Korean movies opening today 2012/03/08 in Korea

Published on 2012/03/08 | Source

Korean movies opening today 2012/03/08 in Korea "Helpless", "Choked", "Romance Joe", documentary "Talking Architect", "Mirage", "Sympathy for Us" and animation "The Dearest"

"Helpless" (2011)

Directed by Byun Young-joo

With Lee Sun-kyun, Kim Min-hee, Cho Seong-ha, Song Ha-yoon, Jang Dae-yoon,...

Previously known as "Help" (헬프, Hel-peu) and "Train"
Synopsis
Adapted from the novel by Miyabe Miyuki, who is known as the queen of crime fiction in Japan. A man searches for his fiancée who vanished without a trace just before their wedding ceremony, only to discover the shocking identity of her. The novel is considered one of top 10 best mystery novels in Japan of all time and stirred up social issues upon its domestic release. While he wasn't paying attention, it seems that everyone in the country but him has been caught up in a consumer feeding frenzy–going into heavy debt and declaring bankruptcy at a snowballing rate. The film adaptation has taken only the main storyline and theme and added Korean elements into it. This is director Byun Young-joo's 3rd feature after "Ardor" (2002) and "Flying Boys" (2004), and his first attempt at a thriller. Lee Sun-kyun ("The Apprehenders") stars as the veterinary clinic manager who searches for his fiancee, Kim Min- hee ("Moby Dick)" plays the fiancée with suspicious history, and Cho Seong-ha ("The Yellow Sea") plays the detective cousin of Lee Sun-kyun, who helps out with the case.

"Choked" (2011)

Directed by Kim Joong-hyeon

With Um Tae-goo, Park Se-jin-I, Kil Hae-yeon, Yoon Chae-young, Yoon Soo-ah, Ha Tae-sung,...

Synopsis
it's been a year since Hee-su vanished along with every penny of the family's money. Youn-ho, who works at a reconstruction company, ignores his mother's existence and yearns for a new life with his loving fiance Se-kyung. Single mother Seo-hee shows up asking Youn-ho for the money his mother borrowed despite once thinking of Hee-su as a mother figure. His mother's debtors' claims for payment become more and more aggressive, but Youn-ho lacks the means, or the will, to compensate for their losses. The persistent Seo-hee, however, proposes a deal: she'll drop any charges if Youn-ho agrees to meet his mother with her. Come meeting day, Seo-hee doesn't have any success, but Youn-ho witnesses Hee-su's frantic flight. Upon their return to Seoul, Seo-hee hears that Hee -su has turned herself in to police. Seo-hee visits Hee-su in jail and receives the devastating news that she will never get her money back. Meanwhile, things get worse for Youn-ho: he resorts to shady business practices in order to get an apartment and Se-kyung ends their relationship. Eventually, Hee-su comes home, not with her family but with Seo-hee, while Youn-ho hits rock bottom when he is physically attacked by a boy he had swindled.

"Romance Joe" (2012)

Directed by Lee Kwang-kuk

With Kim Young-pil, Shin Dong-mi, Lee Chae-eun, Lee David, Kim Dong-hyeon-III, Jo Han-chul,...

Synopsis
When a film director screams he cannot write a single word for his next project, a coffee shop waitress promises a good story if she's paid the night. One day she knocked the wrong door when Romance Joe was committing suicide. There the waitress got to know about his first love in high school. Finally Romance Joe decides to live again and visits his hometown to retrace his memories.

"Talking Architect" (2011)

Directed by Jeong Jae-eun

Synopsis
Chung Guyon is a second-generation Korean modern architecture. By implementing the Miracle Library Project for children in six major metropolitan cities nationwide for instance, he confronts and fights society, displaying his indefatigable will to build a better one through architecture. While following the steps he and his pupils take to prepare an exhibition at Ilmin Museum of Art, [Talking Architect] portrays the intersecting paths between architecture and society, architecture and life, and architecture and architecture. The show could be his last following cancer surgery, but Chung still makes an earnest attempt at another cultura'l revolution': unveiling a place for architectural communication, not simply to set up an exhibition that deals with architecture to be looked at by visitors. The effort is tri-fold: to trace his life, the revelation of his architectural philosophy, and to consider the process of picturing the aspects of a human being facing death. This documentary is as complex as Chung's exhibition and career. In fact Talking Architect evokes sympathy and response in a very retrospective fashion. (LEE Seungmin)

"Mirage" (2011)

Directed by Yang Jung-ho

With Moon Jung-woong, Kim Chang-hwan, Shin Jae-seung, Kim Tae-yoon-I, Mi Ram,...

Synopsis
Dong-jo wakes up on a subway still drunk. He is on his way to his hometown Incheon to receive an award from an annual spring literary contest, but he soon realizes his bag is gone. Suddenly penniless, he visits an old friend from school to borrow money and his old memories spring back. In order to resolve his unfinished business from the past, Dong-jo decides to finally face his dark past.

"Sympathy for Us" (2011)

Directed by Choi Young-seok

With Lim Joon-sik, Lim Dong-yoon, Kim Sang-ho-II,...

Synopsis
Juan, Yoda and Duk-jeong, who are all 29-year-old have a concert at a gamjatang restaurant to have a surgical remoral for Ydoa"s mongolian spot on face. But the show was screwed up, and Yoda decides to get a job at a deep-sea fishing vessel. So three friends, and Moran and Seryu, who are karaoke girls, all head to Gunsan to see Yoda off.

"The Dearest" (2011)

Directed by Kim Sunah, Park Se-hui

Synopsis
In-hye and Sun-mi visit their hometown, a small and quiet village in the countryside, after a long time only to face unexpected news: their old friend Eun-sil died while giving birth. The town is left in an uproar because of the baby, whose father is unknown, and it is neglected, protected by no one. While In-hye and Sun-mi try to save the baby with the help of Ji-young, their friend who has stayed in town, they find out that Eun-sil, who was mentally retarded, was a plaything of the village. In-hye and Sun-mi are troubled with the rage they feel against the village people and the guilty conscience they feel towards Eun-sil. Although they abandoned Eun-sil in the past, will they be able to protect her baby until the end?

Director's statement
Anyone can be the victim or the villain.

The 13th Puchon International Student Animation Festival (2011)