Kim Mi-suk Movies
- 2008
A lawyer takes on a difficult case under risky circumstances in this thriller from South Korea. Yu Ji-yeon (Kim Yun-jin) is a successful defense attorney and the mother of an eight-year-old girl, Eun-yeong (Lee Ra-hye). Ji-yeon attends a school event with her daughter and becomes distraught when Eun-yeong goes missing. After twenty-four hours, Ji-yeon receives word that the girl has been abducted by kidnappers, and in exchange for Eun-yeong's freedom, the kidnappers demand an unusual ransom. Jeong Cheol-jin (Choi Myeong-su) has been accused of murder, and has little hope of being found innocent given the evidence stacked against him; if Ji-yeon will represent him in court and he goes free, Eun-yeong will be released to her. Desperate to see Eun-yeong returned to safety, Ji-yeon begins looking into Cheol-jim's case with the help of Kim Seong-yeol (Park Heui-sun), a longtime friend who is also a police detective. But given Eun-yeong's health and Seong-yeol's spotty relationship with his fellow officers, Ji-yeon fears she may not be able to crack the case in time to save her little girl's life. 7 Days (aka Sebeun Deijeu) began production in 2006 with Yun Je-gu as director and Kim Seon-ah playing Ji-yeon before Kim Yun-jin was recast in the lead and Won Shin-yeon took command of the director's chair. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Yun-jin, Kim Mi-suk, (more)
- 2007
A Bloody Aria director Won Sin-Yeon follows up that FanTasia Film Festival hit with this breathless thriller about a strong-willed underworld attorney whose steely resolve withers after her young daughter is kidnapped and threatened with death should she fail to secure the release of a convicted murderer. Ji-yeong (Lost star Kim Yun-jin) is deeply admired in the underworld for her fierce efforts in keeping some of the city's most notorious criminals from serving serious time. Though despite the fact that Ji-yeong has a near-perfect success rate when it comes to keeping criminal scum on the streets, maintaining such a high profile among such a lawless set can be as much a burden as it is a benefit. Thanks to her hectic schedule, single mother Ji-yeong has precious little time to spend bonding with her young daughter. When the opportunity for a mother-daughter field trip arises, the overworked lawyer decides to make the most of a rare day together. A day of bonding quickly gives way to tragedy, however, when in the blink of an eye, Ji-yeong's daughter vanishes without a trace. The following day an unidentified caller phones to confirm Ji-yeong's worst fears: her daughter has been kidnapped, and in order to ensure her safe return Ji-yeong must ensure that a certain convicted murderer regains his freedom before heading into court for his second trial. That trial comes in just seven days, giving the frantic mother precious little time to make a successful case for the murderer's release, or lose her precious little girl forever. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Yun-jin, Kim Mi-suk, (more)
- 2005
An autistic boy develops a love of long-distance running in writer/director Jeong Yun-cheol's feature debut, the surprise blockbuster hit South Korean drama Marathon. Cho Seung-woo (of The Classic and Chunhyang) plays Cho-won, an autistic teen who seems to find a sense of calm when he's running. His doting mother (Kim Mi-suk) recognizes his enthusiasm, and hires a coach for him. Yun Jung-won (Baek Seong-hyeon) is a lazy, alcoholic, broken-down former accomplished marathon runner who teaches gym at Cho-won's special school as part of his community service for unnamed crimes. He's initially reluctant to coach the boy, but Cho-won's mother is insistent, even going so far as to clean Yun's squalid apartment with her son to convince him. Yun doesn't take much of an interest in his coaching duties, preferring to sleep on a nearby bench while the boy runs, occasionally getting up to pilfer Cho-won's snacks. Eventually, the two form an unexpected bond, and Yun begins to teach Cho-won something, but Cho-won's mother can't deal with Yun's bad manners, and fires him. Facing criticism of her mothering skills from all sides, from Yun to her absent husband to her resentful younger son, she begins to question her motives for pushing Cho-won to run. With his first major race coming up, Cho-won's mother begins to feel that Cho-won only runs because he thinks it pleases her. Marathon, based on actual events, had its international premiere at Subway Cinema's New York Asian Film Festival in 2005. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cho Seung-Woo, Kim Mi-suk, (more)
