Gi Ju-bong Movies

A fugitive artist from Korea escapes to Paris in order to avoid a stiff prison sentence, only to find his love for the wife he left behind counterbalanced by his passion for the City of Lights. Sung-nam is a successful painter who was caught drunkenly smoking marijuana at a small gathering. Now threatened with an extended stay in jail, Sung-nam packs his bags and boards a plan bound for Paris. Once there, he settles down in a ramshackle hostel run by an older Korean man and located in the 14th Arrondissement. There's precious little for Sung-nam to do in Paris, so he spends most of his time aimlessly wandering along the Seine and through the city parks. Though he eventually happens upon his ex-girlfriend Min-sun, their current connection is tenuous at best and he can't help but think about the wife in Korea that he left behind. Later, after befriending a pretty art student named Hyun-ju and her flatmate Yu-jeong, Sung-nam becomes hopelessly smitten with the affectionate stranger. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

After the success of the modern-day comic martial arts epic Arahan, writer/director Ryu Seung-wan changed gears and again teamed up with his brother, actor Ryu Seung-beom, to produce Crying Fist, a much more serious boxing drama. Actor Ryu plays Yu Sang-hwan, a street thug who rejects the life of his hard-working, struggling father for a life of petty crime and run-ins with the law. He winds up in a juvenile detention center, where he responds to some bullying by flying at the bully, Roc (Kim Su-hyeon), and biting his ear off. Yu is then taken under the wing of the prison's boxing trainer, and he learns a bit of self-discipline through boxing, gradually recognizing his own strengths, and eventually acknowledging the support of his caring family. Meanwhile, 40-year-old Kang Tae-shik (Choi Min-sik of Oldboy), is a washed up former champion whose home and professional life have completely fallen apart. His wife leaves him, taking their young son. Besieged by creditors, Kang earns a meager living by charging people on the street for the privilege of punching him out. In danger of losing his son forever, his own health deteriorating rapidly, Kang decides to enter one last boxing competition, the same one which the equally desperate Yu has chosen to show his mettle. Crying Fist won a FIPRESCI Award at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, and had its North American premiere at Subway Cinema's 2005 New York Asian Film Festival, with director Ryu in attendance. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

An ensemble-flavored police drama from South Korean director Kim Yu-jin, Wild Card follows a group of determined Seoul detectives as they comb the city in hopes of finding a murderous gang leader. Shocked by the brutal subway murder of an innocent woman and the subsequent gang-rape of a local prostitute, detective Oh Yeong-dal (Jeong Jin-yeong) and loose cannon partner Bang Jae-su (Yang Dong-geun) attempt to squeeze info out of a local club owner (Lee Do-gyeong). Subsequently spotting the gang directly after another horrific murder, the police give chase but lose the suspect in the winding downtown streets. Although he has escaped for the time being, an ingenious trap set by the policemen offers their only hope in finally apprehending the elusive gang leader. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi