[movie 2009] Ogamdo / Five Senses Of Eros 오감도

Min-Soo and Ji-Won make a special connection after a coincidental first meeting. Min-Soo is a corporate employee who takes the KTX (train) each Thursday morning. Ji-Won is a charming curator who happens to be seated right in front of Min-Soo on the train one day. Attracted at first sight, Min-Soo spontaneously follows Ji-Won off the train to get her phone number. He plans for a special second meeting to take place a few days later...…

Hyun-Woo and Hye-Rim are a happily married couple. In fact, Hye-Rim waits all day hiding around the house in order to surprise her husband when he gets home. While Hyun-Woo worries about his wife being alone at home all day, Hye-Rim worries about the fact that her husband will soon be left alone forever...

Director Bong annoys his cast and crew with an indecisive yet fussy personality. In particular, Hwa-Ran, a charismatic and energetic veteran actress, can't tolerate his ways. Taking control of things, Hwa-Ran decides to give rookie actress Mi-Jin a sexy makeover and have her seduce Director Bong. Mi-Jin seems fresh and pure, yet harbours a hidden passion (lust).

Jung-Ha is shocked enough when her husband, Jae-In, dies in a critical car accident -- but even more so when she finds out that he was travelling with his mistress, Jung-Ha's hoobae (junior). Following the accident, Na-Ru approaches Jung-Ha and pledges her unconditional devotion to make up for what happened, and suggests living together...

Three high school couples (Ji-Woon+Yoon-Jung, Sang-Min+Se-Eun, Jae-Hyuk+Soo-Jung) aren't quite sure whether they're with their perfect match. Upon somebody's suggestion, the six close friends decide to play a risky game by switching partners (Ji-Woon+Se-Eun, Sang-Min+Soo-Jung, Jae-Hyuk+Yoon-Jung) to date for a day.

Teaser

http://www.eros2009.co.kr/swf/trailer_3.flv

mms://vod.cine21.com/cine21.com/movie/trailer/2009/05/5_teaser.wmv

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Trailer (rated 19+)

http://www.eros2009.co.kr/swf/trailer_2.flv

mms://vod.cine21.com/cine21.com/movie/trailer/2009/06/5_tr.wmv

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Theatrical Trailer + Cast Intros

http://www.eros2009.co.kr/swf/trailer_1.flv

mms://vod.cine21.com/cine21.com/movie/trailer/2009/06/5_theater_tr.wmv

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[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rekogkr1klI] [YouTube]

Arirang Showbiz Extra: Cinema Spotlight

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Music Video

"Crazy Love" by Winterplay

mms://vod.cine21.com/cine21.com/movie/mvideo/2009/07/5_mv.wmv

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Teaser Music Video

"Gypsy Girl" by Winterplay

mms://vod.cine21.com/cine21.com/movie/mvideo/2009/07/5_teaser_mv.wmv

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오감 유혹 영상

http://www.eros2009.co.kr/swf/trailer_8.flv

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Poster Shoot

http://www.eros2009.co.kr/swf/trailer_4.flv

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VIP Premiere

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<pics and more videos @ post #21>

Wallpaper <DL>

Produced by

Daisy Entertainment

Culture Cap Media

Distributed by

Cinergy

Release Date

July 9, 2009

www.eros2009.co.kr

"In July, all of your senses will be opened!"

See, graze, feel... Ogamdo, a story of more than eros.

Reviews

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Many thanks for all synopses/character names/tagline to: [KPculture] Ogamdo - An Introduction

KP's note: Filming began in December 2008 and wrapped on April 7, 2009. Also, the nude woman in the posters is a body model -- not one of the lead actresses.

Related links Cine21 | Daum | Naver | MaxMovie | KoreaFilm | Movist | HanCinema | AsianMediaWiki

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Click on thumbnails to enlarge stills/wallies (No hotlinking pls!)

From Film 2.0

Eui cheol is here too?? GOD i love him

Will be sure to keep my eyes peeled since a good mix of veteran and rising newbies are in this.

the cast is very interesting.

i'll be looking forward to this

Hmm... sounds interesting. Looking forward to this.

interesting......I dunno.... I might watch it... i guess

5 Directors' Filmography

Daniel H. Byun / Byun Hyuk 변혁

2009 Five Senses of Eros 오감도

2004 The Scarlet Letter 주홍글씨

2000 Interview 인터뷰

1991 Homo Videocus 호모 비디오쿠스 (short)

1990 어머니의 여름 (short)

{Movieweek interview}

Hur Jin-Ho 허진호

2009 Five Senses of Eros 오감도

2007 Happiness 행복

2006 April Snow 외출

2004 My New Boyfriend 나의 새 남자친구 (short)

2004 Alone Together 따로 또 같이 (short from Twentidentity 이공,異共)

2001 One Fine Spring Day 봄날은 간다

1998 Christmas in August 8월의 크리스마스

1993 For Go-Chul 고철을 위하여 (short)

{Movieweek interview}

Yoo Young-Shik 유영식

2009 Five Senses of Eros 오감도

2004 F#cked Up Shoes 스무켤레 (short from Twentidentity 이공,異共)

2000 Anarchists 아나키스트

1993 For Go-Chul 고철을 위하여 (short)

{Movieweek interview}

Min Gyu-Dong 민규동

2009 Five Senses of Eros 오감도 / (feature-length) In My End is My Beginning 끝과 시작

2008 Antique 서양골동양과자점 앤티크

2005 All For Love 내 생애 가장 아름다운 일주일

2004 Secrets and Lies 비밀과 거짓말 (short from Twentidentity 이공,異共)

1999 Memento Mori 여고괴담 두번째 이야기

1998 A Pale Dot 창백한 푸른 점 (short)

1997 Seventeen 열일곱 (short)

1996 Herstory 허스토리 (short)

{Movieweek interview}

Oh Ki-Hwan 오기환

2009 Five Senses of Eros 오감도

2007 Someone Behind You 두 사람이다

2005 The Art of Seduction 작업의 정석

2000 Last Present 선물

{Movieweek interview}

June 4, 2009

This thread previously started by Huangsy is now maintained by melusine at the first post to update with related movie info, etc.

Everyone please keep posting & continue sharing. ^^

Poster shoot

via Movieweek 1, 2

via Arts News

Download @ Cutiepie's Drama Goodies

YTN VOD: http://nvod1.ytn.co.kr/general/mov/2009/05...036379356_s.wmv [Streaming]

Poster DL:

http://www.eros2009.co.kr/swf/download/ogamdo_poster_1.zip

http://www.eros2009.co.kr/swf/download/ogamdo_poster_2.zip

http://www.eros2009.co.kr/swf/download/ogamdo_poster_3.zip

Five Senses of Eros

Ogamdo (South Korea)

By Derek Elley, Variety

Posted: Wed., Oct. 28, 2009, 11:36am PT

A Cinergy release and presentation of a Daisy Entertainment, Culture Cap Media production, in association with Soo Film, Ho Pictures, Haengbok Pictures. (International sales: Showbox, Seoul.) Produced by Kim Weon-guk, Choi Sun-shik. Executive producer, Kim.

Camera (color/DV-to-35mm); sound designer (Dolby Digital), Choi Tae-yeong; associate producers, Shin, Gang-yeong, Jo Il-hyeon, Gang Tak-yeong, Park Yi-dal, Lee Nam-gi. Reviewed on DVD, London, Oct. 24, 2009. A Haengbok Pictures production.

His Concern

With: Jang Hyeok, Cha Hyeon-jeong, Kim Su-ro, Kim Nan-hwi, Kim Yeong-geun, Shin Mu-ho.

I'm Right Here (Na, yeogi isseoyo)

With: Kim Gang-woo, Cha Su-yeon.

33rd Man

With: Bae Jong-ok, Kim Su-ro, Kim Min-seon, Lee Dal-hyeong, Lee Seo-bin, Park Jin-taek, Han Guk-jin, Gong Mi-na, Kim Dong-hyeon, Cha Ji-eun, Jo Il-ju, Yu Byeong-ho, Lee Min-woo, Gang Jang-deok, Cha Su-yeon, Lee Shi-yeong, Lee Seong-min, Kim Hye-yeong.

La Fin et le debut

With: Eom Jeong-hwa, Hwang Jeong-min, Kim Hyo-jin, Lee Hwi-hyang, Kim Gang-woo, John D. Kim.

Believe in the Moment

With: Kim Dong-wook, Shin Se-gyeong, Song Jung-gi, Lee Shi-yeong, Jeong Eui-cheol, Lee Seong-min, Ahn Seong-min.

A handful of South Korean helmers, all one-time grads of the Korean Academy of Fine Arts, riff on love in its varying forms in portmanteau feature “Five Senses of Eros.” Despite its title, the pic is light on eroticism, but as Korean Cinema 101 (both arty and commercial), this is fine fare with considerable fest potential. Pic took a so-so 440,000 admissions on its July release, and one seg has since preemed at the Pusan fest in a feature-length director’s cut.

Many of the players have bit roles in other episodes, but apart from that, there’s nothing to link the shorts beyond the directors’ shared KAFA background.

The most avowedly commercial seg, placed in the middle, is “33rd Man” by Yu Yeong-shik (“The Anarchists”), which shows a b!tchy middle-aged actress (Bae Jong-ok) training a nervous young ingenue (Kim Min-seon) to become an equal richard simmons while making a cheesy horror movie together. Caught between their fangs is hack director (Kim Su-ro), who then falls for the latter.

Equally entertaining, in a visual designerish way, is the pretentiously titled “La Fin et le debut” by Min Kyu-dong (“All for Love,” “Antique”), centered on two women (Eom Jeong-hwa, Kim Hyo-jin) who enter into a mild S&M relationship after the death of the man they both loved. Heavily compressed story actually works much better than Min’s extended one (“In My End Is My Beginning”), as the lack of believability hardly has time to register between the immaculate visuals.

Hardest to follow, but with a fresh flavor, is “Believe in the Moment” by Oh Ki-hwan, which shows the same light touch as his performance-driven “The Art of Seduction.” With a young cast playing six high schoolers who decide to swap partners for 24 hours, Oh floats from couple to couple in an impressionistic way: a boy (Song Jung-gi) who’s about to fly overseas and the athletic girl (Lee Seong-min) who fancies him; the boy’s ex (Shin Se-gyeong) and the hunk (Jeong Eui-cheol) she falls for; and the hunk’s feisty ex (Lee Shi-yeong) and a nerdy guy (Kim Dong-wook) she pals up with.

The two artistically strongest segs kick off the picture, with both name directors in top form. “His Concern,” showing the genesis of a one-night stand between a man (Jang Hyeok) and woman (Cha Hyeon-jeong) who meet by chance, enjoys great chemistry between its leads and is far better than either of helmer Daniel H. Byun’s two features (“Interview,” “The Scarlet Letter”).

Hur Jin-ho, Korea’s finest purveyor of the grace notes in human relationships (“Christmas in August,” “One Fine Spring Day”), contributes the shortest but most delicate seg in “I’m Right Here,” about the game of hide-and-seek played by a loving couple (Kim Gang-woo, Cha Su-yeon) in light of the wife’s terminal illness.

Look of the episodes ranges from super-glossy to practical, but tech packages are all fine within their requirements.

His Concern

A Culture Cap Media production. Produced by Choi Sun-shik.

Directed by Daniel H. Byun. Screenplay, Bun; adaptation, Shin Mu-ho. Camera, Kim Mu-yu; editor, Ham Seong-weon; music, Choi Man-shik; art director, Yu Jeong-eun; costume designer, Ryu Gyeong-suk; sound, Yun Seong-gi.

I'm Right Here

A Ho Pictures production.

Directed by Hur Jin-ho. Screenplay, Lee Jeong-hwa, Kim Gyeong-mi. Camera, Yun Ji-woon; editor, Choi Jae-geun; music, Choi Yong-rak; art director, Kim Jun; costume designer, Han Hye-suk; sound, Jeong Gun. Running time: 21 MIN. Original title: Na, yeogi isseoyo.

33rd Man

A Culture Cap Media production. Produced by Choi Sun-shik.

Directed, written by Yu Yeong-shik. Camera, Goh Nak-seon; editor, Ham Seong-weon; music, Choi Man-shik; art director, Son Min-jeong; costume designer, Kim Jeong-weon; sound, Jo Min-ho. Running time: 25 MIN. Original title: 33-beonjjae namja.

La Fin et le debut

A Soo Film production. Produced by Min Jin-su.

Directed, written by Min Kyu-dong. Camera, Kim Byeong-seo, Kim Jun-yeong; editor, Seong Su-ah; music, Kim Jun-seong; production designer, Jeon Gyeong-ran; costume designer, Chae Su-gyeong; sound, Jo Woo-jin; visual effects, Jeong Chang-ik. Running time: 28 MIN. Original title: Ggeutgwa shijak.

Believe in the Moment

Directed by Oh Ki-hwan. Screenplay, Oh; adaptation, Choi Yun-heui. Camera, Kim Yeong-heung; editor, Ham Seong-weon; music, Choi Yong-rak; art director, Shin Seong-seon; costume designer, Yang Min-hye; sound, Kim Shin-yong. Running time: 24 MIN. Original title: Sunganeul mideoyo.

Vogue video

credit: http://blog.naver.com/hap2ysk/60080827679

Wow, the ladies look smokin! I love Kim Hyojin's chocolate metallic dress and heels.

July 2, 2009

5 Directors Explore Sensuality in 'Eros'

By Lee Hyo-won

Staff Reporter

A scene from "Five Senses of Eros"

Amid the high tide of summer action movies, five star directors are bringing a modest omnibus project with a different sensibility.

"Five Senses of Eros," each depicting unique aspects of sensuality and sexuality, as well as featuring a host of high-profile actors, will provide moviegoers with a more colorful audiovisual experience.

Contrary to expectations, the five shorts don't deal with each of the five senses, nor are they pure erotica. Rather, participating filmmakers experiment with a distinct language and style, be it B-rate comedy or subtle melodrama, to deliver deliciously short episodes about human desire and its perceived complexities ― or basic simplicity.

Daniel H. Byun ("The Scarlet Letter") opens "Eros" with a stylish urban romance about the thrills of chance encounters and first dates. "His Concern" unfolds like a live journal ― or a guy's version of chick lit ― as it follows the stream of consciousness of a single man, played by heartthrob Jang Hyuk.

During a business trip, the young man meets an attractive woman on the train and they plan their first date. D-day comes, but despite his preparations to impress the beauty, our protagonist discovers the charms of peeling away layers of pretentiousness ― and clothing. Jang's relaxed sense of candor brings a natural touch to Byun's witty script, which has a certain consistency in both style and substance.

Melodrama maestro Hur Jin-ho ("Happiness") slows things down a bit in "Na Yeogi Isseoyo (I'm Right Here)," which depicts how a husband (played by "Marine Boy'' star Kim Gang-woo) and his terminally ill wife (Cha Soo-yeon) cherish the little time they have together playing hide and seek.

The director offers more of his meticulous care to mundane details, but he spices up the cliched formula of "love until death do us apart" as well as his signature realism with a touch of fantasy and poeticism. This is heightened by the fact that Cha has appeared in some of the most atmospheric fantasy films, such as "For Eternal Hearts." But the film's surreal feel does not make it hard to relate, as Hur shows how smell awakens a chord of memory in a way no other sense can.

Yu Young-sik ("Anarchist") takes the hint of the fantasy genre introduced in Hur's short and blows it over the top in the B-movie parody "33rd Man." This pornographic comedy pokes fun at the inseparable relationship between sex and power, and features a prototypical femme fatale (veteran TV personality Bae Jong-sook) and a virginal beauty (Kim Min-sun) and their quest for control over an unsuspecting male (funnyman Kim Su-ro).

Min Kyu-dong, who had explored homosexual eroticism in "Antique," brings something more experimental and dramatically edgy in "La Fin et le debut (The End and the Beginning)."

The talented Uhm Jung-hwa stars as a wife whose husband (special appearance by Hwang Jung-min) has died in a car accident while fooling around with another woman, who is, she is shocked to learn, none other than her friend Na-ru (Kim Hyo-jin).

As she mourns over her doubly broken heart, Na-ru magically appears before her ― quite literally ― begging for mercy, and a strangely gratifying co-habitation begins, as the two characters tiptoe the shaky line between impassioned hate and fervent desire.

In "Sunganeul Mideoyo (Have Faith in the Moment)," director Oh Ki-hwan continues exploring the libido-charged game of hearts of his feature film "The Art of Seduction." Though the film involves uniform-clad high schoolers, the story does not tone things down to PG-13.

The story shouts carpe diem like typical teenage dramas, but it is not so much about sexual awakening as you might expect. Three couples decide to swap partners for 24 hours and see what happens.

Actors make cameo appearances in other episodes, but it's clearly just for fun, as it doesn't interweave characters' relationships like montage films in the tradition of "Love Actually.'' An impressive cast of some of the most in-demand actors in some improbable roles brings something palpably different.

In theaters July 9. 19 and over. Distributed by Cinergy.

Credits: hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr <Thanks to rubie@News thread >

the vogue photos look very glamorous...& very vogue...? ahaha.

i'm guessing this movie's gonna be like rated R - the name of the movie...and that one movie poster....

^ Yeah I think so too~because in order to watch the trailer, I had to insert my birthday O____O lol

This movie seems really interesting~lol!

Most of the actors/actresses are really good~hahah~can't wait till it comes out!!!

[K-FILM REVIEWS] 오감도 (Five Senses of Eros)

by X, Twitch

October 9, 2009 11:48 AM

If there is anything the recent history of Korean omnibus films has taught us, it is the notion that making one that works seems like a nearly impossible task. Although the omnibus itself is certainly not a new format, its profile in Chungmuro started gaining momentum right around the same time most of Asian cinema embraced the idea, one of the reasons why many passable examples come from Panasian collaborations, such as the 쓰리 (Three) franchise or the yearly JIFF omnibus project. When you're lucky, you find gems like Song Il-Gon's 마법사(들) (Magicians) and 깃 (Feathers in the Wind), two films which started as parts of two omnibus projects, but were later released solo; or Park Chan-Wook's Cut, from horror omnibus 쓰리... 몬스터 (Three... Extremes) - still one of the better Asian omnibus films of recent years. And when your luck runs out, something like 오감도 (Five Senses of Eros) is likely to be the result. The proliferation of omnibus films with very little raison d'être other than the wish of stuffing big names together inside a compact frame often leaves a puzzling aftertaste - Tokyo! being the last in line, with Bong Joon-Ho's curious Shaking Tokyo becoming all the more pleasant, after the grating faux kewl of Michel Gondry, and Léos Carax aptly-titled Merde (not unlike what I'd describe the film as). And puzzling is indeed what we're presented with here, once more. What was the point of this all, again?

The story goes somewhat like this: producer, KAFA (Korean Academy of Film Arts) lecturer and occasional director Yoo Young-Shik was preparing an Internet omnibus in collaboration with a Korean news portal. The idea wasn't too bad: picking ten directors, and making an interactive movie - interactive in the sense that netizens would get to write the script and help casting auditions. I'm not sure how they would have effectively implemented that, what with the rather "salty" nature of many a Korean netizen (particularly those of a very young age), but it matters not, as the economic crisis hit this project in predictable ways, and the portal rather nonchalantly pulled out of the game. Yoo kept getting similar offers for a while, but he finally ended up with a solid project on the table, attracting five other directors: Lee Jae-Yong of 다세포 소녀 (Dasepo Naughty Girls) and 스캔들 (Untold Scandal), Oh Gi-Hwan of 작업의 정석 (The Art of Seduction) and 두사람이다 (Someone Behind You), Byun Hyuk of 주홍글씨 (The Scarlet Letter) and 인터뷰 (Interview), and finally two much more prestigious names like Min Gyu-Dong and Hur Jin-Ho. The catch here is that they all are KAFA alumni and know each other well, making the prospect of shooting an omnibus for theater release all the more feasible. With Lee Jae-Yong dropping out to shoot his upcoming 귀향 (Homecoming), we were left with five names, and the project was greenlit.

What is rather perplexing about the idea behind the title is that either the five didn't really have a solid enough idea to start with, or marketing and investors might have stepped in to orientate things towards the finished product later. As the Korean title suggests, the first idea was to make an omnibus about the five senses, but it must have been a very vague notion, as only Hur Jin-Ho's short can convey any such theme (the sense of smell). What is much more likely, although Yoo and colleagues will likely never admit it upfront, is that the higher ups asked for something a little saucier, in line with current trends. With the government going back to a fifth republic-like junta, a lot of sexier films dealing in some way with eroticism have been gaining a good response from the public, the recent success of period fare like 쌍화점 (Frozen Flower) and 미인도 (Portrait of a Beauty) reminding of the exploits of vapid 1980s potboilers like 뽕 (Mulberry Tree) and 어우동 (Eoudong), their historical relevance paling in comparison with the amount of nipples filling the frame. Not that I'm complaining.

What is a much more significant cause for complaint, though, is the rather spurious approach to marketing this kind of films the industry has been taking for the last few years. It has become almost routine: a few months before release, marketing companies "encourage" vultures in the media to mention the possibility of a starlet disrobing in an upcoming film, creating buzz. A misleadingly piquant trailer is released, often suggesting much more than what you will actually find in the finished product - think of the recent trailer for melo-sageuk 불꽃처럼 나비처럼 (The Sword with No Name), whose trailer pretty much shows all the sex you're going to get in the film. Then, what Koreans call 언플 (short for 언론 플레이, press manipulation) ensues, with a barrage of articles pestering news portal for days, throwing the magic word at their prey, like a succulent bone thrown to hungry tigers: 노출 (exposure). Treating their purveyors like horny teenagers, marketing companies manage to create buzz with what are essentially lies, and although you will find stars and directors refute any such claim at the press screening, they're certainly in on the joke. Recent history has shown that only the films which truly deliver (need I be more explicit?) end up doing decent business, regardless of quality - both Frozen Flower and Portrait of a Beauty are notoriously inept when it comes to historical relevance, and save for pretty art direction and decent sex scenes have very little to offer. But countless flops haven't stopped marketing gurus from repeating the same trick time and time again, just like in Five Senses of Eros' case.

Considering that this was an extremely low budget production (1 billion before marketing, less than half of the average budget for a Korean film), the film sold a pretty satisfying 440,000 tickets for about 3 billion won, but you'd think producers and investors would have expected a tad more, particularly considering the cast they were working with. Ultimately, Five Senses of Eros is more likely to be remembered for what it couldn't deliver (and I'm not just talking about nudity, or any sort of eroticism, but more important fundamentals like, say, quality storytelling and intriguing visuals?), and will further reinforce the notion that omnibus films have become a dime-a-dozen in Chungmuro.

PART 1: His Concern

Director: 변혁 (Byun Hyuk)

Cast: 장혁 (Jang Hyuk), 차현정 (Cha Hyun-Jung)

RATING: 6

Things didn't start too badly, admittedly.

KAFA and La Femis alumni Byun Hyuk might have debuted in the industry with cult shorts - 호모비디오쿠스 (Homo Videocus) - and dogme films - 2000's madly uneven but watchable Interview, Shim Eun-Ha's last work before retirement. But what best describes the style displayed in this short is his previous work, the decadent male fantasy 주홍글씨 (The Scarlet Letter). Sure enough, His Concern repeats the exact same pros and cons of his previous, rather maligned work (more for Lee Eun-Joo's suicide than for the film itself, truth to be told): it is so concerned with form and ambiance, it forgets it's actually depicting human beings. The premise is simple to a fault, but not entirely devoid of charm: a one night stand between two pretty people, narrated by the man's voiceovers. More than suggesting the male character's inner feelings as he slowly falls for this alluring lady, His Concern feels more like a step-by-step guide to scoring in a one night stand, while at the same time highlighting how petty and insecure the inner psyche of a man which looks so cool on the exterior might be. Hence the "concern."

They could have certainly done more with the subject, particularly when the film does a u-turn in the second half - surely, giving the two's different perspective vis-à-vis the road towards the one night stand, right as it was happening, would have worked in a better way? Then again, done that way it would stop being a male fantasy, I guess. The voiceover tends to become a little grating, particularly considering how unimaginative the dialogue is, and Jang Hyuk's enunciation is certainly to blame as well - should I start worrying about 추노 (Slave Hunters)? But Byun has a way with atmosphere, for sure. The two young actors look like two models coming out of some commercial advertising an apparel brand: they're sexy (particularly Cha, who's been showing sparks of talent in the last twelve months both on TV and the big screen), polished, but also betray that 2% of human frailty which is never enough to crack their outer image, but makes for better characters. Again, a little too thematically barren for its rather gaudy exterior, but quite the passable start.

PART 2: 나, 여기 있어요 (I'm Right Here)

Director: 허진호 (Hur Jin-Ho)

Cast: 김강우 (Kim Gang-Woo), 차수연 (Cha Su-Yeon)

RATING: 4

Seeing talented directors fail is always somewhat painful, particularly in the case of people you'd think would never make such mistakes - think Park Chan-Wook in 사이보그지만 괜찮아 (I'm a Cyborg, but That's OK). After all, Hur Jin-Ho gave us two of the most distinctive melodramas of the last twenty years, with his debut 8월의 크리스마스 (Christmas in August) and 봄날은 간다 (One Fine Spring Day). After watching the excellent 행복 (Happiness), I kept telling myself that 외출 (April Snow) was merely a case of Bae Yong-Joon's roaring persona dominating the entire production, his concern for the God-like status he enjoys in the eyes of Showa-nostalgia inclined Japanese housewives trampling every other aspect of anything he gets involved with. Then again, the longer and slightly more effective Japanese cut of the film might suggest otherwise. But one realization emerging after watching this short is that Hur is not another Lee Chang-Dong. That is, the quality of his films also depends dramatically on the type of casting he goes through. Of course Lee has never worked with less than stellar actors (Han Suk-Gyu, Seol Kyung-Gu, Moon So-Ri, Song Kang-Ho, Jeon Do-Yeon is not exactly a bad lineup, is it?), but it's now clear that Hur finds himself a little bit at a loss when dealing with lesser talents. Whether 호우시절 (A Good Rain Knows) reinforces that thought, I'm not sure, but this short sure makes a good case for it.

What doesn't work in I'm Right Here is that, like in April Snow, the male lead can't live up to his end of the bargain, in turn making chemistry and emotional punch an afterthought. Just like many other Hur Jin-Ho films, it's structured with extreme simplicity, following the last few days spent together by a couple, before a fateful surgery separates them. The idea is making the ordinary feel special, run-of-the-mill moments of intimacy feel distinctive, because you rarely get to have the dramatic and romantic sendoff many a tearjerker make you dream of. Just like the first short, not a bad premise, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe Hur just needs a larger canvas to make his stories effective - then again, his short 따로 또 같이 (Alone Together) as part of Twentidentity is wonderful, striking just the right balance in a matter of minutes. What I'm Right Here lacks, then, is the emotional punch. I'm not talking of over-dramatic histrionics, but anything which may suggest the impact of this important loss for the main character. And that's where casting comes into play. Cha Su-Yeon predictably does quite well with the little she's given, but Kim Gang-Woo once again is below par. After the success of 식객 (Le Grand Chef), Kim has gained some notoriety, but he still hasn't shown much other than good looks and a propensity for doing fairly well in guy-next-door settings, the pseudo-In Jung-Ok vibes of 나는 달린다 (Breathless) still being his best work. The lack of range and charisma was particularly painful in his turn as a villain in Song Ji-Na's disastrous drama 남자 이야기 (The Slingshot), but the problem is similar here: Kim accentuates every emotion like a preppy accountant putting all the dots in order, when body language and screen presence would do the trick. And by making the ordinary feel manufactured, he essentially renders the rest of the film an insipid journey into a couple's last moments. It's like picking an average scene out of a likely decent film, and expecting it to make for a compelling short. Afraid not.

PART 3: 33번째 남자 (The 33rd Man)

Director: 유영식 (Yoo Young-Shik)

Cast: 배종옥 (Bae Jong-Ok), 김민선 (Kim Min-Sun), 김수로 (Kim Su-Ro)

RATING: 4.5

Just like Park Chan-Wook's Cut, the perfect kind of story for a short film. But I'm not sure. Alas, not everyone can boast Park's eerie talent for mixing moods and genres of a seemingly polarized nature, and The 33rd Man is a peculiar beast, akin to the bastard child of a slightly softer Jesús Franco flick and a Lee Jang-Ho potboiler from the 80s, 무릎과 무릎 사이 (Between the Knees) meets Vampyros Lesbos. Maybe it all boils down to Yoo's long hiatus away from the director's chair. he's been involved in the industry as a producer and lecturer at the KAFA for years, but his last feature film was 2000's curious period action drama 아나키스트 (Anarchists), film for which I still have somewhat of a soft spot for, but it should have been directed by its producer, a certain Lee Joon-Ik. Yoo's lack of touch is all the more evident when we're graced with the big genre u-turn towards the end, which feels out of place with all its manufactured decadence, since we had been treated to mostly ironic fare for the preceding quarter hour.

Ironic also because Kim, usually quite the capable actress when in good hands, is actually more awkward post-"enhancement," when what happens to her character supposedly transforms a talentless debuting starlet into a surprisingly effective actress. Ironic because Bae Jong-Ok, who is a major talent, has confessed that she was looking for a more "aggressive" character after years of more reserved ones, but the beauty of her acting is that she manages to make the over-the-top tendencies of the innocent characters she often plays ring true, and now that the opposite is asked from her... she's indeed awkward. It's clear that what Yoo wanted to do - his first project was actually something really similar to Byun's short, although the one night stand was of the "Mile High Club" kind - but the tonal shifts are obvious enough that the u-turn feels only like the first spark of rather insipid fare, waking you up at the last moment with some unintentional hilarity. Someone with a talent for luscious ambiance, and who could better manage the genre aspects of this story would have done wonders with this subject (Im Pil-Sung? Park Chan-Wook? Kim Ji-Woon?), but what we get is once again not too inspired, both technically and thematically.

PART 4: 끝과 시작 (In My End is My Beginning)

Director: 민규동 (Min Gyu-Dong)

Cast: 김효진 (Kim Hyo-Jin), 엄정화 (Eom Jung-Hwa), 황정민 (Hwang Jung-Min)

RATING: 3

Were this still 2005, I probably would still consider Min Gyu-Dong amongst the most talented directors of his generation. Just as his partner-in-crime in concocting the wonderful 여고괴담 두번째 이야기 (Memento Mori) Kim Tae-Yong went on to direct the brilliant 가족의 탄생 (Family Ties), Min's second feature film was just as accomplished as his cult debut, although by now it has largely (and undeservedly) been forgotten. 내 생애 가장 아름다운 일주일 (All for Love) was in fact a Working Title romcom done well, the Korean way, without all the artificial soho chic(anery) of its western counterpart. Also, although it played a much less significant part here than in his debut, Min continued his obsession with the dichotomies of queer films, which has continued marking his career down to this short. That would be fine, except for the fact that his films have become increasingly shallow, more focused on the irreverence and arthouse-friendly hauteur that such themes can bring to the table. This short, which is screening at this year's PIFF in a longer, re-edited cut, is essentially more of the same. Lots of angst, some The L Word moments thrown at the wall with little characterization and impact, and a complete waste of what is quite the good cast, particularly considering Eom's sex appeal, and Hwang Jung-Min's immense talent (he was cast on the cheap and quickly as Min needed someone reliable, but for that kind of character, anyone could have worked just fine). Shame to see promising people choose glitzy shallowness over substance, but I guess 앤티크 (Antique) had sufficiently warned us before.

PART 5: 순간을 믿어요 (Believe the Moment)

Director: 오기환 (Oh Gi-Hwan)

Cast: 신세경 (Shin Se-Kyung), 이시영 (Lee Si-Young), 김동욱 (Kim Dong-Wook), 송중기 (Song Joong-Gi), 정의철 (Jung Eui-Cheol), 이성민 (Lee Sung-Min)

RATING: 1

Oh boy.

I sort of cringed the moment I saw Oh was part of the roster, and anyone who's seen The Art of Seduction or his asinine "horror" flick Someone Behind You might guess why. We're not exactly dealing with a subtle director, and when you tackle an argument as touchy as swapping amongst high school students is, you better drive superficiality out of the window fast. But such was not the case, as Believe the Moment essentially borrows a page from the Beverly Hills 90210 or Melrose Place canon, and runs with it through the end, what with its vapid encounters between characters spewing platitudes about their relationships, awkward kissing and even more hilariously misguided moments of intimacy. So many are the characters, you can't even begin to wonder or care about where it all started from, since no character has any personality to begin with. Even the performances are of the trendy drama kind, with only Shin Se-Kyung (who oozes a Jennifer Connelly-like aura, and it's not the first time she does) and Song Joong-Gi standing out. If the idea was making a breezy, sexy swapping romp a la 내 여자의 남자친구 (Cheaters), then maybe Oh should have focused on less couples, make the story feel less like teenybopper pop music video fare, and make the "moment" feel a little more special. Then, and only then, maybe we would believe...

오감도 (Five Senses of Eros)

Directors: 변혁 (Byun Hyuk), 허진호 (Hur Jin-Ho), 유영식 (Yoo Young-Shik), 민규동 (Min Gyu-Dong), 오기환 (Oh Gi-Hwan)

Screenplay: 변혁 (Byun Hyuk), 허진호 (Hur Jin-Ho), 유영식 (Yoo Young-Shik), 민규동 (Min Gyu-Dong), 오기환 (Oh Gi-Hwan)

Produced By: Daisy Entertianment

128 Minutes, 35mm 1.85:1 Color

Release: 07/09/2009 (18 and Over)

Box Office: #60 - 442,184 Admissions - 3.1 Billion Won

Cast: 장혁 (Jang Hyuk), 차현정 (Cha Hyun-Jung), 김강우 (Kim Gang-Woo), 차수연 (Cha Su-Yeon), 배종옥 (Bae Jong-Ok), 김민선 (Kim Min-Sun), 김수로 (Kim Su-Ro), 엄정화 (Eom Jung-Hwa), 김효진 (Kim Hyo-Jin), 황정민 (Hwang Jung-Min), 신세경 (Shin Se-Kyung), 송중기 (Song Joong-Gi), 이시영 (Lee Si-Young), 김동욱 (Kim Dong-Wook), 정의철 (Jung Eui-Cheol), 이성민 (Lee Sung-Min)

The Vogue shoots are smokin', the ladies look fantastic and rather femme-fatale-ish I hope they do one for the men. I'm curious to see Kim Kang-woo's segment.

btw, melusine, I removed Kim Min Sun's name from the topic description because it was stretching the forum and turning the shape wonky. Please let me know if you want it back.

July 1, 2009

Movie Review

A mixed bag of pleasures in omnibus Eros film

By Shin Hae-in

SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- As Forrest Gump or Haruki Murakami might agree, an omnibus film is a lot like a box of assorted candies: you get a mix and match of all your favorites from truffle and cream to Jordan almonds in one single package, but you never know which one you will end up with.

A package of five shorts uniquely different in styles and genres, "Five Senses of Eros (Ogamdo)" has something for everyone. Just don't be naive enough to expect all five to be a delight.

With five of South Korea's renowned auteurs and 16 big name actors and actresses coming together in one movie, "…Eros" made headlines here ever since its crank-in late last year.

While styles and plots vary, all five talk about love, Eros and desire -- how they intertwine, present pleasure, deceive one another and become a source of catastrophe.

Perhaps the most intriguing among the five, the first two films, made by Daniel H. Byun, creator of "The Scarlet Letter (2004)," and Hur Jin-ho of "One Fine Spring Day (2001)," are relatively alike in the way the filmmakers choose to explore the complex subject with detailed depictions of the emotional changes characters experience. But while the former "His Concern" portrays the tingly feelings of new lovers, Hur's "I'm Here" is about overcoming the loss of a loved one.

Obviously choosing an "easy way out," the two auteurs do not attempt anything out of character in their rarely-made shorts.

Byun, 43, holds up the reputation as the most stylish and sleek directors among his generation, cleverly using up his portion of 30-something-minutes with not-to-heavy depictions of a one night stand that may or may not be a beginning of a relationship.

Hur again shows off his feminine and somewhat modish sensitivity by tracing a young husband's lonely night after his beautifully fragile wife dies. Although the plot is convincing enough, Hur's short is somewhat all too familiar, especially for his longtime fans.

"33rd Man" by Yu Young-sik ("Anarchists (2000)") and "Le Debut et La Fin" by Min Gyu-Dong ("Antique (2008)") are more experimental compared to the first two. While Yu throws in man-eating vampires and blood to mock men's desire and the filmmaking industry, Min again examines the subject of homosexuality (this time between women) using illusive and phantasmal cinematography. The catch here, though, is that both films fail to stay focused on the main theme; in other words, neither turns out to be very sexy.

The last film "Believe in the Moment," featuring partner swapping between three teenage couples, is perhaps the most bitter sweet of the bag, appearing completely clueless about what it wants to be. A mere portrayal of the six high school students' vapid day of kissing someone else's boyfriend or girlfriend, the film is neither funny nor fresh in terms of its subject. More surprising is that this is a creation of Oh Ki-hwan, who showed off talent and style in his past romance films "The Art of Seduction (2005)" and "Last Present (2001)."

In a nutshell, five proves to be a crowd in this case where the film as a whole could have been a lot more condensed and entertaining without one or two components that seem obviously out of place.

But made with a shoestring budget of 1 billion won, or about US$785,000, hardly enough to cast the 16 top and fast-emerging actors and actresses, as well as big name directors, "…Eros," deserves the benefit of the doubt for its effort to smoothly wrap up the five varying films in one pretty package.

"We made the movie within the shortest period of time and in the most cost-effective way. Although the film is nothing big or flashy, give us credit for the effort to create something together," director Yu said in an interview in a seemingly convincing excuse for him and his colleagues.

A box of assorted candies might not be a recommendable gift for a very special person, but it is an all-time-safe shot that -- while it won't overawe -- is unlikely to offend.

"...Eros" will hit the local theaters from July 9.

Credits: hayney@yna.co.kr via yonhapnews.co.kr

Aziraphale No prob! There are so many castmembers, I had a devil of a time deciding which ones to include and which ones to leave out.

More articles:

[Screen] Korea's Showbox picks up trio ahead of Cannes

[Dramabeans] Ogamdo features love five ways

[Dramabeans] Ogamdo unveils more racy posters