Ryu Seung-su Movies

As the Korean peninsula falls into the hands of Japanese imperialists and countless Koreans seek refuge in the vast wilderness of Manchuria, a determined thief, a cold-blooded hitman, and a mysterious bounty hunter all vie for an elusive map that could lead them to a buried treasure from the Qing Dynasty. Tae-gu is "The Weird," a thief who comes into possession of the sought-after map while boldly robbing a train of Japanese military officers. But at the very same time Tae-gu attacks the train, relentless assassin Chang-yi and his violent gang of bandits beset the locomotive as well. Chang-yi is "The Bad," and he'll kill anyone who tries to come between him and the untold treasures of the Qing Dynasty. Just as the cloud of gunpowder begins to clear, a shadowy stranger suddenly appears and rescues Tae-gu from certain death. That stranger is Do-won, "The Good." Do-won has been chasing Tae-gu in hopes that he can capture him and collect the reward money. Now, as these three resolute strangers converge in a sprawling landscape that none of them can truly call home, they quickly discover that Korean resistance fighters, resilient mountain bandits, and the Japanese army also covet the prized map. The fight on the train is only the beginning, too, because when the stakes are this high the action is bound to get bloody. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A petty criminal finds a reason to clean up his act when he discovers he has a daughter in this comedy-drama from South Korea. Woo Jong-dae (Park Shin-yang) is a small-time gambler who lives in a shack near a junkyard when he isn't doing time in jail. After Woo is convicted of running a crooked three-card monte game, he receives a visit from Sun-young (Ye Ji-won), a schoolteacher who has some surprising news. It seems Woo fathered a child he's never met some seven years before, and the girl, who is soon to be adopted, wants to meet her biological dad. Woo is wary, but when Sun-young offers to pay him to spend a week or so with his daughter, he agrees and returns home to look after young Joon (Seo Sin-ae). Despite his qualms, Woo quickly bonds with Joon and finds himself enjoying the responsibilities of fatherhood, but his joy is short-lived when he discovers Joon is seriously ill and has only a short time to live. Nunbushin Nal-ae (aka Meet Mr. Daddy) was screened at the 2007 Rome Film Festival, where it was honored as the best film for young people. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Korean superstar Song Gang-ho (Memories of Murder) stars in writer/director Lim Chan-sang's ambitious feature debut, The President's Barber. Song stars as Seong Han-mo, a barber whose shop is within shouting distance of the "Blue House," where the president (Jo Yeong-jin) lives. The film takes place during the early '70s, a tumultuous period in South Korea's history, and Seong finds himself in the middle of a number of historical events. Seong doesn't know much about politics, and follows the lead of local leaders, who involve him in a scheme to rig an election in the president's favor. His son Nak-an (Lee Jae-eung) is born during the April 19 revolution, while soldiers are gunning down protestors in the street. Later, he inadvertently gets in the middle of a bitter political rivalry between Park (Park Yong-su), the head of the CIA, and Jang (Son Byeong-ho), the head of the secret service. When he inadvertently embarrasses Park, Jang rewards him by helping him become the president's personal barber. Park's prestige grows among his neighbors, and his life improves. Even his nagging wife, Min-ja (Moon So-ri of Oasis and A Good Lawyer's Wife), is proud of him. His relatively carefree, oblivious life is thrown into turmoil when the government starts rounding up people with diarrhea, purportedly to help them track down collaborators with sick North Korean spies. Little Nak-an gets sick, and Seong misguidedly tries to prove his loyalty to the dictator by turning the boy in, thinking no harm will come to him. But he's underestimated the brutal irrationality of his leaders. The President's Barber had its international premiere at the 2005 New York Korean Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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