Kim Su-ro Movies
- 2005
Taking place over one seven-day period, Min Gyu-dong's All for Love traces the emotional entanglements of around a dozen characters. Some of the relationships are romantic, like a man who loves old movies meeting a woman who shares his passion, and a suicidal nun ending up in the hospital involved with a famous person she lusts after. Other storylines concern a basketball player who finds meaning after gaining affection for a young girl. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eom Jeong-hwa, Im Chang-jeong, (more)
- 2004
- R
- Add Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War to QueueAdd Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War to top of Queue
Korea's leading filmmaker, Kang Je-gyu, directed this epic-scale drama focusing on two brothers caught up in the madness of the war that tore their nation apart in the early '50s. Jin-seok Lee (Weon Bin) is a bright and well-educated young man whose older and more physically imposing brother Jin-tae Lee (Jang Dong-gun) believes he represents the best hope for his family's future. When both Jin-seok and Jin-tae are called up to fight in the South Korean army following the advance of Communist forces, a wary Jin-tae cuts a deal with his commanding officer -- if he racks up an impressive enough record on the battlefield, the army will give Jin-seok an early release. Jin-tae proves to be a fearless soldier, and is soon recognized as a war hero, but as the conflict wears on, he develops an unhealthy enthusiasm for the violence of the battlefield, and Jin-seok finds himself questioning his big brother's actions, both as a soldier and as a member of his family. The title Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War refers to the Korean name for the South Korean flag, originally designed in 1876 but outlawed during Japanese rule of the nation, and restored to use in 1948. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jang Dong-gun, Weon Bin, (more)
The highly anticipated third film from South Korean director Kim Tae-kyun, Volcano High is the story of high school-aged martial arts wizards in search of a mystical text that will restore harmony to their school. Set in an indeterminable time -- as well as mirroring many of the themes and styles found in the U.S. films The Matrix and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone -- Volcano High is in a state of chaos that has lasted nearly 20 years, since a vast Teachers Battle sent the education system into a downward spiral of intense fighting. Transfer student and frequent school expellee Kim Kyeong-su (Jang Hyeok) arrives at Volcano High and quickly makes the acquaintances of a number of the top dogs at the school -- including the equally skilled fighters Yu Chae-yi (Shin Min-ah), Jang Ryang (Kim Su-ro), and Song Hak-rim (Gweon Sang-woo). This trio begins to learn of the vastness of Kim's skills, as well as suspecting that there may be more to him than meets the eye as they seek out the aforementioned text that will heal their school and others from the vicious warring currently taking place. Volcano High was released in a 118-minute version in South Korea, but was cut to 92 minutes for its festival screenings in 2002, which included the Toronto Film Festival, the Edinburgh Film Festival, and the Berlin Film Festival. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jang Hyeok, Shin Min-ah, (more)
South Korean filmmaker Park Cheol-kwan makes his feature film debut with Darmaya Nolja (Hi, Dharma!), an action comedy drama about a group of Jopok gangsters hiding out with Buddhist monks. Criminal leader Jae-gyu (Park Shin-yang) and his fellow tough guys seek shelter in an out-of-the way monastery. The monks and the gangsters spend their time competing in various contests and learning a little bit about each other. Hi, Dharma! is one of the many Korean Jopok films released in 2001, along with Kick the Moon, Friend, and My Wife Is a Gangster. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Park Shin-yang, Jeong Jin-yeong, (more)
The sophomore effort of writer-director Kim Jee-woon, who had success on the festival circuit with his 1998 black comedy The Quiet Family, Banchik Wang opens by introducing us to harried office grunt Im Dae-ho (Song Kang-ho). Nagged by his father, hassled by his boss, and secretly in love with a female colleague, Dae-ho finds solace in wrestling and the so-called "foul kings," or take-no-prisoners championship wrestlers who will do anything to win a match. He decides to try his own hand at the sport and is eventually -- if reluctantly -- taken on as the pupil of a weathered coach (Jang Hang-seon). Training by the coach's daughter (Jang Jin-yeong) allows Dae-ho to develop self-confidence, and after becoming the accidental victor of his first fight, he prepares for a tag match against reigning champion Yubiho (Kim Su-ro), who wants an easy win to further his career in Japan. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- Starring:
- Song Kang-ho
