Sumi Jo, Rising Stars Tour Korea

I got to hear her so close-up! She is "yeoksi" very glamorous, and knows how to play the press and pose for the camera.

Soprano Sumi Jo and rising opera stars sing during a press showcase in Seoul for the concert series ``Sumi Jo & Winners,’’ Thursday. From left, Suh Jung-hak, Son Ji-hye, Kang Hyung-kyu and Sumi Jo. /Korea Times photo

Prime coloratura soprano Sumi Jo has returned to her homeland to helm the next generation of Korean opera stars in the cross-country concert tour ``Sumi Jo & Winners,’’ from Busan to Seoul through Jan. 3, 2008.

``I’ve been looking forward to this since my world tour last year (celebrating 20 years since my international debut),’’ said the 45-year-old diva during a press meeting in Seoul, Thursday. ``These young artists are joining me on my longtime journey. We need to establish a support system for musicians, especially given that we put Korea’s reputation on the line.

``There are so many young artists leading active careers abroad. They have such bright futures and need to be taken notice of,’’ said Jo. ``I wanted to support them and sing less than I was scheduled to, but that was apparently a problem with selling tickets,’’ she added with a laugh.

Joining the prima donna onstage are award-winning singers who are playing principal roles in the international music scene: soprano Son Ji-hye, mezzo soprano Lee A-kyeong, tenors Lee Jeong-won and Chung Ho-yoon, and baritones Kang Hyung-kyu and Na Myung-won.

``There is a lot of striking Korean talent in Europe, and I often hear people say that Sumi Jo is the best,’’ said Kang Hyung-kyu, who has been leading an active career in Italy for 10 years now. ``I believe we were given such opportunities because (Jo) paved the path for us,’’ he said. Lee Jeong-won, for example, is the first Korean tenor to debut at the famed Italian La Scala Theater.

Jo herself was a discovery of German maestro Herbert von Karajan, who said she possesses a ``voice from the heavens’’ that appears every once in a 100 years or so. Jo also announced her five-year contract with Universal Music Korea, which she said is like ``returning home in 20 years.’’ Jo had recorded ``Un Ballo in Maschera’’ with Karajan in 1988 (Decca) as well as ``Carnival.’’ A crossover album of international folk songs is slated for release next December.

The opera gala concert showcases well-known arias from the standard operatic repertoire, including Rossini’s ``Il Barbiere di Siviglia,’’ Bizet’s ``Carmen,’’ Verdi’s ``Rigoletto’’ and ``La Traviata’’ and Puccini’s ``Turandot.’’ ``Even those unfamiliar with classical music or operas will be able to enjoy it,’’ said Jo.

The remaining schedule is as follows. Dec. 24: Daegu Suseong Artpia (www.ssartpia.or.kr); Dec. 27: Seongnam Arts Center (www.snart.or.kr); Dec. 29: Suwon Gyeonggi Arts Center (www.ggac.or.kr); Dec. 30: Busan Cultural Center (bsculture.busan.kr); Dec. 31: Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Complex (www.artgy.or.kr); Jan. 3, 2008: Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul (www.sejongpac.or.kr).
Tickets cost from 70,000 won to 150,000 won. For reservations, visit www.ticketlink.co.kr or www.interpark.com. For more information about the concert, call (02) 3461-0976.

`My Love’ Is Loathsomely Sweet

"My Love" (내사랑; Naesarang)
Directed by Lee Han (이한)
Starring Choi Kang-hee(최강희), Karm Woo-sung (감우성), Lee Yeon-hee (이연희)

``My Love’’ (working title) is a montage film by Lee Han that weaves together four different love stories like the popular romantic comedy ``Love Actually.’’ If the British flick is like a mosaic of thoughts on love, this homegrown family drama is more like a hand-knit scarf _ fuzzy, warm and a bit tickly. While it does cater to the mood of the year-end season, the sweet factor is overwhelming and artificial like a Krispy Kreme donut, and its heavy glaze is only for those with a big sweet tooth.

Set during summertime, ``My Love’’ brings together characters from different parts of Seoul in time for a solar eclipse. Ju-won (Choi Kang-hee) is an eccentric _ and slightly sadistic _ artist who takes pleasure in teasing her subway engineer boyfriend Se-jin (Karm Woo-sung): At one point, a wardrobe malfunction has poor Se-jin standing, boxers-exposed, while giving Ju-won a piggyback in the subway. A few years later, Ju-won has left him, but he discovers that traces of their love remain.

For college student So-hyeon (Lee Yeon-hee), it was love at first sight when she meets Ji-wu (Jeong Il-wu). A rather embarrassing incident at a party enables So-hyeon to finally converse with Ji-wu, and she jumps at the opportunity to ask him to help build her alcohol tolerance. Meanwhile, Ji-wu, who had taken a semester off from school to nurse a broken heart, is slightly baffled by the new blooming romance with So-hyeon.

Hippie-like activist Jin-man (Uhm Tae-woong) finally returns home after six years of traveling around the world to give free hugs to strangers (he basically stands around with a sign that reads ``free hugs’’). He tries to trace back his former girlfriend _ ``the second half of my incomplete heart’’ _ and the only way he can reach her is to retrieve his old cell phone number. The new user of his old number is Su-jeong (Im Jung-eun), a hotshot worker at an advertisement firm.

Although Su-jeong has an excellent career, things aren’t going so well in the love department. She is constantly being rejected by Jeong-seok (Ryu Seung-ryong), a gifted copywriter and single father suffering from the loss of his beloved wife. She learns to persist as she tries to pave a way into the heart of Jeong-seok and his young son.

``My Love’’ does offer some genuinely endearing characters and stories. The subway lovebirds _ Ju-won and Se-jin _ picnic on the train, play hide-and-seek and demonstrate every possible way to spend an entire day and night on line 2 via Seongnae station (although there are parts that should read ``do not imitate’’). Newcomer Lee Yeon-hee, who debuted opposite Gang Dong-won in ``M,’’ gives a charming performance that strikes a comparison to Jun Ji-hyun in ``My Sassy Girl.’’

``Love Actually’’ became an international hit because it pieced together heartwarming tales in a natural way. It justifies its use of the montage genre by demonstrating six degrees of separation, how we are all connected one way or the other. Characters crisscross one another’s lives in a way that is crafty but not too contrived, and the film made a spot for itself as an ultimate Christmas classic.

``My Love,’’ on the other hand, seems more like a collection of those sentimental anecdotes and quotes you find in feel-good mass e-mails. Ji-wu, for example, desperately misses his ex-girlfriend and has a message on his cell-phone that reads ``you’re tattooed onto my heart and I can’t erase you.’’ Another cheesy attempt to tug at the viewer’s heartstring is when he asks So-hyeon some important questions _ but viewers can be distracted by their own question as to why he calls her on the cell phone when she’s standing right next to him in the first place.

Paik Kun-woo's Beethoven Sontata Marathon: Intoxication With Musical Poetry

Paik Kun-woo, 61, is one greedy man. The celebrated pianist has embarked on a historical marathon concert, playing all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in just seven days.

With Paik’s commanding presence and impeccable style, just one of these concerts would be enough to keep you entranced for days. Packing eight of these in a week seems, at first, a sort of injustice to the serious listener, who has to erase the deep imprint of one performance for the next.

``If I take breaks in between I’ll have to return to reality, and I don’t want to,’’ Paik had explained. The daily recital is indeed difficult to digest, but it leaves you in a state of intoxication -- what better way to become completely drunk with Beethoven’s music?

Some 600 fans here had formed the Beethoven Club a year ago to support the serial recital. The special package enabling audiences to attend all of the performances at half the price was sold out months before the concert.

Paik’s rendition of Beethoven is pure, with no frills. It is thus far from comforting to hear, to be sure. Even ``Moonlight’’ on Tuesday was chilling in all its beauty. But Monday’s concert featuring piano sonatas Nos. 16, 17, 22 and 23 was an especially frightening experience.

Beethoven is said to have remarked ``Just read Shakespeare’s `The Tempest,’’ when asked about sonata No. 17, dubbed ``The Tempest,’’ as well as No. 23, ``Appassionata.’’ In the play, the heroine Miranda responds to her father’s incredible story by saying ``Your tale, sir, would cure deafness’’ -- indeed Paik, while capturing the urgency of the deaf composer’s vision, paints music that would speak even to the hearing impaired.

His rendition of ``The Tempest’’ was storm defined, encompassing both the violent, eradicative effect of an angry Mother Nature and the lovely sunshine after the rain. The volatile character of the first movement of the piece was clearly defined by Paik’s alternation of inquisitive largo and ominous allegro.

``Appassionata,’’ on the other hand, was unlike any other performance. Paik is a poet who paints with the piano keys. As T.S. Eliot said, ``poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion,’’ and Paik’s musical poetry, assuming a life of its own, completely spellbound the audience for the full 23 minutes. The recital hall, fully packed on a weekday night with even the chorus seats open to the public, fell utterly silent, without a random cough or shuffle in the crowd.

The third movement, with its melodic fragments and canons crashing down, was passionate, despairing and absolutely breathtaking -- ``I thought my heart was going to explode,’’ muttered one audience, clutching her chest.

With the last notes, ``Appassionata’’ left you in a state of awe that made it seem more appropriate to keep the hands together, palm to palm, in a moment of prayer rather than perform the mundane act of clapping. An explosive standing ovation followed a few seconds later.

The drizzling rain that night was a blessing, enabling you to calm down the beating heart and cool down the heated senses -- to sober up from the intoxicating experience.

The series continues at Seoul Arts Center, with sonatas Nos. 27-29 tonight at 8 p.m. and Nos. 30-32 Friday. Tickets cost 20,000-50,000 won. For reservations, call 1577-5266 or visit www.interpark.com, www.ticketlink.com.

`Venus and Mars’ Defies Expectation

"Venuse and Mars" (싸움; Ssaum)
Directed by Han Ji-seung (한지승)
Starring Kim Tae-hee (김태희), Sul Kyoung-gu (설경구)

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological phenomenon that refers to the discomfort felt when what you already know clashes with a new interpretation. ``Venus and Mars'' feeds off this idea from beginning to end, as director Han Ji-seung (``A Day,'' 2001) ironically defines love through the art of warfare, using a mix of genres dubbed ``hardboiled'' romantic comedy.

Called a romance guru for his hit TV series ``Alone in Love'' (Yeonaesidae, 2006, SBS), the director makes a comeback on the silver screen where he traces a highly volatile emotional ― and physical ― tug of war between a divorced couple. But ``Venus'' becomes a rather confounding audiovisual experience as he forcefully packs heavy melodrama and surreal, comic elements.

``Venus'' is crafted in the style of ``The War of the Roses'' (1989) crossed with ``Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' (2005) ― and a touch of ``Kill Bill'' (2003). A minor quarrel spins out of control, and you've got cars crashing and burning, wrestling in a pile of ostrich dung and police intervention. It becomes too difficult to lightheartedly laugh at the funny parts, while the dramatic moments capturing the subtle emotional tension between a divorced couple are rather stilted.

The film made headlines as it cast an unlikely pair to play improbable roles: actress Kim Tae-hee eradicates her frail, angelic image to play as a woman with serious anger management issues, while the older and charismatic Sul Kyoung-gu, known for playing tough anti-heros in films such as ``Peppermint Candy'' (2000), turns into a super-sensitive guy.

Hot-blooded glass artist Jin-a (Kim) and faint-hearted, cleanliness-obsessed entomologist Sang-min (Sul) have absolutely nothing in common. But opposites attract, and the two tie the knot after a string of ultra dramatic break-ups and make-ups. The two end up splitting, however, when a bug-in-the-glass-jar incident demonstrates their irreconcilable differences.


But just when they think they've been liberated from the past, repressed emotions ― and high kicks ― take full pendulum swing over nothing. Sang-min had split every single item in half, including his cherished clock after their divorce. On a mission to recover the missing pendulum from Jin-a, he inadvertently triggers his hot-tempered ex-wife, who gives him an ultimatum.

Seeing a spineless, obsessive-compulsive Sul is bound to create more cognitive dissonance in viewers than Kim's high kicks. Sul's bona fide acting suggests he's born for the role. The film features some delightful details, such as when Sang-min is bathing his pet bug Wu-kyung or scraping off miniscule bits of dried toothpaste in the bathroom, or when he is about to run away from his ex-wife in a movie theater and happens to stand against the emergency exit instructions.

Unfortunately, such wit does not translate into the overall quality of the film. It makes some pathetic attempts to squeeze out laughter by resorting to extremes, rather grotesquely. Sul's obsession with order and cleanliness is funny at first but becomes freaky ― you begin to think this guy needs some serious treatment, as does his friend, an agricultural studies professor who's infatuated with his cow. Jin-a, on the other hand, remains a rather undeveloped character that borders on hysterical, while her divorced friend, bloodthirsty for revenge against the all the ex-husbands in the world, defines hysteria.

The director deserves credit for not settling with something safe. But it's unfortunate that ``Venus'' feels more like a bits and pieces of a romance movie, animation and hardboiled action film messily slapped together. It's fun when films experiment, but ``Venus'' throws the viewer into a state of cognitive dissonance that makes it hard to digest.

`Our Town' Deconstructs Murder

"Our Town" (우리 동네, Uri Dongnae)

Directed by Jung Gil-young (정길영)

Starring Oh Man-seok (오만석), Lee Sun-kyun (이선균), Ryu Duk-hwan (류덕환)

Unlike what its title might suggest, director Jung Gil-young’s ``Our Town’’ is not some fuzzy family drama. It’s a crime thriller where five women are brutally killed. Not another serial killer story, you may say. But, again, the film kills your expectations as it takes you on a novel cinematic experience -- a flight into the mind of not one, but two, killers on the loose in what could be ``our’’ neighborhood.

First off, the title needs some explanation. It is a literal translation of the original title ``Uri dongnae.’’ A Los Angeles Times column (July 24, 2006) once highlighted how the Korean language thoroughly reflects the collective nature of Koreans, who prefer the unassuming ``we’’ over the individual ``I,’’ and thus leads to the stapling of group pronouns ``our’’ (uri) rather than ``my’’ in front of objects. So saying ``our house’’ or ``our town’’ creates a communal sense of ownership and establishes a sense of mutual connection.

That’s the irony. This is a violent and disturbing murder story that is definitely not for children -- so the ``our’’ part doesn’t work there. And yet, the movie suggests such horrors can happen next door.

In a quiet, ordinary neighborhood, three women and a young girl are ``crucified,’’ with their dead bodies tied up in the form of a cross in public areas. Kyeong-su (Oh Man-seok), a struggling novelist, impulsively slay his landlady during a nasty quarrel over rent. With the recent happenings around town, he conveniently covers up his crime as the doings of the serial killer.

Kyeong-su’s childhood buddy and police officer Jae-sin (Lee Sun-kyun) begins to suspect the fifth victim was a copycat case. Meanwhile the actual serial killer, Hyo-i (Rue Duk-hwan), begins to track down his copycat.

This isn’t a conventional cat-and-mouse game between the police and killer. The movie immediately reveals the Who, What, When, Where and How, and the action feeds upon the disturbing Why part as the systematic murderer and impulsive killer trail each other’s paths.

Even the most hardened of crime thriller fans will be able to taste something new, as the suspense is rooted in the mind game between two murderers. And it’s more disturbing yet as the story takes place within the context of a neighborhood.

Hyo-i is the great guy next door. He’s the helpful owner of a small stationary store and has the face of an angel. Kyeong-su is also an ordinary guy, but can apparently commit murder when cornered. It shows how, in a spur of the moment, one can give into one’s darkest desires and bestial urgencies.

What the movie does is play with the human thought process, the stark difference -- or lack thereof -- between imagination and reality, wanting to kill and the actual act of killing.

In one scene, the murderer makes a girl sing a song, but still takes her life with a smirk: ``It’s just technique, nothing genuine.’’ Obviously he’s not happy with the singing. Lee Moon-sae’s good old love song is juxtaposed with the inhuman act, making it even more harrowing. It suggests the psyche of the psychopath, someone who kills for the sake of killing without a vengeful motive.

But unlike psychopath films like ``Black House,’’ the movie deals with more ``humane’’ killers and does a decent job of portraying the aftermath of a trauma and the copycat effect on individuals. ``Our Town’’ is an unsettling psychological drama that shows how the act of killing becomes a source of emotional release and rapture for the shattered soul. It deserves some comparison to Jean Giono’s novel/film ``Un Roi sans divertissement’’ (1963).

Although some of the highly dramatized, crisscrossed relationships in the film are slightly clichéd, the bona fide actors -- theater stars Oh Man-seok and Lee Sun-kyun who have recently been giving stellar appearances on TV and rising star Rue Duk-hwan (``Like a Virgin’’) -- give gripping, and disturbing, performances. These are neighbors we definitely don’t want in our town.

Director Explores Korean-American Identity

By bringing to Korea ``West 32nd'' ― a gritty, street-style crime film that delves deep into the underworld of New York Koreatown ― director Michael Kang explores the Korean-American identity, including his own. It is a continuation of the directorial concerns from his feature debut piece ``The Motel.''

``I needed this much time to get the film made, I needed `West 32nd' to be my second film. I think it was a personal journey, and it was a personal challenge, too, to make the film,'' Kang told The Korea Times in a recent interview in Seoul.

Growing up in the suburbs of New England, the award-winning director had never been exposed to such a large Korean community until he moved to New York for college.

``It was very jarring to me, my relationship with that community. I would walk around in Flushing (Queens, New York) and look like anybody else but I felt like I didn't belong there. That's what I very much wanted to explore (in `West 32nd'),'' said the New York University graduate.

Kang became well-known in the international circle with ``The Motel,'' a coming-of-age story about a young Asian American boy living in a cheap suburban motel. The piece won much critical acclaim and awards including the 2003 Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker's Award.

His second film takes place in the heart of New York's Koreatown (K-town), which lies on West 32nd Street. Ambitious attorney John Kim takes on a pro bono case to defend a Korean teenager implicated in a gang-style homicide. Over the course of the investigation, he meets Mike Juhn, a local thug, and becomes entangled in a world of mobsters and mayhem. Kang said that the mainstream-style film is inherently similar to ``The Motel," a smart indie flick.

``They're just different styles. The base of both films is rooted in characters you don't usually get to see. I feel like the gyopo (Korean-American) community really has not been shown on film before,'' he said. ``To me the message of the movie is that Koreans in America are very lost, very disconnected and they don't know where their place is,'' he said.

But why is the film based in New York instead of L.A., which has a larger and more deeply rooted Korean community? ``Partially because I'm from New York so it made more sense to shoot the film there. But it's also because it's the farthest you can get from Korea, so people are almost in this little island. Whereas in L.A., there are people who can live there without knowing any English. In New York, you can't do that ― the Latinos are here, the Jews are right there and the Chinese are right behind you.

``In L.A. K-town, people are more comfortable. People are usually completely bilingual, they can exist in both worlds ― they're very attached to their Korean culture and like to hang out in K-town but will also have a regular job where they're part of mainstream American culture and have no problem fitting in there.

``Whereas in New York, you have to make the decision, like those two characters, John and Mike,'' he said. John is the classic American success story; a lawyer climbing the mainstream American corporate ladder, while Mike tries his best to ascend the hierarchy of the Korean crime gang. They are polar opposites are but are in fact kindred spirits.

John Cho (Courtesy of CJ Entertainment)

``Mike has just as little clue about Korea just as much as John, even though he seems more in touch with his Korean side. Partially by exposing that and exposing the American culture in the movie, Koreans also get a look at what America is. Though I may be wrong, they might have a romanticized view of the Korean-American community,'' he said, explaining how he wanted to show the other side to the success stories of Michelle Wie and Daniel Dae Kim.

In the film, the convicted boy's older sister is well-off. ``I have a lot of friends whose brothers are in jail while they are working at a big Forbes company, so it's an interesting phenomenon,'' said the director.

Although the movie is fictional, it is deeply rooted in reality. Edmund J. Lee, who co-wrote the story with Kang, discovered an intricate Korean crime network in New York while working as a reporter for the Village Voice.

``The architecture of New York very much helps the inaccessibility of this (underground world). Beneath all those noraebang (karaoke) and restaurants, there are room salons (bars) there and different things that you need access to in order to enter,'' said Kang.

The director explained that Lee had followed a ``yangachi'' (thug) around for a year to really understand the K-town crime scene. In fact, the supporting actors that played the young teenage boys were actually kids from the area. They were part of the creative process to portray the true culture of K-town and create realistic ``Konglish'' (mix of Korean and English) and slang-ridden dialogue.

``West 32nd'' also brings together the best of Korean talent in the U.S. and Korea, with popular actors John Cho (``Harold and Kumar'') and Grace Park (``Battlestar Galactica''), and Korea's top star Jeong Jun-ho and hot newcomer Jun Kim (Kim Jun-seong).

``I was a big fan of John's from way back… As we were writing the script he became the shorthand for (my co-writer) and me, we'd just talk about it as if it were John Cho but we never thought we'd be able to cast him,'' said Kang, who spoke of his likewise great luck in casting Grace Park. As for Jeong, he said it was an ``unbelievable fantasy, because I know that he's like an icon here, and that's exactly what we needed.''

Kang said Jeong's star power is key for the film because ``he's the last connection to a real Korean. Within three minutes of the film he's dead, and the rest of the movie is about how his death affects these Koreans in America who are lost and have no connection anymore to Korea. So symbolically it works.''

Kang's bridge-making efforts continue. Upcoming projects include the production of a film here about Korean-American guys making their way through the dating scene in Seoul, which he describes as `` `The Swingers' (a male version of ``Sex and the City') meets Kim Ki-duk,'' and a TV show for HBO about Chinese-Americans, the first Asian American family drama in a long time.

His next big directorial project is a human-trafficking story that takes place in Africa. Although Kang's personal journey as a Korean-American may have halted for the time being, his filmmaking endeavor goes on.

One can expect more of Kang as he wrestles the crippling challenge for all artists ― that is, taking one's cultural assets to create something new and named.

``West 32nd'' awaits release here Nov. 22, exclusively at CGV multiplex theaters. For tickets, visit www.cgv.co.kr. To learn more about the movie, visit http://www.w32nd.com/.

>>Read my movie review of "West 32nd"

>>Read my interview with John Cho.

>>Read my interview with Daniel Dae Kim.

`West 32nd' Breaks Down NY Koreatown

It gets down-and-dirty like the gritty streets of New York. In ``West 32nd,'' Korean-American director Michael Kang gives the classic detective genre a fresh twist as he tells the untold story of a Korea that exists in the heart of the Big Apple.

West 32nd Street is the geographic location of New York Koreatown (K-town) near the Empire State Building. But even those who are familiar with the ``noraebang'' (karaoke), stationary stores and ``seoleongtang'' (Korean beef broth) restaurants lining the strip will be shocked to know that there lies a whole new world beneath it all -- where Korean gangsters and ``organized'' mayhem reign.

While snippets of Koreatown have began to appear (fleetingly) as an exotic backdrop in Hollywood films like ``Collateral'' (2004) and ``Shoot 'Em Up'' (2007), it remained a relatively unexplored territory, and ``West 32nd'' breaks it down, once and for all.

In the dark corner of K-town, a bar owner Jin-ho (Jeong Jun-ho) is shot to death. Ambitious young lawyer John Kim (John Cho) offers to defend the 14-year-old Korean boy convicted of the homicide pro bono. Over the course of the investigation, he meets Mike Juhn (Jun Kim), a ruthless thug ascending the hierarchy of the Korean underworld.

Though polar opposites, the two quickly become friends. Mike is contemptible as much as he is charismatic -- an anti-hero with the tempting appeal of Kurtz in ``The Heart of Darkness.'' He attracts John like a lamp would a moth in his anarchical world that lies outside the reach of state laws.

To complicate things, John starts to fall for his client's beautiful older sister Lila (Grace Park). But winning the case -- a fast ticket to promotion -- is always his top priority, while Mike takes ``the guy from the other side'' under his wing to manifest his own grand visions.

``West 32nd'' is a classic crime movie but it's also a story about Koreanness and Americanness, and the murky middle ground in between -- a critical branch of the Korean diaspora that constitutes the thin but integral thread of the American social fabric.

In recent years, independent films like ``Better Luck Tomorrow'' (starring John Cho) and Kim So-yong's ``In Between Days'' began to accurately portray the Asian American community, but ``West 32nd'' really punches the genre through with a strictly mainstream appeal.

In the American context, the film shines through for breaking the model minority myth -- the false stereotype about Asian kids being all math whizzes who go to Ivy League schools and thus in no need of Affirmative Action. For mainland Koreans, it looks at the dark side of the American Dream, that moving to the U.S. does not guarantee wealth and success.

Just as ``West 32nd'' serves as the missing link between the two Korean communities, it brings together top talent from each side, popular actor John Cho (``Harold and Kumar'') and ``Battlestar Galactica'' heroine Grace Park from the United States and top star Jeong Jun-ho and hot newcomer Jun Kim (also known as Kim Jun-seong) from Seoul.

The film also does justice in presenting the Asian community, like the dialogues that are realistically crafted with ``Konglish'' or a clever mix of Korean and English. Characters like Mike and Jin-ho (Jeong) ooze with sex appeal, bashing stereotypes that deprived Asian men of their sexuality. It depicts more disturbing truths, touching upon racial conflicts within the Asian American community and hints upon human trafficking issues.

``West 32nd'' is not a feel-good movie. Deeply embedded in the bitter and ironic reality of life, the film's ambiguous nature will leave some feeling slightly confounded.

But it doesn't drown with heavy drama. Far from being preachy, it has a rhythmic street-style beat sprinkled with good humor -- provided by a pair of ``Dumb and Dumber'' characters -- and an eye-catching array of ``poktanju'' or Korean-style boilermakers. So get ready to descend into an intoxicating underworld you may find hard to turn back from.

Cellist Yang Sung-won: "Completing" Beethoven On & Off Stage

(Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul)

Having recently released the country’s first recording of Beethoven’s complete cello sonatas, cellist Yang Sung-won and pianist Pascal Devoyon will give a rare marathon performance in Seoul, Nov. 4, along with shorter concerts in other cities. Before the two musicians begin their cross-country concert tour, Yang sat down with The Korea Times to discuss music and life, and stepping toward his dreams, in a coffee shop near a Seoul park. Tuesday.

Beethoven’s cello pieces are the first sonatas in the history of music to treat the cello as an equal partner for the piano. Recording the deaf maestro’s complete sonatas is meaningful in that one can ruminate the very essence of his life and works.

``For both Pascal and I, this kind of project (signifies) approaching one or two steps closer to our dreams. (Beethoven’s) pieces are like utopia -- you read about it, you study about it, perform it and you understand the piece. You can have your own utopia in your mind,’’ said the 40-year-old, with eyes glimmering. ``And when you’re performing it, the reality always walks along with us.’’

Yang is internationally renowned as a soloist and chamber musician, performing in prestigious concert halls in all corners of the world. A graduate of the Paris Conservatory and Indiana University, he currently lives in Seoul and teaches at Yonsei University School of Music.

``When the project came up (working with Pascal Devoyon) was an obvious and evident choice because our musical goals are in the same direction,’’ he said. Yang and Devoyon have been well acquainted, having attended music festivals together in France and Korea for the past six or seven years.

``And Pascal is somebody that I respect and admire a lot, as a pianist, as a musician and above all as a scholar as well,’’ said the cellist. Devoyon is a renowned pianist, appearing on stage with major world orchestras. He received the French government’s prestigious l’Ordre du merite as Chevalier in 2001 and currently teaches at the Berlin University of the Arts.

Beethoven’s five sonatas represent all of what is commonly considered his three periods, from the Classic period, when he was searching to find his own identity to get away from the shadow of Mozart and Hayden, and to have his own musical world; from the Romantic period, when Beethoven achieved his highest artistic goals; and finally the Spiritual period, ``where he really reaches out in his inner feelings and translates that into the art, which is called music,’’ said Yang.

When asked about what music means to him, he said, ``I was born in a musical family,’’ and explained that his father and older brother were both violinists. ``So from as far as I can remember back, we’ve had music in the house.

``Obviously, it’s my profession, but it’s a profession that I cannot live without.’’ Yet, he pointed out that as a performer it is a ``a constant challenge,’’ explaining that ``when the composer has completed his piece, for me that’s 50 percent complete. It’s exactly at the moment we’re performing it’s being complete… It’s our duty to be up to the level of the pieces we’re completing. In other words we try our best.’’

Despite having award winning recordings and a string of critically acclaimed performances under his belt, the cellist was very humble and emphasized repeatedly the importance of being earnest and keeping in shape.

Marathon Concert

Classical music buffs should not miss this occasion to spend almost half a day at an art hall, with two and a half hours -- plus alpha -- of Beethoven. Music critic Yoo Hyeong-jong will give the audience a brief historical background about Beethoven’s time and insight about the maestro as a human being. After an hour of the first two sonatas, a 15-minute intermission and the third piece, the audience can go on a one-hour dinner break to come back for the last two sonatas. The Mozart and Handel variations are ready as encore pieces, said Yang, if the audience is still willing to listen. So make sure to cheer on.

``There’s nothing to be scared of, to either digest the music they hear or rest a bit,’’ added Yang. ``We very much hope the audience will be actually witnessing the work being completed, and share with them -- I say share because we’re not just giving it to them, we’re playing for ourselves, too,’’ he said with a big hearty laugh.

The marathon performance will take place at LG Art Center, southern Seoul, beginning 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. Tickets cost 30,000 won-60,000 won. The hall is located near exit 7 of Yeoksam subway station on line 2. Call (02) 2005-0114 or visit www.lgart.com for reservations and information.

Yang and Devoyon will give three shorter performances outside of Seoul, Monday, Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m., at Gimhae Art & Sports Center (www.gasc.or.kr); Wednesday, Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m., at Daegu Suseong Artpia (ssartpia.or.kr); and Tuesday, Nov. 6, 11:00 a.m. at Changwon Sungsan Art Hall (www.sungsan.or.kr). The repertoire will vary for each performance, so visit the Web sites for each respective concert hall near you. You can also call (02) 2187-6222.

Yang and Pascal will take their marathon concert to Japan next spring, but it will be a two-day concert this time.

John Cho Speaks About Being Asian in Hollywood

Oh my hotness John Cho, left, photo by moi, Hyo-won Lee for The Korea Times :)

BUSAN -- Korean-American actor John Cho, 35, is becoming a familiar name in the United States, especially for playing parts that don't have to be played by an Asian. Yet, there remains a challenging upward climb for Asian Americans in Hollywood, according to the star.

``First it's difficult being an artist, and it's difficult being an actor, period, and it's difficult being an Asian American actor. When I started acting… the community was largely Chinese American or Japanese American, so even then I felt like a minority in the minority,'' he told reporters during a private interview at a Busan hotel, Tuesday.

Cho was invited by organizers of the Asian Film Market, running in conjunction with the recently held 12th Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival, as one of the guests of the Star Summit Asia.

``It's crazy now there are so many Korean-American actors,'' he said, explaining how amazing it is that the children of first generation Korean immigrants are entering the arts so fast. Asked if he is close with any of his fellow Korean-American actors, he said ``I avoid them. No, I'm kidding,'' drawing much laughter from the room. He said he is acquainted with actors Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh and his ``hero,'' comedian Margaret Cho.

Born in Seoul in 1972, Cho immigrated to the Los Angeles at the age of six. He stepped into the world of acting by chance in college, when he happened to be the same clothing size as an actor who wasn't able to play his part in a small production. Cho was majoring in English literature at U.C. Berkeley at the time.

Growing up in Los Angeles' Koreatown, Cho said he felt like a ``misfit'' and loved the theater because it was like a mecca for all people who didn't fit it. ``That's what I liked about (acting) then and that's what I like about it now,'' he said.

``I didn't think it was possible for Asians to be actors,'' he said. But things changed with his first professional role in a play called ``The Woman Warrior,'' written by Chinese-American Maxine Hong Kingston. ``When I met all these (Asian) professionals, it really opened a door for me.''

Yet, to this day there still exist deeply imbedded Asian stereotypes. ``I feel that there's a shift in the industry, that they're not seeing me as just my race; but they're seeing my personality and seeing me more as a person and an Asian in general,'' he said.

Cho was voted one of the 2006 ``Sexiest Men Alive'' by People magazine. ``I think that was a mistake… a typo… It's very nice, but it's difficult to take that sort of thing seriously. You know what, print `I am sexy,''' he told reporters, and the room burst into laughter.

In addition to popularizing the term ``MILF'' through his short but memorable appearances in the ``American Pie'' trilogy, Cho made a breakthrough in ``Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle'' by portraying a believable _ and funny _ Asian guy in a mainstream film. Harold is a dorky Korean-American investment broker coming to terms with personal struggles, being taken advantage of at work and having to deal with his parents' expectations to marry a Korean.

Some thought the film feeds upon Asian stereotypes, and to this, Cho said he saw it as being exactly the opposite. ``It was only a small segment of Asians who saw a nerd when it was actually an `everyman,' which is how they (the makers of the movie) wrote it and I approached it… I saw it as what Tom Hanks does (in his films).

``The least stereotypical part about the movie is having an Asian as a protagonist and not as a side character… Almost by virtue of being the main character, it negates being a stereotype,'' he said.

Despite Cho's comic roles onscreen, he was surprisingly serious _ though laid back and down to earth _ in person, and chose his words very carefully. ``People expect me to be funnier… be Mr. Chuckles. People treat me… like an old drinking pal,'' he said. ``It's actually a nice feeling because when you make people laugh, it makes them feel close to you,'' he told The Korea Times in a subsequent interview later on.

``I don't want to pat (Hollywood) on the back too much, because, although there's been progress, we have to measure it against where we should be and I still feel as though we're far behind where we need to be, even though there's cause to be optimistic,'' he said.

Cho pointed out the problem of actors agreeing to play an insulting or racist role in Hollywood, thereby endorsing those values. He said actors can advance change very simply and powerfully by ``saying no.''

``What if they audition 100 people and 100 actors said no. Then two things would happen: One is that they would know that what they wrote was offensive. They would know that. And secondly, they couldn't do it. So we take their tools away because we are their tools. So when we do stereotypical roles we are helping them, and so I think to turn that around, we should say no, and that's the most powerful tool that we have,'' he said.

Since his rise in popularity _ being one of the most searched names in Youtube, and appearing on popular TV shows like ``The Singles Table'' and ``Kitchen Confidential'' _ Cho has become a face for the Asian American community. Asked if he ever feels burdened about it, he said that he is sometimes ``jealous'' of white actors because ``they don't have to think about representing their race.

``We (Asian American actors) shouldn't have to do this. So it feels unfair. And yet, it is an opportunity. It just so happens that I'm in a position to, by some bizarre act of God, I'm in a position to change things… So I might as well do what I can,'' he said.



Mr. Cho in a scene from "West 32d"
(Courtesy of CJ Entertainment)

Cho also made his visit to Asia's largest film festival for his latest film ``West 32nd,'' in which he plays opposite Korea's favorite leading man Park Joong-hoon.

``This production was special because it was made by Koreans or Korean-Americans, so there was a real sense of family… To have an entire cast in a movie be Asian is unheard of, and to have an all-Korean cast is even more rare,'' he told The Korea Times.

His film ``Better Luck Tomorrow'' had tackled the ``model minority'' issue of Asian Americans being stereotyped as hard-working, social ladder climbers, who, unlike their black or Hispanic counterparts, don't need benefits such as Affirmative Action. The movie had even initiated a small campaign among Asian American college students in the New England area called ``Watch BLT (Better Luck Tomorrow).''

Cho played a troubled teenager in the movie, and about his own teenage experience growing up in Los Angeles' Koreatown, he said he was ``a little rebellious… but I don't know if it was more than normal,'' he said.

``You're trying to grow up and you don't want to be like your parents, and that gets mixed up with being Korean…They brought their values from Korea, and I accepted them because I didn't know anything more,'' he said about being Korean-American.

``But as I grow older, I feel more Korean every year, it's very strange,'' he said.

Although the media portrays the actor as a successful Korean American who set foot in Hollywood, Cho himself said: ``Maybe it's my neurosis, but I still don't feel settled,'' he said, adding that he would love to play roles he played as a child with his younger brother, like a cowboy or Superman.

`Lost' Star Daniel Dae Kim Feels Lucky About Success

Mr. Kim was uber nice, and much better looking in person. I was so glad to hear about the very understandable reasons for his strange Korean accent on "Lost." The interview had added dimension to it because his wife went to my school; they dated during college so he knew my school very well :)

Interviewing Daniel Dae Kim in Busan, during 2007 PIFF /Photo by Rachel Lee

Being an Asian American in Hollywood, Feeling Home in BusanBy Lee Hyo-wonStaff ReporterBUSAN -- For actor Daniel Dae Kim, who shot to international stardom through the hit ABC TV series ``Lost,'' the walk on red carpet at the 12th Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival meant returning to his native town.

``I'll be honest. I was a little scared (walking down the red carpet). I'm used to it in the U.S. and Europe. But because I'm from here, it mattered a little bit more. I haven't felt that way in about four years… It was also the longest red carpet I've walked on,'' he said with a slight chuckle.

``I have very fond memories of this area -- my imo (aunt) still lives about half a mile away, my samchun's (uncle's) family lived up on the hill, and I was born in Seodaeshin-dong. I was telling my parents I was coming to Busan, and `Make your country proud,' they said,'' the 39-year-old said with a big hearty laugh.

Unlike his stern character Jin from ABC's hit TV series ``Lost,'' Kim was very down-to-earth and easy-going in person, flashing a bright smile every now and then. Voted one of the ``Sexiest Men Alive'' in 2005 by People Magazine, the actor's sharply chiseled features -- high cheekbones -- were just as charming in real person.

Kim had immigrated to the United States with his family as a baby, and grew up in New York and in Pennsylvania ever since. He said he is happy to back to the Haeundae area; he had spent about three months there in the early 1990s.

``Honestly, I feel like I'm home,'' ``It sounds so cheesy when I say it but I really feel a connection. You know, I'm so grateful, so 'bangaweo' (delightful and welcomed),'' he said, explaining that although he was raised in the U.S., he had to take off his shoes when he entered the house. ``My belief system comes from my parents, which is Korean,'' he said.

``The one thing I don't like about coming to Busan though, is that I've been trying to get ride of my saturi (local accent), and now I'm speaking with all my relatives and it's all coming back,'' he said, chuckling.

Ever since the ABC hit show started first airing, it was the talk of the town for not only starring two Korean actors in the main cast, but for also featuring dialogues in Korean. It naturally garnered much attention from Korean viewers, and sharp criticisms ensued when Kim spoke with a rather strange accent.

``I was criticized for my accent, and part of that is because of my Busan accent mixed with my American accent, so people thought I just did not know how to speak Korean at all… But you know, I like the saturi (accent),'' he said, agreeing that it's part of who you are. He added that his wife, with whom he's been married for 14 years, is from Seoul, so her relatives find his Busan-American accent hilarious.
After graduating from Haverford College, Kim made his acting debut in theatrical productions. He then went on to earn his M.F.A. from New York University and has starred in popular dramas such as ``ER'' and ``24,'' and has made guest appearances in ``Ally McBeal,'' ``The Practice,'' and ``Law & Order'' to name a few. Then came ``Lost,'' which would change his life forever.

``I know it's a cliche but I really do feel lucky. You know in the States, for Asian-American actors there aren't that many opportunities. To be on a show alone is lucky, but to be on a hit show that win awards and it's recognized all over the world, that's maybe once in a lifetime,'' he said.

Despite the initial negative feedback, the actor has become almost a household name here as the popularity of American dramas, called ``Mideu'' here, have skyrocketed in recent years.

``(Kim Yun-jin and I) are in a very fortunate position. I come to a place like this (PIFF), and I'm recognized by Korean fans, I consider myself very lucky,'' he said.

Kim's advice to aspiring actors is simple but to the point: ``Work hard. Because if you only get that opportunity once in your career, you have to be able to seize it, you have to be able to get that job because you may not get another chance. Because if you're not prepared, if you don't have the acting training, if you're not concentrating on yourself, that one chance might miss you and that will be the end,'' he said.

Having grown up in Easton, Pennsylvania, where there were virtually no Asians other than his family, Kim explained that he ``definitely had a sense of being an outsider growing up.'' But he would break stereotypes of Asian being quiet model students in high school: ``I did everything I could to fit in,'' said the actor, who was not only a football player but also class president.

Kim has won the Screen Actors Guild Award in 2006, and he was individually honored with an AZN Asian Excellence Award, a Mutlicultural Prism Award and Vanguard Award from the Korean-American Coalition, all for Outstanding Performance by an Actor.

Having been asked to represent the Asian-American community in many ways, Kim said that it was a great honor and privilege, saying ``Asian-American image is very important. When you're lucky enough to be in a position like that, you should do whatever you can to better it.''

Kim and family live mostly in Hawaii, the location for ``Lost.''

``Living in Hawaii is great. I love the fact that there are so many Asian people. I don't feel like a minority there. I think that it's the only place in the world where you can be Asian, be the majority and speak English,'' he said.

As for possibilities in the Korean entertainment business, Kim was very positive, though very careful, as he always is in choosing a good project where he can portray ``genuine, three-dimensional characters, rather than mere caricatures.'' But he also expressed concern about Koreans having negative impressions of ``gyopo'' or Korean-Americans dabbling in the Korean entertainment business and leaving poor images.

`Happiness’ Measures Cost of Love

"Happiness" (행복; Haengbok)
Directed by Hur Jin-ho (허진호)
Starring Hwang Jung-min (황정민), Lim Soo-jung (임수정)

This is one of my favorite movies. It features my favorite actor Hwang, and also beautiful music by violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill.

Love is pain, they say, and countless songs and stories croon about it time over time. Melodrama maestro Hur Jin-ho (``One Fine Spring Day,’’ 2001, ``April Snow,’’ 2005) does not disappoint in his fourth romance ``Happiness,’’ where he depicts love’s fleeting pleasures and lasting sting with poignant tenderness.

Things can’t get any worse for Yeong-jae (Hwang Jung-min), a heavy drinking, chain-smoking playboy: His nightclub goes bankrupt, his girlfriend deserts him and he might die from cirrhosis (point of interest: the club scene was shot in Apgujeong NB, which also closed its doors not too long ago).

He packs up everything and retreats to a rehabilitation center in the middle of nowhere, where he meets the most unexpected: true love. Eun-hi (Lim Soo-jung) suffers from fatally weak lungs, but despite her frail appearance she is stouthearted and takes care of the other patients. Yeong-jae and Eun-hi fall madly in love and move into a small house in the countryside. Each moment is filled with peace and Yeong-jae discovers a sweetness and profundity to life he never knew before.

Yet, ``for each ecstatic instant we must an anguish pay in keen and quivering ration to the ecstasy,’’ as Emily Dickinson wrote: As Yeong-jae regains his strength, he grows bored with country life and feels suffocated by Eun-hi’s devotion. Tempted by his friends and ex-girlfriend to return to the city, he leaves the woman that saved his life.

``Before, I couldn’t live without you, but now, you’re driving me crazy,’’ he tells her bitterly.

Actor Hwang Jung-min completely casts off his much-loved image as a passionately devoted husband in ``You are My Sunshine’’ (2005) as he trades in his boorish farmer clothes and potbelly for a dangerously sexy, chic urban look complete with a six-pack.

Although the film publicizes Hwang’s deterioration into a bad guy, his character, though contemptible at times, is far from being completely loathsome like Jonathan Rhys Meyers in Woody Allen’s ``Match Point’’ (2005) or Cho Jae-hyun in Kim Ki-deok’s ``Bad Guy’’ (2001).

``Happiness’’ is essentially a love story, but, at large, a realistic sketch of the human condition and a testimony of modern man’s dilemma. Weak-willed and lacking self-restraint, Yeong-jae is simply ordinary -- an antihero with completely normal, human flaws. You actually feel sympathetic for the guy who falls prey to the dark seductions of our oversexed, consumption-driven society.

The film is almost biblical in the sense that Eun-hi creates the prefect Garden of Eden for Yeong-jae, who is doomed to escape only to meet his downfall.

Even Su-yeon (Kong Hyo-jin), who leaves her dying boyfriend but later wants him back when he is recovered and with another woman, speaks to the no-strings-attached romance of our generation.

Lim Soo-jung personifies her character with such tenderness that you can never imagine anyone else playing the part. Compared with her previous role as a dying schoolgirl in ``…ing’’ (2003), the baby-faced actress makes a big step toward full-fledged ``womanhood,’’ and the snippet of the film’s love scene in its preview created quite a stir here.

Eun-hi is made of beauty in all its possible forms, with the tenderness of a guardian angel, devotion of a mother and the fervor of a passionate lover. Her almost too perfect character could have stopped short of being allegorical at best, but she becomes instantly terrestrial thanks to minute details that make all the difference. Any woman would be able relate to discreetly checking out one’s face in front of the man she pretends not to fancy.

``Happiness’’ is a memorable film that strikes both sense and sensibility -- leaving you to ruminate the nature of love while leaving a resonating vibe in your heart.

Coming to theaters Oct.3.

Middle-Aged Men Escape, Onscreen

A lineup of heartwarming family movies await audiences with Korea's thanksgiving holiday Chuseok around the corner. Among them, ``Bravo My Life,'' ``The Happy Life'' and ``Wild Hogs,'' show that one can never be too late to rock 'n' roll or hit the road on bikes. The latent spirit of youth awakens in middle-aged men, providing much laughter and tears for audiences of all ages, especially fathers.

White-collar Band Sings `Bravo My Life'

Four veteran actors, Baek Yoon-sik (``Art of Fighting,'' 2000), Park Jun-qu (``My Wife is a Gangster 2,'' 2003) and Ihm Ha-ryong (``Welcome to Dongmakgol,'' 2005) make breakthrough lead performances in ``Bravo My Life,'' now showing in theaters. Inspired by the true story of a group of white-collar rockers Gapgeunse (Grade A Earned Income Tax) Band, the movie traces the depressing retirement of Min-hyuk (Bae Yoon-sik).

Diligent but far from ambitious, 50-year-old Min-hyuk dedicated 30 years to his firm. Awaiting his retirement ``due to old age'' in 30 days, the man sighs deeply, saddened by the ``three tragedies of modern man: Having to retire while still young, breaking one's back to earn children's tuition fees and not even being able to die because of a longer lifespan.''

While Min-hyuk's employees prepare a special farewell gift for him, hidden talents of fellow workers are unveiled: Min-hyuk was once an aspiring rocker, with a flair for drumming, while Seung-jae and Seok-won turn out to be guitarists, and Jong-su is a saxophone player.

These four unlikely white-collar workers form a rock band and relive the glory of their youth, adding color and rhythm to their dull, monotonous lives.

Friends Celebrate `The Happy Life'

``The Happy Life'' thoroughly resembles ``Bravo,'' with four men reliving their youth by forming a rock band. Even one of the characters, Hyeok-su, also a gireogi father like ``Bravo's'' Seung-jae, and also has a pet turtle for company. Here, another set of four veteran actors, including one former child star, give life to colorful characters. ``King and the Clown's'' director Lee Joon-ik and male lead Jung Jin-young get back together in ``Bravo.'' Jung plays the role of an unemployed father, Gi-yeong, who lives on a daily allowance from his working wife while trying hard not to embarrass his teenage daughter. One day, he reunites with members of his college rock band Volcano at the funeral of their lead vocalist Sang-woo.

Former bass play Seong-wook lives a hand-to-mouth existence working two jobs while trying to maintain his upper-middleclass lifestyle. One-time drummer Hyeok-su makes a living selling secondhand cars to support his wife and children in Canada. Gi-yeong is inspired one day to revive Volcano: After much persuasion, the band regroups for the first time in 20 years, with the late vocalist's young son Hyeon-jun, played by grown up child-star Jang Geun-seok.

Although Volcano members manage to escape the mundane while onstage, they must face the anticlimactic moments of reality offstage. If an exciting rock performance is like a much-needed breath of fresh air for ``Bravo,'' it's like a sigh for ``Happy.'' While the drama culminates through the grand finale performance of ``Bravo,'' ``Happy'' shows how these men deal with ordinary life after tasting the sweet sensation of the stage spotlight.

Like ``Bravo,'' ``Happy'' celebrates friendship and family values, and shows that what is often called a mid-life crisis is but a small bump on the road. ``Happy'' will open across theaters Thursday.

Wild Hogs' Hit the Road

Four Hollywood favorites _ John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy _ shine in the sliver screen as four middle-aged, suburban biker-wannabes.

In Cincinnati, dentist Doug Madsen (Time Allen) is bored with his middle-class life and reminisces his reckless youth when he was known as ``the Golden Biker.'' The aspirant writer Bobby Davis (Martin Lawrence) is miserable with his dead-end job and pressure from his wife. The computer geek Dudley Frank (William H. Macy) is painfully shy and unsuccessful with women. The wealthy Woody Stevens (John Travollta) is married to asupermodel, but his perfect life starts breaking apart unexpectedly.

Equipped with black leather gear and shiny motorcycles, four friends embark on an adventurous road trip, but ``a lot can happen on the road to nowhere.'' The movie provides endless laughter as these ``Wild Hogs'' get more than they bargained for when they encounter a New Mexico gang.

Showing exclusively at Cinus Theaters.

Inspiration of `My Father' Speaks About Family, Love

One of the most formidable people I've ever met.

Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Adopted by a loving American family at the age of six in 1979, Aaron Bates returned to Korea as an American soldier and began a search for his birth family. Years later, Bates was finally able to reunite with his ``biological'' father, who was a death row inmate.

But the fact that his father was a murderer did not bother him. Nor that they may be biologically unrelated.

``Love never fails, love conquers all,'' the adoptee told The Korea Times Tuesday at a Seoul hotel, while visiting for the release of the film inspired by his story ``My Father,'' starring Daniel Henney and Kim Young-chul.

``I try to see everything on the positive side. I couldn't wait to spend time with (my father). I said, well, this could be my last time. I didn't want to waste a golden opportunity,'' said the devout Christian, recalling the time he was about to see his father for the first time in 2000.

In 2003, a KBS documentary entitled ``My Father'' touched the hearts of many as it traced Bates' search. The film version has fictionalized parts ``but it captures the essence of my life,'' he said after watching the film the same evening.

``The only thing I asked (the makers of the film) is that they show the utmost respect to my father, to the victim's family, to my family and to have those positive results like adoption works, family values and love.

``The movie was truly heartfelt; I don't cry often but I choked up,'' he said. ``It was fantastic.'' Bates also met the lead actor, and said ``He's not just a pretty face. He's very emotional in his role, he really thinks about his role and really understands… The two actors (Henney and Kim Young-chul) were exceptional… The other actors are very important too, like the guy who plays So-young (Kim In-kwon).

``I'm still in awe this is really happening. It's a great privilege,'' he said. ``I hope (the movie) does wonders, not so much financially, but transmitting the message about love, forgive and forget, and you don't need to be blood to be part of a family,'' he said.

``Growing up, I was blessed in everything. It was just like being part of a (normal) family... When you love someone so much you don't see what their eyes, skin color are like. I'll never get rid of my skin color, my eyes… But if someone's really that keen about it, it bothers them, then I just don't associate with them. Those people are biased and they have their own prison _ they can't look outside the box,'' he said.

In the movie, James Parker could no longer date his Caucasian girlfriend because her parents thought he was ``different.'' Bates, too, broke up with a girlfriend because she did not want mixed-race children.

While stationed in the Unites States army base here, Bates was assisted by his KATUSA (Korean Augmentation Troops to the U.S. Army) buddy Kim So-young, to search for his family.

Kim also flew in from Canada for the movie premiere, and Bates said the character Joseph, modeled after his friend and played by actor Kim In-kwon, impressed him.

After Bates had left Korea and was undergoing special training in Washington, he received news about his biological father. He had to wait a few months to meet his father, until his training ended and he got special permission from the army to return to Korea.

Before the reunion the two corresponded through letters. Bates knew his father was in prison, but it was en route to the reunion, at the Gwangju train station, that he learned his father was on death row. ``It was shocking. Yes, he is a murderer. But we have a story because of our situation. I want to emphasize, though, that (the movie) is not about him. It's more about the relationship,'' he said.

``When people dwell in the past, it consumes you,'' said Bates, an optimist who does not feel anger about past evils. ``The fact that I could see my dad, that I could hold him, knowing that my search was not in vain, and if he died tomorrow, if he were executed tomorrow, I was very satisfied to know that I was able to hold my father. Not only for my sense of self-gratification, also for (my father).

``(My father) is in prison, he's in despair.'' Bates explained that the man suffers ``two imprisonments'' from his own guilt and physical detention. ``But now he has hope. If I were in that situation, I would love to see my son for the last time, and knowing that everything's OK.''

``My Father'' depicts the reunion, as it was in real life, a hectic affair with incessant camera flashes and reporters asking the bewildered young man to bow to the father in the traditional style, hug him and say I love you.'

``Yes, it was (theatrical)… But looking at the bright side of things, if it weren't for (the media) I wouldn't have been able to hold my dad for the first time; it would have been behind the glass.'' The media attention allowed the two to meet in a special room.

Yet, the KBS documentary also revealed a DNA test that showed Bates was not biologically related to his father. Bates' father Seo was married to Bates' biological mother at the time she gave birth to him. Although they may not be blood-related, he said, ``When you love someone so much, it really doesn't matter.''

``I went to see my father (last Monday), but they wouldn't let me, saying I'm not his real son.'' Fortunately, before leaving Korea in 2001, Bates had listed his name under the family registrar. Only when he presented the paperwork did the prison grant his visit. ``Everything happens for a reason,'' he said.

When asked about what enabled him to share his extraordinary yet very private story, Bates said, it was so that he could ``share with people… My life is beautiful. I'm an adopted kid, I have a loving family, adoption works, to give hope to kids like me. The media is a very powerful tool.''

Bates has been out of the military since 2002, and now works as an insurance agent. His incredible life experience does not end with ``My Father.'' The man stands firmly on two feet despite suffering a disc problem last year, which usually results in one being confined to a wheelchair. He lives in Arizona with his wife and nine-month-old son.

>>Read the movie review of "My Father."

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2007/09/141_9821.html

`My Father’ Paints Many Faces of Love

Among e-mails from readers were those from a Belgian woman whose young son is a Korean adoptee. She wanted to watch the film.... which is highly recommended for everyone, not just people of a certain familial background.

They say here that familial love flows downstream like a river, from parent to child. The depths of parental love for one's own child are universally deemed unconditional and immeasurable. While one cannot quantify love, love can also travel upstream, from child to parent, with great momentum.

``My Father,'' directed by critically acclaimed filmmaker Hwang Dong-hyuk and starring Daniel Henney and Kim Young-cheol, explores the multifaceted meaning of family, love, forgiveness and acceptance.

Inspired by a true story, the ``faction'' film (a combination of fact and fiction) traces the incredible journey of an adoptee searching for his birth family. Adopted by a loving American family at the age of five, the 27-year-old James Parker (Henney) joins the United States army and is stationed in Korea where he searches for his birth family. With the help of his KATUSA (Korean Augmentation Troops to the U.S. Army) roommate and buddy, Joseph (Kim In-kwon), James makes a television appearance and is able to locate traces of his past.

James finally finds his birth father Nam-cheol (Kim), the only surviving member of his biological family. But the highly anticipated reunion is far from touching, as it takes place in a local prison, under the chaotic flashes of cameras and reporters incessantly asking the bewildered young man to hug Nam-cheol and say ``I love you.'' The father is in his 10th year on death row for the murder of two people.

Despite all the odds, James learns to fully accept his father.

``Father'' is like a cup of coffee: The story is deeply rooted in the bitter-sweetness of reality, touching upon heavy, controversial issues from adoption -- Korea, while being a top global economy, is the fourth largest ``exporter of babies'' -- to local troubles with the U.S. army and the death penalty. Yet, the film possesses a deep, smooth aftertaste, filled with the aromatic moments of life as it fathoms the meaning of family and friendship.

The cinematography captures this dual nature, as a soft ray of sunlight fills stark, barren prison cells with warmth. Jo Geun-hyeon, art director of visually striking films like ``A Tale of Two Sisters'' (2003), transforms mundane spaces like the army base and squalid street corners into places resonating with life.

While the most gripping aspect of the film is the father-son love between James and Nam-cheol, the profound love in James' adopted family is equally touching. Families take on many forms, but love transcends all, blood-related or not. The strong, family-like friendship between James and Joseph is also heartfelt.

Henney, dubbed ``Korea's heartthrob'' with his chiseled, modern-day Prince Charming image molded through appearances in ``My Name is Kim Sam-soon'' (MBC, 2005) and ``Seducing Mr. Perfect'' (2005), has found his breakthrough role as an actor.

The model-turned-screec star gives a surprising performance as he delivers the complex emotional state of his character, through jerking tears, frustrated bursts of anger and awkward embraces with his father.

The contemptible yet sympathy-provoking Nam-cheol is brought to life by veteran actor Kim Young-cheol. The star of epic TV dramas like ``Taejo Wanggeon'' (KBS1, 2000) delivers, with much finesse, his first lead role on the big screen. The 54-year-old took off about 22 pounds and even had his teeth ground up to become a prisoner.

Noted in the international film circle through shorts, director Hwang Dong-hyuk makes his feature film debut. In addition to anticipating more three-dimensional roles from Henney, film buffs can expect more full-length movies from the up-and-coming director.

>>Read my interview with Aaron Bates, the inspiration of the true story.

'Harry Potter' Matures With Growing Pains

The world's favorite young wizard is back in fine form, and considerably taller, as he starts his fifth year at Hogwarts -- and faces the wizarding world's greatest threat and mounting fears. ``Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,'' the fifth in the series, takes on a more grim and dramatic tone as much of the action freewheels inside Harry's troubled mind.

After spending a lonely summer on Privet Drive, Harry (a rather clean-cut Daniel Radcliffe) stands in a disciplinary hearing before the Ministry of Magic for illegally wielding his wand to fend off Dementor attacks before Mugwarts. He avoids expulsion, but is reprimanded along with Dumbledore for claiming that Lord Voldemort is back.

Fudge, the Minister of Magic, is convinced that Dumbledore is conspiring to steal his position, and sends Dolores Jane Umbridge to Hogwarts to teach Dark Arts. Imelda Staunton plays the perfect authoritarian of order and regulation: wearing feigned smiles and prim and proper pink suits, she takes Hogwart's by the collar to shake out all signs of creative magic.

Meanwhile, Harry is branded a liar and ostracized at school. The troubled boy distances himself from even Ron and Hermione. But when their beloved headmaster is forced to flee, the three musketeers gather a secretive student alliance dubbed Dumbledore's Army to battle Voldemort.

Though Harry's clandestine magic lessons fill in for fragmented classroom scenes, the movie lacks the magical touches of Mike Newell's ``Goblet of Fire,'' the last and most successful of the series. Director David Yates does, however, a fine job of inserting flashbacks to the fourth film without disrupting the flow, providing just enough to inform those who haven't seen ``Goblet of Fire'' and refresh the memories of those who have.

``Harry Potter 5'' heavily features the boy's bond with godfather Sirius Black, which unfortunately outweighs the role of other characters, including charming newcomer Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch). Also prominent is Harry's nightmarish visions of Voldemort, with whom he feels a deepening connection.

Other growing pains mark the film, and a blossoming romance with the pretty Cho Chang is sure to excite fans. Harry's climactic face-off with Voldemort's clan is impressive as it takes place in a huge Ministry department storing endless shelves of globes holding prophecies, including that of our beloved young wizard sought after by Voldemort.

As the series nears its finale, good and evil are more clearly defined, with Lucius Malfoy explicitly displaying his malignant intentions. Helena Bonham Carter also inventively embodies the zany Bellatrix Lestrange. The fifth installment is marked by delightful details: ongoing pranks by Weasley twins; an ingenious visitor's entrance to the magical world via a red London telephone booth; and flying paper planes -- instead of owls -- that carry messages.

The Harry Potter craze is sure to peak this summer as J.K.Rowling's seventh and last book is also due. The next film ``Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince'' awaits release next year and will also be directed by Yates.

Maestro, Son to Hold Charity Concert

With a group of energetic boy musicians, maestro Chung Myung-whun will wield the baton for the Boystown Symphony Orchestra in a charity concert in August.

The fundraising concert is expected to strike an emotional cord with the audience as Chung’s youngest son Min, 23, will accompany his father and will also swing the baton for the orchestra while the 54-year-old musician appears on stage as a soloist.

Internationally acclaimed as a virtuoso, Chung has conducted the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic. He will now guide a group of children from Boystown, a welfare center in Busan run by the Sisters of Mary who provide a loving home, education and medical care for boys aged between three and 18 years.

Concert to Strike an Emotional Cord

The Boystown Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1979 under poor conditions __ lacking a proper rehearsal space and even decent instruments. But propelled by the determination of the Sisters of Mary, the orchestra has since gone on to perform with world-class musicians such as violinist Sarah Chang.

``We wanted the children to develop lifelong talents, whether it be a sport, instrument or drawing,’’ Sister Kim Sophia, the head of Boystown in Busan and high school principal, told reporters during a private luncheon on Thursday at a restaurant in Insa-dong, northern Seoul.
``By participating in the orchestra, the children have developed concentration, cooperation and endurance,’’ Kim said. ``It also greatly helps the boys’ emotional growth.’’

Kim added that some 10 former members of the Boystown orchestra have continued on to join the country’s city orchestras, such as the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. Others who were recruited to work at Samsung Group became part of the Samsung Philharmonic Orchestra.
The boys of Boystown were elated when Chung visited them in November 2005. Since then, the conductor and his son have guided the young musicians to play Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 1-4 in small concerts.

Classical music transcends aesthetics and possesses a depth that musicians must strive to fathom, explained Chung. In doing so, technique and talent are important, but fine-tuning the very spirit is crucial. In terms of spirit, Chung said at the luncheon that the children of Boystown are unmatched. ``They possess an incredible purity and balance.’’Furthermore it’s great, he said, if musicians try hard enough to demonstrate 50 to 60 percent of their fullest potential. It’s outstanding if they manage to get 70 percent.

``Of course you cannot compare these amateur musicians with students fully committed to studying music.’’ The musician expressed concern that many music students focus too much on the drive for success rather than searching for their own voice.

From Father to Son

The conductor is also famous for the Chung Trio with his sisters, celebrated cellist Myung-wha and violinist Kyung-wha. Now his youngest son has entered the classical music scene.

At the fundraising concert, Chung Min will conduct the Beethoven Triple Concerto, Op.56 with his father at the piano. Chung Myung-whun will then guide the boys to perform Beethoven’s 5th Symphony ``Destiny” in C minor, Op.67. Chung Min studied music and literature at the Lycee Internationale Racine in France and currently majors in instrumental music and violin at Seoul National University.

``It’s not (Min’s) `debut’ as a conductor per se,’’ Chung insisted about his son’s musical career. ``It’s more along the lines of volunteering and a part of his studies, so we’ll have to see. He’s not unfit (to become a conductor),’’ the father said rather humbly, but with much affection and even sharing anecdotes about his son’s early artistic ``signs’’ as a baby.

But the conductor also expressed concern about his fame eclipsing Min’s career.
Born in 1953 in Seoul, the pianist Chung debuted at age seven. After moving to the United States, he won second prize at the 1974 Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow and graduated from the Julliard School in New York.

The former music director of Opera Bastille in Paris (1989-1994), he now serves as music director and principal conductor of the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra (since 2000), the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (since 2005) and Asia Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as special artistic advisor to the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Chung also revealed his hobby of making batons by hand, using olive trees that grow in his yard. Unable to find a baton with the perfect balance and grip, he decided to make his own and also gave one to his son.

The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m., August 20, at the National Museum of Korea. Two types of tickets are available: ``Hope’’ tickets cost 70,000 won and can be purchased online at www.ticketlink.co.kr and www.interpark.co.kr. Or by donating an amount of your choice, you can purchase ``Love’’ tickets by calling (02) 518-7343.

For more information about Boystown in Busan and ways to support the children, visit www.bsboystown.or.kr.

`Black House': Bloodbath Dilutes Suspense Factor

"The Black House"
(검은집; Geomeunjip)
Directed by Shin Tae-ra (신태라)
Starring Hwang Jung-min (황정민), Yu Sun (유선), Kang Shin-il (강신일)

Rusty, run down and remote except for the sporadic purr of a passing train, ``The Black House’’ is no haunted mansion but a sinister place where lies the darkest secret of a psychopath __ a monster devoid of any human feeling or conscience.

Featuring a dungeon with nooses hanging down from the ceiling and tainted tubs oozing with blood and dismantled limbs, and a psychopath nearing its next prey with a butcher’s knife while humming an eerie song, ``Black’’ offers chills and frill-free gore.

For portraying the ``truth’’ about psychopaths, the film touches upon some childhood trauma-related matters but gives a one-dimensional generalization. While ``Black’’ tries to strike your nerve by suggesting that there could be a psychopath living next door, it’s not so arresting.

As the thriller fathoms the depths of man’s ``fascination of the abomination,’’ the bloodbath dilutes some of the suspense factor. The film’s suspense factor is slightly drained as it relies more on gore to keep viewers aghast. Like ``master of suspense’’ Alfred Hitchcock famously said, ``there is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it.’’

But the film is deeply disturbing as it unravels from the eyes of a protagonist who is almost as disquieting as the psychopath. Hwang Jung-min (``You Are My Sunshine,’’ 2005) gives an impressive performance that shines through the heavy blood shower.

On his first day of work at a life insurance company, consultant Jun-oh (Hwang) answers a phone call from a woman asking about compensation for suicide. Only after hanging up does he see the employee handbook warning against revealing personal information and expressing sympathy to such inquirers.

A few days later, Jun-oh is lead to a decrepit house sitting in the outskirt of a sleepy neighborhood, where he finds a seven-year-old dead, hanging by the neck. But even more disconcerting is the darting glance of the boy’s stepfather, Park (Kang Shin-il).

Though all evidence point to suicide, Jun-oh is convinced otherwise and postpones the insurance payment. Park stops at nothing to recover his money. Discovering that Park’s wife, Shin (Yu Sun), is covered by a 300 million won plan, Jun-oh tries to warn her before another murder ensues.

As Jun-oh ventures on a harrowing journey to unlock the truth underlying ``the black house,’’ he must protect not only his life but that of his lover.

Based on the best-selling novel of the same title by Yusuke Kishi, ``Black’’ received much attention from international buyers at Cannes in May for its strong script and acting. A Japanese version of the film was made in 1999, and Dimension Film of the United States also plans to film the story.

Popular horror novelist Yusuke Kishi wrote the creepy tale based on his own experience at an insurance company. The writer is said to have expressed great surprise at Hwang Jung-min’s portrayal of Jun-oh, for the actor brought to life the precise image the author had in mind.

Hwang’s role as the unlikely life insurance consultant is probably the most amiable one after Mr. Incredible from Walt Disney’s ``The Incredibles’’ (2004). But his abnormal degree of sympathy is troubling.

Haunted by the skeletons in his own closet, Jun-oh goes out of his way to help others, endangering not only himself but his loved ones. As he battles the stoic psychopath, he desperately tries to locate a trace of humanity in the monstrous being.

This is the third Korea-Japan joint venture following the Cannes award-winning ``Old Boy’’ (2003) by Park Chan-wook and Asian box-office hit ``200 Pounds Beauty’’ (2006) starring Kim A-jung, both inspired by Japanese comic books and brought to screen by the best Korean filmmakers and actors.