Open City

Director

Lee Sang-gi(이상기)

Cast

Kim Myung-min

Son Ye-jin

Kim Hae-sook

Son Byeong-ho

Shim Ji-ho

Yoon Yoo-seon

Kim Byeong-ok

Ji Dae-han

Park Gil-soo

Kim Joon-bae

Jo Sang-geon

Koo Seong-hwan

Park Hyuk-kwon

Daejong Film Fest Showcases Trends

South Korea's esteemed 45th Daejong (Grand Bell) Film Festival held in southern Seoul, showcased the latest local box office trends, with its stronghold of original thrillers, stylistic period pieces and experimental projects. While superstars grabbed the limelight as expected, hitherto overlooked veteran actors and young debutant directors shined the most, suggesting that blatant star power, be it a reputed director or ravishing screen beauty, don't always guarantee ticket sales or awards. The red carpet event took place outside the COEX Convention Hall in a sea of blinding camera flashes as glamorous cineastes filed in. Screen beauties like Han Chae-young, Park Jin-hee and Shin Ae were elegant in cleavage-bearing, long evening gowns while others such as Kim Yun-jin and Ko Ara chose mini-dresses to show off their figures. Actress Kim A-jung, who won last year's award for Best Actress (``200 Pounds Beauty''), and popular announcer Choe Gi-hwan hosted the show. To add more sparkle to the star-studded event, pop group the Wonder Girls took to the stage to deliver bubbly dance music. ``The Chaser,'' the feature film debut of young director Na Hong-jin and the highest grossing film this season, took the festival by storm by winning five of 11 nominations, including those for Best Picture and Director. For Actor Kim Yun-seok, who has endlessly displayed solid acting through supporting roles, his first leading role won him both the Best Actor prize and the BMW Popularity Award. The 40-year-old dazzled the screen as a sullen, disheartened former cop opposite hot young actor Ha Jung-woo. Another murder thriller ``Seven Days,'' the latest homegrown film starring ``Lost'' star Kim Yun-jin, won three of 10 nominations including Best Actress, Sound Effects and Editing. Like ``The Chaser,'' it enjoyed critical acclaim and high sales at the box office earlier this year. Awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress went to Yoo Jun-sang (``Return'') and Kim Hae-sook (``Open City''), respectively. The latter star showed off a wild, charismatic streak as an ex-convict in ``Open City,'' breaking away from her usual TV roles as a housewife. The 52-year-old, sexy in a sleek black dress on the night, also received attention for her role as a mother who falls in love with her daughter's former fiance. The romance film ``Viva Love'' won director Oh Jeom-gyun the title of Best New Director and Best Screenplay. Korean cinema and broadcasting have seen a high tide of stylistic period pieces depicting lives and loves from the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). The befittingly named court intrigue ``Shadows in the Palace'' by debutant director Kim Mee-jung won the award for Best Lighting while ``Hwang Jin Yi,'' starring actress Song Hye-kyo as the famed poet and dancer, received prizes for Best Music and Costume. ``M,'' celebrated director Lee Myung-se's striking, surreal story starring Gang Dong-won, received the Best Visuals Award. ``Miracle of a Giving Fool'' starring Ha Ji-won and Cha Tae-hyun, a hit among popular cartoon-turned-movies, won the public vote for Best Hallyu (Korean Wave) Movie. Actor Daniel Henney, who recently finished shooting his Hollywood debut in the ``X-Men'' franchise, was named Best New Actor (``My Father'') and model-turned-actress Han Ye-seul won Best New Actress. A special honor went to Yoo Dong-hoon, president of the Korea Scenario Writers Association, for his lifetime contribution to Korean cinema. Stellar Event Casts Dark Shadows But brightness is always accompanied by dark shadows. Inefficient organization prolonged the running time of the event, and the awardees did not receive sufficient time to express their happiness. The preceding film festival inviting moviegoers to watch movies and meet cineastes at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, May 24-28, was popular and was extended until the 30th. However, the award ceremony itself drew a rather disappointing level of public participation. The annual event recorded a relatively low viewer rating of 11.9 percent through its live broadcasting on SBS. The ceremony caused disorder in the Samseong-dong area where roads were blocked off, and there was sharp criticism of its overly commercial tactic of charging people to vote for the Hallyu Movie Award.

`Open City’: Freshness Turns Stale

Loaded with action and marked by sexual tension, ``Open City'' is yet another urban crime story set in the gritty streets of Seoul. But what sets it apart is that the cat and mouse game involves a network of professional ― and really scary ― pickpockets. Lee Sang-ki makes a big directorial debut with a high-profile cast and a novel subject matter. He zooms into the world of ``corporate'' pick pocketing, but the story soon turns sour with some poorly crafted ``Basic Instinct'' elements and cliched family tragedies that are inherent to Korean dramas. Son Ye-jin (``A Moment to Remember,'' 2004) trades in her innocent image for a dangerous persona, going all out with the hint of sex appeal she showed as a perky playgirl in ``The Art of Seduction'' (2005). She's ravishing, but like her character's cheesy name Baek Jang-mi (homonym for ``white rose'' in Korean), the new role seems to be an awkward fit. Jang-mi is the boss of an organized gang of pickpockets that's affiliated with the Japanese Yakuza. The group has been pulling tricks internationally, and Jang-mi plans to expand her turf by conquering Seoul's hot spots like Dongdaemun and Myeong-dong. But it isn't easy ― Korean and Japanese authorities are tracking her down while competing gangs are out to get her. When a nasty rival tries to corner her, young and able detective Jo Dae-yeong (Kim Myung-min) comes to the rescue. Throughout the movie, our so-called femme fatale seems more like a typical damsel in distress, except that she has a taste for low-cut dresses and red stilettos. Dae-yeong eventually figures out she's a prime suspect, but falls prey to her lies and sexual maneuvers. Meanwhile, to manifest her grand plans, Jang-mi turns to Gang Man-ok (Kim Hae-sook), a veteran pickpocket who just got out of prison and is determined to stay clean. To complicate things, Man-ok happens to be Dae-yeong's mother. The poor detective must crack down on the pick-pocketing underworld and deal with his traumatic childhood memories while having to stop himself from stealing glances at Jang-mi's cleavage. ``Open City'' reveals the intricate workings of the street-smart theft. First, the group chooses a target in a crowded marketplace or bus. While ``the antenna'' watches their back, another member creates a distraction so ``the machine'' can quickly slit open a purse or coat pocket of the oblivious victim. The movie warns that anyone can be a victim, as these thieves, well dressed in fine suits, look like typical businesspeople. Also, if you do happen to catch them in the act, don't try to apprehend them as they will slash your arm and run. Apart from the realistic portrayal of the crime, the relentless violence among the gangs seems unnecessary. Some of the police action sequences are well-crafted ― Kim Myung-min, a late bloomer who recently rose to stardom, shows his tough side as he beats six armed mobsters with a stick. But the emotional spectrum involving the mother-son conflict feels old and contrived like a second rate TV soap. The biggest blow yet to the film is its focus on style over substance. While Son is smoldering with her array of off-the-runway outfits, she's no Sharon Stone. It could have delved more into her cover as a tattooist ― the skin-bearing art had inspired a host of erotic films in Japan ― but it's just another stylish touch to the otherwise cliched drama. Some of the supporting characters also stop short of being stylized caricatures, like the heroine's mysterious and beautiful sidekick (Shim Ji-ho), who mimics the classic bodyguard character immortalized by Lee Jung-jae in the all-time hit Korean TV soap ``Sandglass'' (1995). It is worth seeing if you're a big fan of the lead actors. If not, it seems like a big-budget, star-studded campaign to raise awareness about pickpockets ― you'll think twice about the safety of your wallet in public places.

[MOVIE REVIEW] Erotic crime thriller falls flaccid

There is nothing special about the genre of "Open City," opening nationwide today. It is easily categorized as a crime thriller. But the subject of pickpockets operating in broad daylight is fairly unusual, perhaps the first ever Korean flick devoted entirely to the street-smart thieves. Doubly unusual -- or strange -- is director Lee Sang-ki's attempt to incorporate a femme fatale theme into the film in a bid to turn it into an erotic crime thriller. There's no question about the beauty of Son Ye-jin ("April Snow," "The Classic") but it is an open question whether she is really up to the task of a tantalizing seductress. Son plays Baek Jang-mi, which means "white rose" in Korean. If the name is too tacky, so be it. After all, her role is tackier -- a female boss of a small pickpocket ring keen to expand its territory in Seoul. Baek Jang-mi draws some attention from authorities in both Korea and Japan by staging a series of high-stakes pickpocket forays in Osaka. Once she returns to Seoul, local police duly begin to track her every move, though her official job is a tattooist clad in a revealing dress. Another dangerous woman named Kang Man-ok (Kim Hae-sook) comes into play. Kang used to be a veteran pickpocket, and the list of her crimes and convictions is quite long. As soon as Kang serves her time in prison, she encounters her former ring member, Baek Jang-mi, who hides her thorns inside. Baek has set up a new pickpocket team and she wants Kang to lend her legendary hands so that they can hit it big, while conquering the lucrative market areas such as Myeongdong and Dongdaemun. But the old "stealthy" hand expresses her will to stay clean by chewing none other than the sharp blade, a key tool used for stealing money from unsuspecting merchants and ordinary people. What Kang does not foresee in her right decision to avoid the crime scene is her crisscrossed past, which has compromised her future. At the end of the lethal human spectrum stands Cho Dae-young (Kim Myeong-min), a talented detective who has a traumatic experience about his mother. The movie breaks some fresh ground or cuts out numerous pockets by offering a close glimpse of how the experienced pickpockets approach and distract their "marks" and steal the targeted money. The tricks are rather simple. The members always work a tightly controlled procedure: first, they scour the street to select a victim; second, one member approaches the target and creates some distractions on the spot; and, finally, "the machine" with the sharp-edged blade makes a cut in the handbag or a coat, passing the money to another member. While the routine is realistically portrayed, some of the details involving the pickpocket thieves are also cautionary. For instance, if you realize your money is gone, do not attempt to chase the obvious pickpocket, because it can lead to a life-threatening situation. In the dirty and dark world of street thieves, there is a vicious technique called "branch-cutting," referring to the thief's relentless move to block the victim's chase, often by attacking with knives or blades. Except for the realism of the shady acts, "Open City" leaves too many cinematic aspects open to criticism. The most glaring problem is Son's mismatched femme fatale role. Son's heavy makeup, cleavage-showing dress and other accoutrements combined evoke the famous seductress Kim Hye-soo in "Tazza: The High Rollers," but stops short of mimicking Kim's superficial features only. Son changes her dress frequently, often to the colorful yet gaudy -- something that a secretive pickpocket boss never puts on for fear of attracting attention on the street. The plot that connects detective Cho's not-so-happy childhood with the veteran pickpocket "machine" Kang seems at once half-baked and overdone. Though there are some audacious pickpocket-eat-pickpocket moments, the movie's frequent use of extreme violence and an extremely flat lead performance do little to salvage the fatal flaw -- an erotic crime thriller that is neither too erotic nor very thrilling. By Yang Sung-jin