Lee Byung Hun 이병헌 Byunghun Lee

[Ephoenix]

September 10, 2023 

 

LEE BYUNG-HUN AT THE RED CARPET OF TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TODAY LOOKING STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS!!! 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

fan service king

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxBwwftLPsM/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

More pictures: Gettyimages 

 

@Melika Sarmadi Yes he is. Thank you for dropping by. 

[Ephoenix]

September 10, 2023 

REVIEWS

‘Concrete Utopia’: Toronto Review

 

Korea’s Oscar hopeful is a dynamic dystopian disaster move set in a post-earthquake apartment building 

 

Surviving an earthquake is nothing compared to the challenges that follow in Concrete Utopia, Um Tae-hwa’s dystopian disaster movie which focuses on the aftermath as survivors try to create a new social order in the last apartment complex still standing in Seoul. A slick, inventive blend of jeopardy, violence and black comedy gains further appeal from the echoes of J. G. Ballard’s High Rise and elements of biting satire in the style of Triangle Of Sadness. South Korea’s Oscar selection has already proved a commercial hit on its domestic release in August and should attract international buyers and audiences following festival screenings including Toronto and Sitges.

 

A slick, inventive blend of jeopardy, violence and black comedy

 

Um Tae-hwa’s first feature since Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned (2016) is based on Kim Soong-Nyung’s webtoon Cheerful Neighbour Part 11. It begins with a modest paean to the virtues of the apartment block as an aspirational living space representing social progress and status. The ironic use of ’Home Sweet Home’ on the soundtrack sets the tone for a film that will show that a South Korean apartment is a fortress worth defending with your life.

 

Dynamic, sharply edited opening sequences see an earthquake hitting Seoul and destroying virtually everything in its path. In the grey pall of twisted, smoking rubble, wreckage and death, the one place still upright is the Hwang Gung apartment complex. The residents wait for rescue to arrive. They have no means of contacting the wider world, no notion of how extensive the damage is or what exactly has happened. The viewer remains in the same state of ignorance.

 

Nurse Myeong-Hwa (Park Bo-young) and her husband Min-Seong (Park Seo-joon), a former civil servant, are among those who feel lucky to be alive. Her immediate instinct is to provide help for others, his is to focus on survival. Those traits will define their characters as the full horrors of life after the earthquake begin to take shape.

 

Finite resources start to dwindle and there is no sign of help arriving. It becomes apparent that someone needs to take charge of the situation. Kim Yeong-Tak (Lee Byung-Hun) is elected delegate for the complex, and is soon establishing regulations and arranging rationing. He also initiates a policy that the complex should be for residents only, with everyone else banished to their fate in the freezing cold ruins of Seoul. It is the start of a process in which the veneer of a civilised order is stripped away and a chaotic, dog-eat-dog ethos starts to prevail.

 

We always assume the aftermath of this earthquake will serve as a breeding ground for a return to savagery and the survival of the fittest. Um Tae-hwa carries off a predictable scenario with flair; maintaining the narrative momentum, testing the characters with impossible moral dilemmas and throwing in fresh twists. A sprinkling of character-revealing flashbacks keeps everything on the boil. The earliest part of the film seems infused with the comic zest of a Joe Dante or Roger Corman production but that mood shifts to something darker and more vicious as reality sets in. Um Tae-hwa successfully negotiates the gear change with some startling moments of bloodshed and also finds the poignancy in individuals confronted by their own inadequacies.

 

Cinematographer Cho Hyoung-rae serves the story as the ash grey tones of a ruined Seoul contrast with the bright daylight of the flashbacks or the warming glow of safety in the individual apartments. Lee Byung-Hun heads a strong cast, investing his increasingly psychotic character with a ruthless, unyielding determination. Park Bo-young and Park Seo-joon win sympathy for a couple facing events that bring out the best and the worst in them. The well-drawn characters, clever plotting and sting of social commentary in a tale of pride and property create an entertaining film that could follow in the wake of Parasite, Squid Game and other South Korean success stories.

 

source: screendaily 

[Ephoenix]

[LBH IG Update] Lee Byung-hun goofing around with his BH family members Park Bo-young and Park Ji-hoo 

 

His caption: "Two jobs." 

 

The Devil works hard, but Lee Byung hun works harder. Hahaha 

 

 

 

There's an article already with the headline- how he's working hard now that he has a 2nd child coming. Lol. I knew it!

 

source: Naver 

[willenette]

4 hours ago, Ephoenix said:

September 10, 2023 

REVIEWS

‘Concrete Utopia’: Toronto Review

 

Korea’s Oscar hopeful is a dynamic dystopian disaster move set in a post-earthquake apartment building

 

Surviving an earthquake is nothing compared to the challenges that follow in Concrete Utopia, Um Tae-hwa’s dystopian disaster movie which focuses on the aftermath as survivors try to create a new social order in the last apartment complex still standing in Seoul. A slick, inventive blend of jeopardy, violence and black comedy gains further appeal from the echoes of J. G. Ballard’s High Rise and elements of biting satire in the style of Triangle Of Sadness. South Korea’s Oscar selection has already proved a commercial hit on its domestic release in August and should attract international buyers and audiences following festival screenings including Toronto and Sitges.

 

A slick, inventive blend of jeopardy, violence and black comedy

 

Um Tae-hwa’s first feature since Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned (2016) is based on Kim Soong-Nyung’s webtoon Cheerful Neighbour Part 11. It begins with a modest paean to the virtues of the apartment block as an aspirational living space representing social progress and status. The ironic use of ’Home Sweet Home’ on the soundtrack sets the tone for a film that will show that a South Korean apartment is a fortress worth defending with your life.

 

Dynamic, sharply edited opening sequences see an earthquake hitting Seoul and destroying virtually everything in its path. In the grey pall of twisted, smoking rubble, wreckage and death, the one place still upright is the Hwang Gung apartment complex. The residents wait for rescue to arrive. They have no means of contacting the wider world, no notion of how extensive the damage is or what exactly has happened. The viewer remains in the same state of ignorance.

 

Nurse Myeong-Hwa (Park Bo-young) and her husband Min-Seong (Park Seo-joon), a former civil servant, are among those who feel lucky to be alive. Her immediate instinct is to provide help for others, his is to focus on survival. Those traits will define their characters as the full horrors of life after the earthquake begin to take shape.

 

Finite resources start to dwindle and there is no sign of help arriving. It becomes apparent that someone needs to take charge of the situation. Kim Yeong-Tak (Lee Byung-Hun) is elected delegate for the complex, and is soon establishing regulations and arranging rationing. He also initiates a policy that the complex should be for residents only, with everyone else banished to their fate in the freezing cold ruins of Seoul. It is the start of a process in which the veneer of a civilised order is stripped away and a chaotic, dog-eat-dog ethos starts to prevail.

 

We always assume the aftermath of this earthquake will serve as a breeding ground for a return to savagery and the survival of the fittest. Um Tae-hwa carries off a predictable scenario with flair; maintaining the narrative momentum, testing the characters with impossible moral dilemmas and throwing in fresh twists. A sprinkling of character-revealing flashbacks keeps everything on the boil. The earliest part of the film seems infused with the comic zest of a Joe Dante or Roger Corman production but that mood shifts to something darker and more vicious as reality sets in. Um Tae-hwa successfully negotiates the gear change with some startling moments of bloodshed and also finds the poignancy in individuals confronted by their own inadequacies.

 

Cinematographer Cho Hyoung-rae serves the story as the ash grey tones of a ruined Seoul contrast with the bright daylight of the flashbacks or the warming glow of safety in the individual apartments. Lee Byung-Hun heads a strong cast, investing his increasingly psychotic character with a ruthless, unyielding determination. Park Bo-young and Park Seo-joon win sympathy for a couple facing events that bring out the best and the worst in them. The well-drawn characters, clever plotting and sting of social commentary in a tale of pride and property create an entertaining film that could follow in the wake of Parasite, Squid Game and other South Korean success stories.

 

source: screendaily 

 

@Ephoenix  thanks for sharing this. 

 

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Korean Box Office for the Weekend 2023.09.08 ~ 2023.09.10

credit : https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/main/main.do

 

 

Films	Release date	Week-end	Total
1	"Sleep" (잠)	2023/09/06	395 198	538 897
2	"Oppenheimer"		132 408	2 992 126
3	"Concrete Utopia" (콘크리트 유토피아)	2023/08/09	77 793	3 747 605
4	"HoneySweet" (달짝지근해: 7510)	2023/08/15	76 485	1 255 183
5	"Don't Buy the Seller" (타겟)	2023/08/30	54 895	379 800
6	"Elemental"		38 750	7 179 715
7	"Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince"		25 789	2 993 234
8	"Smugglers" (밀수)	2023/07/26	19 235	5 113 123
9	"The Wishmas Tree"		8 982	10 149
10	"Body Parts" (신체모음.zip)	2023/08/30	8 704	51 249

[willenette]

Korean Disaster Flick Among 'Most Anticipated' at Film Fest in Toronto

 

 

"Concrete Utopia" starring Lee Byung-hun, Park Bo-young and Park Seo-joon was named among Forbes magazine's list of the 10 Most Anticipated Movies at this year's Toronto International Film Festival last week.

 

"Beyond the post-apocalyptic setting, this film's heart lies in its commentary on society, trust, and human nature," the magazine said. "Amidst destruction and rebirth, 'Concrete Utopia' challenges viewers to confront their beliefs, prejudices, and the very fabric of human civilization."

 

"Concrete Utopia" depicts the events following a massive earthquake that razes all buildings in Seoul except for one apartment building, which ends up attracting survivors.

 

It is one of five Korean films, along with "A Normal Family," "Mimang," "Sleep" and "Smugglers," being screened at the festival, which opened last week and runs until Sept. 17.

 

 

credit : Chosun Ilbo

https://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2023/09/11/2023091100928.html

[Ephoenix]

September 11, 2023 

 

[TIFF2023] IN CONVERSATION WITH LEE BYUNG HUN AND PARK SEO JOON 

 

 

 

 

Q&A after the first screening of CU yesterday. 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

More In conversation with pics: here 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA BOX OFFICE D-32

#4 Overall movies 

#3 Korean movies 

Attendance: 6861 people 

Accumulated: 3,754,476 people 

[Ephoenix]

September 11, 2023. 

 

The story of the class that will rise in the ranks of Korean masterpieces along with 'Parasite' and 'Squid Game'"...Concrete  Utopia, successfully premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival.

 

View the source

The movie "Concrete Utopia" captivated audiences around the world through the screening of the Gala Premier at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival.

 

 

'Concrete Utopia' is a disaster drama that tells the story of Seoul, which has been devastated by a major earthquake, with survivors gathering in the only remaining palace apartment. 'Concrete Utopia', which raised the expectations of audiences around the world by being selected as one of the 10 most anticipated films of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival by Forbes, successfully completed its gala premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on the 10th at 5 pm local Canadian time. At the red carpet event held prior to the gala premiere screening, director Uhm Tae-hwa, Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-joon, Park Bo-young, and Park Ji-hoo attended and received a lot of attention from reporters and fans. They responded to the pouring heat of coverage with relaxed smiles and greetings, while also sparing no fan service to the enthusiastic cheers of waiting fans, and repeatedly expressed their gratitude for the support towards 'Concrete Utopia'.

As soon as the movie began screening, 'Concrete' filled the running time, from the suspense provided by the unpredictable developments of those who survived the earthquake and the various human groups encountered in extreme situations, to the excellent performances of the actors who delicately expressed them, to the highly complete directing. The audience finished the viewing with a mixture of laughter and tension due to Utopia's unique style. The applause and praise from the press and the public immediately after the screening proved that the story of 'Concrete Utopia' has captivated global audiences, reaching universal consensus that transcends nationality. In particular, Awards Watch said, "It is the fruit of director Uhm Tae-hwa's directing and technical achievement," and Screen Daily said, "An interesting film with well-established characters and a clever plot along with 'Parasite' and 'Squid Game.' The film is receiving rave reviews from foreign media, including "A story about a class that will rise to the ranks of Korean masterpieces," raising expectations for a global box office hit that 'Concrete Utopia' will record in the future. At the GV event that followed, Lee Byung-hun expressed his special affection for the character, saying, “The most important thing was to portray Young Tak as he gradually changes as he takes power, and it was a very enjoyable part to film,” and Park Seo-joon said, “I am very excited to be part of this big film festival for the first time, and seeing the movie in such a large theater makes me feel very special, and being able to meet so many audiences is a very honorable and magical experience,” he said. As such, the movie ‘Concrete Utopia’ continues to be a long term hit with a message that encompasses borders and transcends generations. 

'Concrete Utopia', which proved to be the best film for audiences this summer, was praised as a new world of disaster movies with its unique world view, colorful human characters, and passionate performances by actors who perfectly expressed it, and was screened to rave reviews in theaters across the country. 

 

Source: Naver 

[willenette]

6 hours ago, Ephoenix said:

September 11, 2023. 

 

The story of the class that will rise in the ranks of Korean masterpieces along with 'Parasite' and 'Squid Game'"...Concrete  Utopia, successfully premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival.

View the source

The movie "Concrete Utopia" captivated audiences around the world through the screening of the Gala Premier at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival.

 

'Concrete Utopia' is a disaster drama that tells the story of Seoul, which has been devastated by a major earthquake, with survivors gathering in the only remaining palace apartment. 'Concrete Utopia', which raised the expectations of audiences around the world by being selected as one of the 10 most anticipated films of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival by Forbes, successfully completed its gala premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on the 10th at 5 pm local Canadian time. At the red carpet event held prior to the gala premiere screening, director Uhm Tae-hwa, Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-joon, Park Bo-young, and Park Ji-hoo attended and received a lot of attention from reporters and fans. They responded to the pouring heat of coverage with relaxed smiles and greetings, while also sparing no fan service to the enthusiastic cheers of waiting fans, and repeatedly expressed their gratitude for the support towards 'Concrete Utopia'.

As soon as the movie began screening, 'Concrete' filled the running time, from the suspense provided by the unpredictable developments of those who survived the earthquake and the various human groups encountered in extreme situations, to the excellent performances of the actors who delicately expressed them, to the highly complete directing. The audience finished the viewing with a mixture of laughter and tension due to Utopia's unique style. The applause and praise from the press and the public immediately after the screening proved that the story of 'Concrete Utopia' has captivated global audiences, reaching universal consensus that transcends nationality. In particular, Awards Watch said, "It is the fruit of director Uhm Tae-hwa's directing and technical achievement," and Screen Daily said, "An interesting film with well-established characters and a clever plot along with 'Parasite' and 'Squid Game.' The film is receiving rave reviews from foreign media, including "A story about a class that will rise to the ranks of Korean masterpieces," raising expectations for a global box office hit that 'Concrete Utopia' will record in the future. At the GV event that followed, Lee Byung-hun expressed his special affection for the character, saying, “The most important thing was to portray Young Tak as he gradually changes as he takes power, and it was a very enjoyable part to film,” and Park Seo-joon said, “I am very excited to be part of this big film festival for the first time, and seeing the movie in such a large theater makes me feel very special, and being able to meet so many audiences is a very honorable and magical experience,” he said. As such, the movie ‘Concrete Utopia’ continues to be a long term hit with a message that encompasses borders and transcends generations. 

'Concrete Utopia', which proved to be the best film for audiences this summer, was praised as a new world of disaster movies with its unique world view, colorful human characters, and passionate performances by actors who perfectly expressed it, and was screened to rave reviews in theaters across the country. 

 

Source: Naver 

 

@Ephoenix  thanks for sharing this. The movie had its successful gala premiere at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival. The cast graced the red carpet, capturing great attention from reporters and fans. After the premiere, numerous overseas media outlets showered the movie with accolades.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Lotte Entertainment

[Ephoenix]

September 12, 2023 

 

Lee Byung-hun IG update... little preview of the ConUzz family from the TIFF 2023 portrait shooting at the Fairmont Royal York, I believe. Like Dir. Uhm's wife said, Our Director really does look like part of the casts indeed. 

 

 

 

Our ConUzz with Mr. Charles Pak at the red carpet. 

I was going through first page recently and came across this section of hunnie pandas mentioning Charles Pak as VVIP member and how he visits the thread, and helps fans with translations?. I think there was a message note of his as well. Not sure if they meant old everythingLBH page or this one, but I am suddenly so self-conscious lol. I remember EverythingLBH wasn't a thread, so does that mean he's aware of this thread? If that's the case, I wonder if he remembers this thread is still running after almost 2 decades now... I kinda hope he does.

 

Lotte IG updates from Q&A and Red carpet. 

Spoiler

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxFLswOLEpf/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxEzdLAytct/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA BOX OFFICE D-32

#4 Overall movies 

#3 Korean movies 

Attendance: 7,346 people 

Accumulated: 3,761,822 people 

This is the longest wait to BEP I swear... 

 

[willenette]

On 9/11/2023 at 12:31 PM, Ephoenix said:

[LBH IG Update] Lee Byung-hun goofing around with his BH family members Park Bo-young and Park Ji-hoo 

 

His caption: "Two jobs." 

 

The Devil works hard, but Lee Byung hun works harder. Hahaha 

 

There's an article already with the headline- how he's working hard now that he has a 2nd child coming. Lol. I knew it!

 

source: Naver 

 

@Ephoenix hahaha - this is hilarious. With Park Bo Young, he's retouching her makeup while fixing Park Ji Hu's dress. I enjoyed his IG spoof.    

[Ephoenix]

September 13, 2023 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA SET AS 2023 STRASBOURG EUROPEAN FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL'S CLOSING FILM 

 

 

 

 

Source: Here 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA BOX OFFICE D-33

#6 Overall movies 

#4 Korean movies 

Attendance: 6,686 people 

Accumulated: 3,768,507 people 

Hope they cross the BEP over the weekend. 

@willenette Lol. LBH has indeed been very expressive of his goofiness lately on his SNS and I am enjoying this CU era too. Love how his BH family is playing along with all his shenanigans. It really took me by surprise, this one. 

[Ephoenix]

September 14, 2023 

 

Lee Byung Hun’s stunning TIFF23 portrait from the official portrait studio at Fairmont Royal York 

 

 

This one from the clip shared by Torja_Toronto.Japan on Tiktok 

Spoiler

 

Team Concrete Utopia, our ConUz, giving a cool, classic and mysterious vibe. Can we have a whole Chabeol makjang with this casts? Or maybe a Korean version of a Twilight series? They are gonna be such gorgeous looking vampires.  

Jokes aside, this movie, this entire casts including our Director Uhm, is an Utopia in itself!

 

Pic credit: Torja_toronto.japan on twitter 

TIFF link: 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxLaXiKOsNo/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

[Ephoenix]

September 14, 2023 

 

Lee Byung Hun’s Speech at Yoshiki’s Handprint and Footprint Ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California today. 

 

This picture makes me want to scream “Mr. Lee Byung Hun for president!!” 

 

 

Spoiler

 

Lee Byung hun’s speech on his long time friend’s big day couldn’t have been better. It was heartfelt and sincere, with a little perfect touch of LBH’s wit and humor. Of course it would not be LBH if he doesn’t make you giggle in every chance he gets. The way he insisted on ending his speech quicker for Yoshiki because, last time he did that, he almost dried his own cement for his own hand and foot printing ceremony. The way I laughed hearing that. Haha 

 

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/3cxNjz-8Iy0?si=wkmMIJH79VNr7oyY

[Etalkctv] Lee Byung hun, Park Seo Joon and Park Bo young trying Canadian snacks. Love how PSJ instantly knew the more sour one would be LBH’s favorite and he said it is. Their chemistry is always chemistrifying! 

[Ephoenix]

Lee Byung-hun's IG updates today. 

 

"Congratulations, my friend." #Yoshiki #XJapan 

 

Congratulations, Yoshiki-san.

 

These two great friends immortalising their name, country and their legacy in concrete, and creating a history for themselves. Lee Byung-hun in 2012 and now Yoshiki in 2024, together now at the TCL Chinese theatre. What a historic day indeed! 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxMQbm4P1Qm/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxMlfcApLB-/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

[Ephoenix]

September 15, 2023 

 

[HUFFPOST] 9 Of The Best Movies At The Toronto International Film Festival

 

From a horror comedy to family dramas and social allegories, some of the most interesting films at this year’s event are the ones few people are talking about. Some of the best films at this year's event grapple with complex stories of human fallibility, defy categorization and linger in your mind long after watching them. 

 

Ask some people on the ground at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, and they might say a version of the same thing: A substantial number of the movies premiering at the Sept. 7-17 event, including “North Star” and “Seagrass,” have felt incomplete. And others, like “American Fiction,” have delivered great performances in not-so-great films.

 

But some of the movies that have been tremendous this year have been less seen and certainly underdiscussed. Yet, they are no less significant. They grapple with complex stories of human fallibility, sometimes defy categorization and linger in your mind long after watching them.

 

Writer-director Tae-hwa Eom's “Concrete Utopia” is an emotionally and physically vicious look at social degradation following a major earthquake in Seoul, South Korea

 

‘Concrete Utopia’

 

Just a few short years ago, filmmaker Bong Joon-ho delivered a seminal depiction of class warfare in South Korea with “Parasite.” And now, writer-director Tae-hwa Eom picks up that baton with “Concrete Utopia,” an emotionally and physically vicious look at social degradation following a major earthquake in Seoul. Eom brings the audience into both the individual and collective stories of people attempting to rebuild the same flawed community, distinguished by the haves and the have-nots, while using genre elements to heighten their fates. In a less skilled filmmaker’s hands, that could have been clumsy. But instead, “Concrete Utopia” remains disturbingly and crushingly human.

 

Source: Here 

[Ephoenix]

September 16, 2023

 

Lee Byung Hun at the Asian Art Museum’s 2023 Gala Celebrating Takashi Murakami and “Unfamiliar People” 

 

LBH in LA means Social Butterfly Byung hun of course! This one’s just on a whole different level. It’s full on Crazy Rich and Intellectual Asians gala haha… and definitely richer, vibrant in artistic sense and style. 

 

LBH with the man of the hour Mr. Takashi Murakami, a Japanese contemporary artist. 

 

With Choi Siwon, Stanford University board member Vijay Shriram, CJ Group’s Vice chairwoman Miky Lee, Pachinko writer Min Jin Lee, and Actor Teo Yoo. 

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

All pictures credit to Drew Altizer photography and their official website: here 

[peonie]

16th September 2023.

 

@Ephoenix    How I wished I knew that Byung Hun -ssi was at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.   I could be there in 20 minutes if I take public transport.  Miky Lee's family is a big donor to Asian Art Museum.  They donated the  Samsung Auditorium.  

 

{Lee Byung Hun at the Asian Art Museum’s 2023 Gala Celebrating Takashi Murakami and “Unfamiliar People” 

 

LBH in LA means Social Butterfly Byung hun of course! This one’s just on a whole different level. It’s full on Crazy Rich and Intellectual Asians gala haha… and definitely richer, vibrant in artistic sense and style. }

[peonie]

September 16, 2023

 

Lee Byung Hun at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum Gala

 

"Join the Asian Art Museum to celebrate the opening of Takashi Murakami: Unfamiliar People — Swelling of Monsterized Human Ego. The exhibition by Takashi Murakami (Japanese, b. 1962) showcases more than 75 works — including a dozen never-before exhibited ones — and delivers Murakami’s signature combination of fun, spectacle, and playful social commentary in his first-ever solo exhibition in the Bay Area."

 

With Takashi Murakami

 

 

Source: Asian Art Museum

[Ephoenix]

12 hours ago, peonie said:

 How I wished I knew that Byung Hun -ssi was at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. I could be there in 20 minutes if I take public transport.  Miky Lee's family is a big donor to Asian Art Museum.  They donated the  Samsung Auditorium.  

That's a bummer! There was no way for us to know beforehand either. I was only aware of his schedule for Yoshiki’s event. Thought he'd stay for a while, but he's back immediately and even attended his company employee's wedding. Also, I hope you enjoyed your vacation, Barbara.

 

It seems Concrete Utopia is released only in limited areas in the US. I just found out they're out already in CGV cinemas and they are only in LA. The only cinemas in my area where they show Kmovies doesn't even have them in their upcoming lists. It's terrible. I guess I'd have to resort to online once it's made available. Hope they have subtitles. This doesn't look good with their overseas promotion at all.

[Ephoenix]

September 17, 2023 

CONGRATULATIONS!! CONCRETE UTOPIA SURPASSED IT'S BREAK EVEN POINT OF 3.8M [D-37]

 

#6 Overall movies 

#3 Korean movies 

Attendance: 12,927 viewers 

Cumulative audiences: 3,809,924 viewers 

 

[REVIEW]

 “CONCRETE UTOPIA”
 

THE STORY – From their balcony at the Hwang Gung apartment complex, Min-seong and Myeong-hwa look out on nothing but corpses and rubble. It seems a miracle their building remains standing when all the others are destroyed. A stranger and her small child soon arrive at Min-seong and Myeong-hwa’s door begging to be let in, followed by dozens of others from the surrounding area desperately seeking food and shelter. As days pass and no rescue teams turn up, the tenants assemble, survey their limited resources, and vote to evict the “outsiders.” When Yeong-tak, the tenants’ elected leader, announces that the outsiders must leave Hwang Gung, all hell breaks loose. From this point on, tenants must be prepared to protect their property by any means necessary. 
 

There’s never a shortage of entertaining disaster-thriller films being made or readily available on demand, but it’s a rare find when a film of that genre avoids blockbuster thrills and instead opts to engage in an impactful commentary on society as a whole. Director Um Tae-Hwa’s post-disaster dystopian film “Concrete Utopia” hits all the marks of still being entertaining but also an impressive epic that takes a deeper, more insightful look into human nature than most other films of the genre care to do or attempt. When society has literally crumbled, and we’re left with our basic human impulses to survive, “Concrete Utopia” takes an immersive and terrifying look at how those governed by fear differ from those who choose to govern by compassion and equality.

 

The film, based on the webtoon “Pleasant Bullying” by Kim Soongnyung, follows a South Korean couple, Min-seong (“Parasite’s” Park Seo-jun) and Myeong-hwa (Park Bo-young), living in the heart of Seoul in an impressive high-rise apartment complex. One morning, they routinely wake up and peer out their window to an unimaginable sight of absolute carnage surrounding them. They discover an enormous earthquake has desecrated the capital city, leaving only remnants of what used to be civilization in its merciless wake. It turns out that the seemingly last and only standing building left is Min-seong and Myeong-hwa’s own apartment complex. Still, this realization only brings momentary relief as the chaos and repercussions of the disaster have just begun. Whether prepared or not, this couple is irrecoverably thrust into the heart of it all and about to experience the peak of human impetuosity in its most dire state.

 

Quite expeditiously, “Concrete Utopia” becomes a near study of human nature as desperation and primal instincts emerge from the hundreds, if not thousands, of survivors seeking refuge in the only standing place of shelter. This causes the remaining survivors to revert to somewhat primitive behavior. People are injured, scared, hungry, cold, and tired, and only one standing building can solve their problems. This could have been a blessing for all, except there are not nearly enough resources available for everyone. So now the residents of the building must decide — do the apartment owners get to keep their rightful spaces, or do the sick, the children, and the elderly receive priority? The group soon realizes there is no one correct answer to these moral questions, and the survivors are torn ethically as they weigh their options. In an effort to create some semblance of control and command within the remaining members, the group elects a leader, Yeong-tak (“I Saw The Devil’s” Lee Byung-hun), to look to for decision-making. This starts out fine enough, but the situation soon spirals as leadership is threatened, ethics are challenged, and panicked desperation begins to innately reshape people into unrecognizable members of a previously just society in something more savage.

 

The performances by the entire ensemble are consistently engaging and multifaceted as the characters are put through the wringer, experiencing immense amounts of trauma and moral dilemmas while becoming weaker, sicker, and gradually more desperate. Watching well-developed and relatable characters’ morals wither over the course of the film’s two-hour runtime is riveting to watch. As it progresses, it becomes entirely more apparent that when it comes down to it, moral code is very likely to go out the window as things change from an “everyone for themselves” situation to a class battle between the “haves” and the “have nots,” to a final internal struggle for power based upon lies, deceit, and fear.

 

Park Seo-jun and Park Bo-young, who play our central apartment-owning couple, have fantastic chemistry with each other and give consistently heart-wrenching performances. They tackle this feat of displaying decaying human decency with chilling accuracy as we watch them wrestle with the will to survive and their attempts to preserve who they are and what they believe at their core is the best way forward. Lee Byung-hun stands out as Yeong-tak, the nominated leader of the supposed utopia for all who live in the building. He portrays a once simple and unassuming man who soon spirals into self-destruction when he’s given too much power too quickly. It quickly intoxicates and overwhelms him, and in his frightening display of unbridled autocratic authority, one may compare his decisions and transformation to that of a guard from the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment.

 

On a technical level, “Concrete Utopia” is extremely impressive. From the eerily realistic and destroyed sets, simple yet believable wardrobes, and elaborate camerawork, the scale of Um Tae-hwa’s film is massive. Coupling the epic production design by Cho Hwa-sung and cold cinematography from Cho Hyoung-rae, the audience is thrust into an empty, seemingly hopeless grayscale landscape that is populated by the many poor survivors on the screen creating many stunning images of desolation and despair. The editing is crisp and straightforward, propelling the story and Um Tae-Hwa’s elite direction towards a potential answer to the dreadful “what ifs” that surround the uncertainty of the inevitable collapse of modern society as we know it is concentrated and emotionally compelling.

 

The themes “Concrete Utopia” explores are tackled with an intensity that forces the audience to put themselves in the positions of the people on screen, sympathizing with the characters and questioning what they would do if ever put in the on-screen predicament themselves. Once docile, selfless people resort to feral, primitive behavior when put to the test, selfishness and self-preservation become natural instincts, and relationships crumble under the pressure of the masses. Um Tae-Hwa forces the audience to examine and reflect on any judgment or criticisms one may have of the characters back onto themselves in a memorable and revealing way. Though it stretches a bit long at times, and some may feel its themes have been thoroughly explored in other similar projects, “Concrete Utopia” is a gripping, disturbing, and powerful representation of the worst of society, yet equally showcasing the best qualities in humans and how hope, community, and decency will always exist through the dust and devastation.

 

THE RECAP

THE GOOD - Phenomenal performances, stunning set design, cinematography, and sound band together to create an immersive and compelling film with an eerie yet important narrative on human nature.

THE BAD - A slightly shorter runtime could've shaped the film to make it more concise and impactful.

THE OSCAR PROSPECTS - Best International Feature

THE FINAL SCORE - 8/10 ☆

 

source: here