Kim Sang-ho Movies

Can a cop persuade a killer to give up his life for the good of an ailing child? Jo Yeong-woo (Heo Jun-ho) is a police detective who has been raising his young daughter Seo-heui (Jo Su-min) on his own since the tragic death of his wife. Seo-heui is only seven years old when she's diagnosed with a serious liver ailment that will claim her life unless a suitable donor can be found for a transplant. Doctors are having trouble finding someone who will be the right match for the girl, but Jo Yeong-woo discovers that Gang Tae-ju (Shin Hyeon-jun), serving time for murder, fits the bill perfectly. Jo Yeong-woo attempts to persuade Gang Tae-ju to donate his liver to his daughter, and even tries to arrange for an early release for the prisoner, but getting Gang Tae-ju to shorten his life or control his taste for hedonism in the name of an altruistic act is an uphill battle. Majimak Seonmul ... Gwihyu (aka His Last Gift) features a cameo appearance by actress Ha Ji-weon as Jo Yeong-woo's late wife. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A call girl changes her life for love, only to discover she did so too late in this drama from South Korean writer and director Park Jin-pyo. Eun-ha (Jeon Do-yeon) grew up in a farming community and came to the big city to make something of herself. Sadly, her dreams have led her to a coffee bar that's a front for a prostitution ring, where she turns tricks under the guise of making deliveries. Seok-jung (Hwang Jeong-min) is a sweet but slightly dim guy who falls in love with Eun-ha, not realizing what she does for a living. Seok-jung follows Eun-ha everywhere she goes, and while she seems him as an easy mark at first, in time she grows tired of his wide-eyed attentions. However, when a beating from a client puts Eun-ha in the hospital, Seok-jung loyally stays by her side; touched by his devotion, Eun-ha decides to give up prostitution and wed Seok-jung. At first Eun-ha is perfectly happy to look after Seok-jung and be a housewife, but when a former client pays her a visit, Eun-ha makes a shocking discovery -- she's HIV Positive, and she's probably passed the virus on to her husband. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Writer/director Choi Dong-hun makes his feature debut with the stylized caper movie The Big Swindle. The film opens in the middle of a car chase, with Choi Chang-hyok (Park Shin-yang) fleeing the cops in the aftermath of a massive bank scam gone awry. The chase ends with Chang-hyok's car exploding in a fireball. As the police investigate the case, flashbacks show how the job came together. Chang-hyok, fresh out of prison, uses the connection of a fellow ex-con, counterfeiter Gasoline (Kim Sang-ho) to get in touch with the criminal mastermind Master Kim (Baek Yun-shik of Save the Green Planet!). He also uses his charm to get in even closer touch with Master Kim's mistress, Seo In-Keong (Yeom Jeong-ah of A Tale of Two Sisters), who seems to have a few schemes of her own. Chang-hyok lays out his plan to con the Bank of Korea out of millions, and Master Kim rounds up a crew to do the job, including Gasoline, a sneaky little guy called Big Mouth (Lee Mun-shik), and Swallow (Park Won-sang), a vain lothario who beats up women. When the job goes bad, Chang-hyok goes boom, and Big Mouth is caught. The cops discover that Chang-hyok has a bookish, more responsible older brother, Chang-ho. They bring him in for questioning, and before long, he's also getting attention from a pissed off Master Kim, who's looking for the missing loot, and Seo In-Keong, who's suddenly interested in a "nice guy." The Big Swindle was featured at the 2005 New York Korean Film Festival, with director Choi and star Baek in attendance. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi