`Chaser’ Offers Heart-Thumping Thrills

Not another serial killer story ― and for St. Valentine's Day? You've got to be kidding. But ``The Chaser,'' coming to theaters Feb. 14, is no joke. It's a film noir with a serious message, but is entertaining despite being ridden with social criticism from beginning to end.

While giving the much-exploited genre a novel edge, it's a classic edge-of-the-seat experience with pulsating action, cynical comic relief and elusively gripping characters. Two hours fly by in no time.

``The Chaser'' marks director Na Hong-jin's feature film debut. He made a name for himself in the international scene for shorts like ``A Perfect Red Snapper Dish,'' and presents an original story that was three years in the making.

Here, the cat-and-mouse game is not between the police and criminal: In American parlance, a less-than-average Joe tracks down a serial murderer, while the corrupt police and public prosecutors prove to be rather useless.

Kim Yun-seok, the award-winning supporting actor from ``Tazza: The High Rollers'' and the familiar face from ``The Happy Life,'' nails down his first lead role. Jung-ho is an antihero who gives a bad first impression. He's a former cop who got fired for bribery, and now runs a so-called door-to-door masseuse service, which is really a sordid call girl business.

Jung-ho is in a sour mood as one call girl vanishes after another. When Mi-jin (Seo Yeong-hi) disappears he notices that they've gone missing after getting a call from the same client, or cell phone number.

He suspects human trafficking and sets out to catch the culprit, grumbling how much money he had paid for the girls. ``4885 ― that's you, right? If I catch you, you're dead,'' he says. Jung-ho does track him down, but it's far from heroic. He accidentally crashes into the guy while driving recklessly.

``I didn't traffic them… I killed them. But that woman (Mi-jin) is probably alive,'' killer Ji Myeong-min (Ha Jung-woo) ``casually'' mentions to the police. What's more, he can't seem to remember the exact number of his victims ― was it 10 or 12?

The police have hit the jackpot, as Myeong-min claims to be responsible for a bunch of unsolved serial murders. They try to put a case together in a desperate attempt to save face after a notorious incident that had literally dung-slapped the Seoul mayor.

While the cops are busy poking around in all the wrong places to retrieve evidence, Jung-ho, convinced that Mi-jin is still alive, embarks on his own investigation. It's because she is a valuable asset for business, not a sense of social responsibility. But corrupt politics among the police and prosecutors, media play and other mishaps set the killer free. A breathtaking chase ensues.

Ha Jung-woo (``Never Forever''), whom renowned director Martin Scorsese had praised as having ``as much potential as Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon,'' brazenly displays an animalistic instinct for acting. He is both passively aggressive and ``aggressively passive'' as the enigmatic murderer. Is he sexually frustrated misogynist? A failed artist? A psychopath? The film does not attempt to deconstruct the mind of the murderer nor does it provide flashbacks of traumatized childhood or such.

It simply lays out the senselessly brutal act as it is. A hammer, chisel and a full swing.

The average viewer, despite having been conditioned to movie conventions that offer a solid who, what, when, where and why, have no time to demand reason. Apart from being overwhelmed by the harrowing bloodshed, one is swiftly led from one heart-pounding scene to another.

The script, while a bit rough around the edges, is smart and stylish as it paints a grimacing portrait of contemporary society with all its muck and grit.

We see ugly modern man indulge in instant gratification and easily satisfy sexual urges with one phone call. His anonymity is guaranteed, of course, for names and personal identity have degenerated into numerical digits. Corrupt authorities that are blinded by personal gain overlook his sins.

``Yes, it is,'' Na said bluntly when asked if the movie was a social criticism. ``Fury prompted me to write the story,'' he told reporters following the film's press preview in Seoul. ``Intentions for murder cannot and should not be justified,'' he said.

`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.

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.