Lee Ki-yeong Movies
- 2007
Having previously focused his attentions on films about the experiences of Koreans in contemporary Japan, Korean-Japanese filmmaker Yoichi Sai reverts to the Korean reading of his name (Choi Yang-Il for this moody underworld thriller about a mysterious loner in search of his long-lost twin. Adapted from the popular Korean manga of the same name, Soo follows the journey of a wanted man named Tae-Soo, who has spent nineteen years attempting to locate his missing sibling Tae-Jin. Tae-Jin was snatched away when they were just young boys, yet Tae-Soo is convinced that his brother is still alive almost two decades later. Pursued by both the police and the most dangerous gangs in Korea, Tae-Soo does ultimately manage to find Tae-Jin, though the moment they are reunited Tae-Jin is suddenly killed. In the aftermath of Tae-Jin's death, Tae-Soo assumes his identity in hopes of tracking down the killer. The fact that Tae-Jin was a policeman doesn't make pulling off such an elaborate ruse very easy, though Tae-Soo does manage to play the part long enough to access his brother's police files and discern that Tae-Jin's kidnapper and killer are one in the same. Now, as Tae-Jin embarks on a quest for revenge that takes him directly to the top of the gangland hierarchy, the resulting violence plays out with all the power of a Greek tragedy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ji Jin-hee, Kang Sung Yoon, (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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Song Kang-ho
Rejecting current trends in mainstream genres and the conventions of commercial cinema, Choyonnghan-Kajok, an experimental black comedy, follows an eccentric story line with some surprise attacks on the audience. Comedy and horror elements are used intermittently to create a thriller in a family setting. The events are seen through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Mi-na, daughter of the Kang family, who decide to run Mt. Lodge in the suburbs of Seoul after the father is dismissed from his company. Contrary to expectations, there are no guests lining up at the door, and the youngest daughter is upset by a strange noise she hears at night. After two weeks, the first guest appears, but he is found dead the next day. The family buries him in a hurry to avoid bad publicity. Then a couple arrives and commits double suicide and they have to bury them, too. By the time they get used to digging, it's announced a road construction will pass beside their property. The set of the film, Mt. Lodge, was created in real size by a set specialist and architect large enough for camera equipment to move around. Although the subtexts are not labored, the sanctity of family solidarity and the capacity for sudden violence in the very conservative Korean society are some of the themes the audience is left to reflect. Choyonnghan-Kajok was screened as part of the International Forum of Young Cinema at the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Song Kang-ho, Park In-hwan, (more)
