Choi Jae-weon Movies
- 2008
As the Koran 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 hit-man, 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 covert the prized map. The fight on the train was only the beginning too, because when the stakes are this high the action is bound to get bloody. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, (more)
A callow young traveler finds himself in a most peculiar predicament after crashing his car in the forest and being taken in by a strange family in this sinister fairy tale from second time director Yim Phil-Sung. Lee Eun-Soo was driving though the forest and talking on the phone with his pregnant girlfriend when he swerved to avoid running over road kill and winded up wrecking his car. Dragged from his car in a daze by a serene young woman, Lee is spirited to the "House of Happy Children" in the heart of the forest. Though the couple who owns the home and their three young children are more than accommodating, their injured guest begins to suspect that something is amiss when his cell phone loses all reception and he discovers the land line is out of order. The following morning, as Lee struggles in vain to locate his car, it gradually begins to dawn on him that these are no ordinary woods. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chun Jeong-Myoung, Eun Won-Jae, (more)
- 2004
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Song Kang-ho, Moon So-ri, (more)
