and indeed the actor surprises viewers with yet another unforgettable role as he maps out an endless array of emotions. His Hawaiian shirt, strange dance routines and giddy comments might give birth to a new superhero figure. Jeon, on the other hand, manages to pull together a convincing character. But despite her disheveled hair and makeup-less face, her sarcastic character still strongly reflects the oddly lovely girl from ``My Sassy Girl'' (1999). The film basically says that being Superman isn't difficult. ``The film made me realize I too can be Superman (and change for the better). But I haven't taken action yet, but the thought that I must change, I think, is the beginning. And a good beginning is half the battle, right?'' said Jeon at a recent press preview in Seoul. In theaters Jan. 31. English subtitles available at CGV Yongsan. By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter

[MOVIE REVIEW] 'Superman' flies while Jun Ji-hyun runs aground

"A Man Once a Superman," directed by Jeong Yun-cheol, relies heavily on the performances of award-wining actor Hwang Jun-min, who can transform his silver-screen image at will. This time, he turns into a self-styled superman helping out children and the elderly on the streets of Seoul. But the question here is, can he save the movie? "Superman," played by Hwang, sleeps a lot and often wakes up to find himself lying on the street. The first question he asks to himself when he opens his eyes is whether it's past, present or future, as if he travels in time and it's an important question to be answered. But there are more urgent questions. Who is this guy? Why does he help people out? Why can't he fly? In fact, he's not a real superman. At least not the Superman described in the Hollywood blockbuster series. This guy believes he used to be superman, but somehow evil foes have messed with his brain, resulting in the loss of his super power. How sad. But Song Su-jeong, played by Jun Ji-hyun, does not see any sadness when she stumbles into this mysterious (or simply crazy) man. Song does not care about others that much -- a typical Korean woman who has so many things to worry about in her own life. She is stuck in a cash-strapped situation, though she works hard. She has a boyfriend but she cannot meet him because he's doing some volunteer work in a faraway country. She even goes through a street chase to get back her precious camera bag which is snatched away by a thief. At this very critical moment, of course, our hero Superman appears. To be more specific, he runs, fast, and catches up with the bad guy and recovers the camera bag. A mission accomplished. Song, intrigued by Superman's repeated good deeds, decides to track down on his life on the street. She notices that he is not in his right mind but his behavior is mostly designed to help other people, a rare trait even for the majority of people who believe they are not crazy. As with the Hollywood Superman, Hwang's Superman has a deep secret about his childhood, involving his mysterious father whose encouraging message is displayed on the electric screen of a street vendor. To understand the connotations about his traumatic past one has to be familiar with Korean history, especially concerning the May 18 Gwangju incident in 1980 where a number of innocent civilians got killed by the then military regime. The movie zooms in on the past and present of Superman who proves to the world that something should be done when people need help from others. But the process is a bit tedious and repetitive. Tighter editing might have helped the audiences focus on the dramatic plot turns that reveal Superman's real identity. Jun Ji-hyun, who has yet to transcend the image she put forward in "My Sassy Girl" (2001), has attempted to make some changes. For instance, she smokes on the screen to show some toughness about her documentary job. She does not cry as often as she did in her other box-office duds. Her hair is shorter and her makeup is minimal. But unfortunately, that's all that's changed, and Jun does not demonstrate any meaningful transformation, say, into Superwoman or Wonderwoman or even Cat Woman. By Yang Sung-jin

"Superman 2008" Features Unusual Romance

“I feel comfortable about my life as an actress. I feel easy about living as an actress and getting older as an actress. I think I will have more to show to people in the future. It’s because I think I could slowly improve and show that much more to people." Jun Ji-hyun unexpectedly looked comfortable when her new movie "Superman 2008" (to be officially released on January 31) had its debut yesterday, even when the actress is getting all the attention despite there are many prominent participants in the movie. For example, Jeong Yun-cheol, director of "Marathon," made the movie and Hwang Jung-min, one of the most popular actors, is the leading male actor. Jun is undoubtedly one of the nation’s top actresses. However, she has failed to change her image in "My Sassy Girl," which made her a movie star, and free herself from the title as a CF queen. She is now ready to take on the global market with her another movie "Blood: The Last Vampire," which is based on a Japanese animation film and co-produced by France, Hong Kong and Japan. Before going global, she is now destined to be evaluated by the domestic audience in two years. In this regard, the promotion strategy of "Superman 2008" seemed to focus on Jun Ji-hyun’s aspects as an actress. Much attention has been paid to her efforts to play the role. Entertainment news talked about how she had a bang haircut and was willing to turn herself into a documentary producer with cigarettes in her mouth. That is, in order to show better performances, the actress, who has been putting top priority on healthy life, dared to appear in the movie without makeup and struggled smoking herbal and low tar cigarettes. She said that even though she first thought, "Everything will be ok only if I have trust in Jung-min," her role in the movie was the toughest one she’s ever had. “While playing the role of a producer named ‘Song Su-jeong,’ I found out that the acting which I have thought very easy were in fact very tough. Say, just a laughing scene was really hard this time." In the new movie, she was visibly different from herself in the past. There was Song Su-jeong in the actress, not a commercial film queen. “I think a fate lets an actress participate in a movie as if it forces a person to meet somebody. Of course, I think it was a big fortune for me to work with Hwang Jung-min and Director Jeong. However, I believe that I was destined to play the role. In the beginning, I felt pressured to play in a Korean movie for the first time in a very long time. But, I feel comfortable now since I have high expectations for the movie and that I’m very confident.” The movie tells us that not only a superman but also anybody can change the world and that anybody can become a superman. Jun Ji-hyun agrees with the message of the movie. “A few days ago, I went out with a friend of mine. She suddenly realized that she had forgot to give some money to an old lady selling gum on the street and went back home to get her purse. I thought she was a superman. I might have felt like that because of the movie. I want to start from something small which I can handle. Most people think a superman is a person who does a very difficult thing which cannot be done by anyone else. However, I’m sure the movie will change their belief.”

Must-See Films in 2008

This year, a long lineup of star-studded movies, both homegrown and Hollywood imports, awaits release with Korea's hottest stars and bona fide actors gracing the silver screen throughout 2008. While a high profile cast hasn't always guaranteed a sellout, it would be hard to walk past movie posters featuring top stars. The New Year starts off with a bang. Jun Ji-hyun (also known as Gianna Jun) makes her long-awaited comeback after a two-year hiatus opposite Hwang Jung-min in ``A Man Who Was Superman,'' to open across theaters Jan. 31. The movie garnered attention by butchering down Jun's ``wholesome'' image for the role of a chain-smoking, tomboyish filmmaker. Meanwhile, fans are anxious to see how Hwang will pull off his interesting role as an unconventional Superman. The red poster of ``Hellcats'' features three female stars representing their own generation: 47-year-old actress Lee Mi-suk (``Untold Scandal,'' 2003), whose sex appeal seems to grow stronger with each passing year; 25-year-old fashion icon Kim Min-hee, who appears onscreen for the first time in six years; and 15-year-old Ahn So-hee of the sensational K-pop group Wonder Girls, who is making headlines with her acting debut. Tracing the highflying romances of these three women, this ultimate ``chick flick'' is slated for release Jan. 17. A host of films boasting macho star power will be released this year. In March comes ``Nuneneun Nun, Ieneun I'' (Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth) starring two household names, Han Seok-gyu (``Shiri,'' 1998) and Cha Seung-won (``My Teacher, Mr. Kim,'' 2003). In his 16th film, Han gives an edge to his soft charisma as a merciless cop while Cha pumps up his muscles to play the perfect criminal. The poster for ``Sukmyeong'' (Destiny) steals women's hearts and provokes men's jealousy as two ``momjjang'' or ``hot body'' actors appear together -- topless. Song Seung-heon makes a big comeback -- after serving in the military -- opposite Kwon Sang-woo in this action-packed drama about a friendship that goes sour. Director Kim Jee-woon (``A Bittersweet Life,'' 2005) brings a ``Korean-style Western'' movie to the screens starring three of Korea's A-list male celebrities: ``certified'' actor Song Kang-ho, hallyu megastar Lee Byung-hun and heartthrob Jung Woo-sung. The movie is set in the 1930s, during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Far away in Manchuria, the Good (Jung), the Bad (Lee) and the Weird (Song) become entangled in a train robbery case over a treasure map. This larger than life story becomes even more complicated as Japanese authorities and Korean independence fighters enter the scene. Another highly anticipated film is ``Ssanghwajeom,'' coming to theaters this summer. It combines the star power of Zo In-sung (``A Dirty Carnival,'' 2006) and Joo Jin-mo (``200 Pounds Beauty,'' 2006). Director Yoo Ha takes the two handsome actors back to Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D. 668). Zo and Joo play the parts of a king and bodyguard, respectively, who become involved in a homosexual romance. Other long-awaited films include low-budget projects that still shine with star power. Korea's celebrated director Kim Ki-duk brings together Korea's popular actress Lee Na-young and Japan's heartthrob Jo Odagiri in ``Bimong'' (Sad Dream), which will be in theaters this fall/winter. Actress Jeon Do-yeon, undoubtedly the biggest headline maker of 2007, continues her post-Cannes acting career through a small, mellow film ``Meotjin Haru'' (One Fine Day, working title), which is also slated for release in the fall/winter. Filmmaker Park Chan-wook, whose name alone is enough to attract crowds, has fans anxiously waiting with ``Bakjwi'' (Bat, scheduled to show this spring) as well as a ``Hongdangmu'' (Carrot), a film he is producing for the first time. Meanwhile, Hollywood films starring top Korean talent make 2008 an exciting year for fans: ``Speed Racer'' starring pop star Rain (Jung Ji-hoon) and Joon Park (Park Joon-hyung), a former member of K-pop group G.O.D.; ``Laundry Warrior'' with hot actor Jang Dong-kun (Jang Dong-gun); ``Blood: The Last Vampire'' with Jun Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun); and ``Fetish'' with Song Hye-kyo. Other big movies to look forward to this summer are the latest installments of Hollywood blockbusters: the 22nd of the James Bond series and the fourth Harrison Ford classic ``Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' in May, as well as the Sylvester Stallone-helmed ``Rambo 4'' (release date in Korea to be announced). By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter