`Superman': The Good Samaritan

"A Man Who Was Superman"
(슈퍼맨이었던 사나이; Syupeomanieotdeon Sanai)
Directed by Chung Yoon-chul (정윤철)
Starring Hwang Jung-min (황정민), Jun Ji-hyun (전지현; aka. Jianna Jun)

For ``A Man Who Was Superman,'' director Chung Yoon-chul, the tear jerking maestro behind ``Marathon'' (2005), teams up with superstars Jun Ji-hyun (aka Jianna Jun) and Hwang Jung-min. It's a multi-dimensional story that, while buttressed by the safety net of the American superhero's iconic cultural appeal, is reborn with an unconventional Superman _ a modern-day hero who battles urban apathy and preaches the virtues of lending a hand.

Soo-jung (Jun) is a producer of human-interest TV documentaries. Cynical, worn out and shrouded in cigarette smoke, she doesn't believe in the product she sells, and even resorts to throwing in bits of fabrication to heighten the schmaltziness of her lame subject matter. Sick of contrived drama, she decides to leave with the firm's camera instead of her overdue payroll to shoot ruthless lions in Africa.

But things don't work out, and to make matters worse, a thief runs off with her camera. But then along comes Superman (Hwang) _ a rather odd fellow clad in a Hawaiian shirt _ to the rescue.

And so Soo-jung returns to her dead-end job with a new story. She starts documenting the mystery man and his chronic willingness to help others, like helping the elderly cross the street and rescuing puppies, as well as his obsessive environmental activism, like hand-standing in the middle of the street to ``push off'' the rays of the sun.

What's more, Superman claims he cannot use his superpowers due to a piece of kryptonite (the fictional element in the original cartoon that weakens Superman's powers) stuck in his head. But when an X-ray reveals that there really is some foreign object rooted in his brain, Soo-jung knows she has a hit story.

But even greater surprises await Soo-jung, as Superman starts knocking at her frigid heart.

The film's conquering tactic is fairly simple: overwhelm and amuse the audience with Superman's utterly bizarre existence, while Soo-jung's cynicism and disheartening practicality downplay the absurdity. Viewers will fall in love with the characters and have their hearts broken by the revealing of the tragic secrets of the characters. There's also a biting moral lesson about something we're all guilty of.

The movie explores the ``bystander effect'' _ how individuals are less likely to help others when in a group _ and its traumatizing aftermath. But ``Superman'' is not a bitter social commentary. It's a fuzzy human drama, and counters that feeling of uneasiness by throwing in a ray of hope, thus wrapping it up with a smile.

It works how we expect a movie to. Sure, it's ridden with fairytale conventions, but has a modern edge that make you want to believe in it. The director also showcases a new directorial style by adding elements of fantasy. You need to let go of your inhibitions and just tune into the fun, like the parody of the original comic strip and other surreal scenes.

But despite the comic relief, the first half of the two-hour flick seems to drag out a little too much before reaching the climax. But Hwang works his magic and saves the script.

The director has said Hwang (``Happiness,'' 2007) is the one and only actor in Korea to pull off Superman, and indeed the actor surprises viewers with yet another unforgettable role as he maps out an endless array of emotions. His Hawaiian shirt, strange dance routines and giddy comments might give birth to a new superhero figure.

Jun, on the other hand, manages to pull together a convincing character. But despite her disheveled hair and makeup-less face, her sarcastic character still strongly reflects the oddly lovely girl from ``My Sassy Girl'' (1999).

The film basically says that being Superman isn't difficult. ``The film made me realize I too can be Superman (and change for the better). But I haven't taken action yet, but the thought that I must change, I think, is the beginning. And a good beginning is half the battle, right?'' said Jun at a recent press preview in Seoul.

In theaters Jan. 31. English subtitles available at CGV Yongsan.

>>Read more about what the actors had to say about the movie

Jun, Hwang Become Super Heroes

Hwang Jung-min, left, and Jun Ji-hyun /Yonhap

Hallyu princess Jun Ji-hyun (also known as Gianna Jun, ``My Sassy Girl,’’ 2001) and Korea’s favorite leading man Hwang Jung-min (``Happiness,’’ 2007) may seem like an odd pair, but they have one thing in common: superstar power.

The two join forces in ``A Man Who Was Superman,’’ a story about an unlikely ``hero’’ (Hwang), who goes out of his way to help _ or rescue _ the planet by helping senior citizens cross the street and hand-standing in the middle of the road ``to push away’’ the detrimental effects of the sun. Jun plays the role of Song Su-jeong, a cynical documentary filmmaker who records his story.

A press conference Monday at a Seoul theater buzzed with reporters trying to catch the two stars in the latest work by Chung Yoon-chul, the director who had the entire nation crying with his tearjerker ``Marathon’’ (2005).

The director and actors arrived a little late for the event, and Hwang explained that it was because the emergency exit door was locked. ``I wanted to break it down, but I couldn’t use my superpower. I can’t use it as long as I have kryptonite stuck in my head’’ he said.

Kryptonite is a fictional substance that weakens Superman’s powers in the original American comic series. In the movie, his character claims to have kryptonite stuck in his head, and when Song (Jun) discovers through an X-ray that there really is something in his brain, she knows she has the story of her life.

``I am Superman, a man who is truly Superman at heart,’’ Hwang introduced himself. Hwang is undoubtedly the most high profile actor in Korea, and revisits fans with a third movie just a few months after ``Black House’’ and ``Happiness’’ (2007).

Although Jun was regularly seen on TV through various commercials here, she makes an appearance on the big screen for the first time in two years since ``Daisy’’ (2006). She had also been busy shooting her Hollywood debut piece ``Blood: The Last Vampire.’’

For ``Superman,’’ the actress cut off her signature long silky hair, and her character even suffers from balding. But Jun explained that the hair wasn’t a problem at all _ it was having to smoke that worried her. ``I actually smoked, and it wasn’t as difficult as I imagined. But I put health above everything else, and I asked myself if I really had to hurt my health for my career,’’ she said. When asked rather mischievously if she’d choose a sex scene over smoking, Jun simply said, ``I want to shoot movies that I’d be proud to show my children.’’

But she knew that ``Superman’’ was a big opportunity. ``Although luck was probably involved, I think it’s destiny for an actor to `meet’ new work,’’ she said.

She also admitted feeling a lot of pressure acting opposite her co-star, a bona-fide actor. ``But on the first day I met him, I realized that I have much to learn from him, not only from his acting, but also as an individual,’’ she said.

Hwang also complimented his co-star. ``I was amazed to see myself make such different facial expressions. But it’s because of Jun. Acting is not something you can calculate, it’s a heart-to-heart dialogue, and it was possible because of her.’’

In fact, there was one scene that required 34 retakes because of Hwang, and Jun calls this her ``triumph. I thought that the great actor Hwang Jung-min would just need just one go,’’ she joked.


``This movie shows that it’s not so difficult or a big deal to make a difference in the world, that we can all become Superman,’’ said the director. ``I hope the audience will feel happy while watching the `supernatural’ acting of our actors, and realize the potential in themselves.’’

When asked what they would do if given superpowers, the director said he would help clean the oil spill in Taean, South Chungcheon Province, while Jun said she would start with the little things in life such as a helping a needy neighbor, and Hwang joked he would turn back time to retrieve money he had lost to a bully as a child.

``I am proud to be able to share the successful `localization’ of the American comic strip,’’ said the director, drawing a hearty laugh from the crowd. ``Perhaps you can stay tuned for `A Woman Who was Wonder Woman’ starring Jun Ji-hyun in the future.’’

In theaters Jan. 31.

Voices 8: 17 of the Most Beautiful Voices in the World

Compilation albums can be terrible like a skatterbrained buffet but I like Universal's "Voices" series.



Various artists (Universal)



The eighth of Universal's crossover compilation series brings more of the best from a variety of genres.



Seventeen of the most unforgettable singers of our time sing beloved songs from operas, pop music and musicals: Andrew Lloyd Webber's ``Pie Jesu'' by the young artist Charlotte Church, Celine Dion's ``My Heart Will Go On'' sung by Vittorio Grigolo, who is also known as ``Little Pavarotti,'' and ``Nessun Dorma'' (from Puccini's opera ``Turandot'') by Luciano Pavarotti himself.

Also included is Simon and Garfunkle's ``Bridge Over Troubled Water'' by the soulful Russel Watson, Edith Piaf's ``La Vien en rose'' by musical star Ute Lemper and ``Amigos Para Siemper'' by Sarah Brightman and Jose Carreras.