[Movie 2012] Mai Ratima 마이 라띠마 (Boy, Dreams of Sansevieria)

[cynkdf]

At this morning's screening of "Mai Ratima" at BIFF, there was a Guest Visit (GV) by Yoo Ji Tae, Bae Soo Bin and Park Ji Su  where they answered questions from the audience.  So Yoo Jin tweeted that she could not make it (if I understand Google Translate correctly, she will be able to attend the GVs scheduled on 7 and 8 October).

Pics:

:

 

 

 

[rubie]

From Busan International Film Festival Facebook

[cynkdf]

rubie, thanks very much for posting the above pic and for compiling Darcy Paquet's tweets giving his brief thoughts about "Mai Ratima":

 

 

Here are two reviews by movie critics:

http://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-latest/mai-ratima/5047430.article?blocktitle=Latest-Reviews&contentID=1479

Mai Ratima

5 October, 2012 | By Jason Bechervaise

Dir: Yoo Ji-tae. South Korea. 2012. 123mins

Although overlong, Yoo Ji-tae’s feature debut is a promising piece of work that demonstrates his talent as a filmmaker, and given his already high profile as an actor (Oldboy, 2003), Mai Ratima, should secure a strong festival run following its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival.

Stylistically the film is reminiscent of some of Park Chan-wook’s films.

[cynkdf]

 

Yoo Ji Tae is SK-II Men's brand ambassador, and on 6 October he invited BSB  as a surprise guest to a special event in Busan "SK-II Men Meet My Milestone".   Thank you to the blogger for the video clip embedded in his or her blog below - part of the clip shows YJT directing BSB and Park Ji Soo on location somewhere near the East Sea (on 2 April 2012).

http://piafpiaf.blog.me/130148813818

 A couple of pics of YJT and BSB at the SK-II Milestone event:

Screen caps:

 

 

 

 

[cynkdf]

Review by Maggie Lee of Variety.com

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117948488?refcatid=31

A Lotte Entertainment release of a Lotte Entertainment presentation of a Yoo Movie production in association with At9 Film, T-Entertainment, Yoo Movie, supported by Asian Cinema Fund Post-production Fund in cooperation with Korean Film Council. (International sales: Lotte Entertainment, Seoul.) Produced by Hong Yeon-jeong. Executive producer, Song Kwang-ik. Directed by Yoo Ji-tae. Screenplay, Im Sun-ae.With: Bae Soo-bin, Park Ji-soo, Soh Yoo-jin, Ko Se-won, Kim Kyung, Lee Jun-hyuk, Hwak Sook-sung. (Korean, Thai, English dialogue

An unconventional cross-cultural love story with a sharp social sting, "Mai Ratima" tells of a runaway Thai immigrant and a small-town drifter lost in the bright lights of Seoul. But despite the film's polished tech package and strong denunciation of racial discrimination in Korea, "Old Boy" thesp-turned-helmer Yoo Ji-tae overreaches, swamping his feature debut with fancy film techniques that run counter to the edgy, docu-like realism he's striving for. Yoo's name could lend the pic extra marketing muscle in local alternative-cinema circles and land a few festival slots abroad.

To support her sister and Alzheimer's-afflicted mother back in Thailand, Mai Ratima (Park Ji-soo) enters into an arranged marriage with mentally challenged Sang-pil (Lee Jun-hyuk). Stuck in the drab seaside town of Pohang, she endures the daily harangues of her mother-in-law and sexual harassment by her brother-in-law Sang-rim (Kim Kyung).

Mai's woes are exacerbated when her visa renewal comes up, but she narrowly escapes deportation thanks to the spur-of-the-moment kindness of Soo-young (Bae Soo-bin), a social outcast who can't even afford to renew his national ID. They run off to Seoul and inevitably drift into a relationship, but the corruption and callousness of the big city leave them bruised and jaded.

The litany of racist abuse Mai suffers as a Third World immigrant is not an exclusively South Korean problem, and other films from the peninsula, such as "Bandhobi" and "Punch," have explored the sufferings of foreign workers with greater sophistication and less melodrama. Still, Mai's plight retains the power to disturb and enrage, anchored by Park's harrowing perf. Although she isn't perfectly convincing as a Thai woman, the South Korean thesp wholly immerses herself in the role on an emotional level. Quivering with the constant anxiety of a hunted animal, she renders Mai by turns bitter, patient and exceptionally sensuous.

Running parallel to Mai's marginalization is the snobbery Soo-young encounters as a migrant worker. His descent into the world of escorts and hoods after he becomes entangled with bar hostess Young-jin (Soh Yoo-jin) not only serves as a devastating example of dented male ego and tarnished dreams, but also demonstrates the fragility of love in a cold economic climate. Embodying the contradictions of someone willing to risk his life for a female stranger even as he impulsively discards lovers like clothing, Bae makes Soo-young flawed but never despicable.

Im Sun-ae's solid script is packed with incident, but the middle act becomes as listless as the protags, as the focus alternates too frequently between them. The elaborate score, excessive cutting and other stylistic diversions, including fantasy sequences, actually diminish the raw power of the fluid, frequently handheld lensing and the actors' finely tuned naturalism. Otherwise, tech credits are aces.Camera (color, widescreen, HD), Lee Jung-bae, Jang Won-wook; editor, Moon In-dae; music, Jo Young-wook; production designer, Lee Yo-han; costume designer, Yoo Ji-yeon; sound (Dolby Digital), Seo Young-june; re-recording mixer, Kim Young-moon; visual effects supervisors, Baek Kyung-soo, Kim Jun-hyung; visual effects, Digital Idea; Action choreographer, Heo Myong-haeng; line producer, Daniel Son; assistant directors, Lee Hwan-hwee, Park Kyeong-hwan. Reviewed at Busan Film Festival (Korean Cinema Today), Oct. 5, 2012. Running time: 128 MIN

Unquote

 

On 7 October, there was a Guest Visit (GV) by Yoo Ji Tae, Bae Soo Bin, So Yoo Jin and Park Ji Su at the second screening of "Mai Ratima" at BIFF. Many thanks to NEWSEN for these pics:

 

[rubie]

October 5, 2012
Yu Ji-Tae, releasing his first full length film that he produced  Source: innolife.kr

Yu Ji-Tae talked about his testimony for releasing his first produced film.
After a screening of the movie ‘Mai Ratima’ on 5th, director Yu Ji-Tae, main actors Bae Su-Bin and Park Ji-Su attended for a meeting with audiences.
The movie ‘Mai Ratima’ that was officially invited to ‘Today of Korean Movies – Vision’ section of the 17th Busan International Film Festival is the first produced film of Yu Ji-Tae, and about a love between a lonely man and woman.
After the screening, director Yu Ji-Tae said, “I feel very proud. The story was made when I was in a college, which has been 15 years. The names of director or actors are not important. I just want to do movies forever, and I won’t forget the mind that I had in the beginning.”
He also added that, “For the question that why I want to make a film is, I think it’s like a nature of me. It’s the mind to make a film with a pure mind.”
The movie is about a story of Su-Yeong(Bae Su-Bin’s role) who has no place to lean on and Mai Ratima(Park Ji-Su’s role) who also has no place to stay or return to on earth.
The movie tickets were sold out completely just in 30 seconds after opening, which proved the hot attention of audiences.

[cynkdf]

rubie, thanks very much for that article.

 

On 8 October, YJT, BSB, SYJ and PJS attended an outdoor stage greeting at BIFF. 

Two video clips, thanks to the Star - one is above.:

 

Here are a few photos ( will edit this post to add more pics - I am having probs posting):

 

 

An amusing moment with the mike:

[cynkdf]

Two videos, a couple of pics, and some screencaps ...

Video - 9-minute clip of outdoor stage greeting, thanks so much to the uploader.

Video - Yoo Ji Tae's SK-II Milestones video, thanks very much to the uploader. Includes some footage of YJT on location directing Mai Ratima.

 

On 8 October, after the outdoor stage greeting, YJT & Co proceeded to their third (and final) Guest Visit. I don't think there are pics in the Nate and Naver portals yet but thank you to the tweeters of these two pics:

 Screencaps

 

http://youtu.be/WcJR1-3CM5Q

[Guest annieice]

cynkdf: thank you for the interview

[cynkdf]

BigIssueKorea (Issue No: 045)  has Yoo Ji Tae on its cover:

http://bigissuekr.tistory.com/1070

 

 

The Big Issue is a street newspaper published in four continents; it is written by professional journalists and sold by homeless individuals (source; Wikipedia)

Since Mai Ratima's two lead characters are homeless, it is fair to assume that the article about YJT will mention the movie.

Logicalsong, if you manage to get a copy, we would appreciate your giving us the gist of the article.  Many thanks in advance.

[Guest annieice]

Cynkdf: thank you for YJT pictures he is so handsome

[cynkdf]

annieice, more YJT-Mai Ratima news for you in particular to enjoy

Day 8 of BIFF - 11 Oct 2012 YJT attended an event together with a few other directors (?)

 

Closing ceremony of BIFF:

:

 

Thanks to the festival organizers  for the clip of Day 8 (03:33 to 04:15 featuring YJT and the other directors) - please see below.

 

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/10/15/2012101500965.html

 October 15, 2012

class="art_title"Yoo Ji-tae Shines Light on Mail-Order Brides at Helm of First Feature

Actor Yoo Ji-tae released "Mai Ratima," his first full-length film as a director, at the Busan International Film Festival, which featured 304 films from 75 countries and attracted 200,000 viewers during its 10-day run that ended Saturday.

He wrote a synopsis while still at college but it would be another 15 years before the project was finally turned into a movie, Yoo said. He again proved his potential as a director after having rolled out several short films, which were all highly critically appraised.

The film portrays the unlikely love affair of a Korean man in his 30s living on the bottom rung of society and a mail-order bride from Thailand in her 20s.

Yoo said he plans to continue producing or directing movies based on strong social issues as he is interested in the plight of the less privileged.

[Guest annieice]

Cynkdf: Thank you, thank you, thank you...you really made my day :*  YJT looks soooooooo good, watched Old Boy yesterday, even when he is the BAD BOY he is great

[cynkdf]

annieice, you are most welcome.  Do you get Arirang TV in your country? My brother happened to turn to that station last Sunday and they showed "Ditto" starring YJT and Kim Haneul.

 

Thank you to greenteagraffiti.com for this review of "Mai Ratima""

http://www.greenteagraffiti.com/2012/10/biff2012-mai-ratima-2012/

BIFF2012: Mai Ratima (2012)

A lonely Thai girl in a ruthless Korea. First bright-eyed and full of hope, only to be jaded with disappointment. Thus is the story of Mai Ratima.

Author: Raymaru
Date: October 18, 2012

Mai Ratima

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-4802" title="mairatima001" src=" " alt="" width="560" height="373" />

Mai Ratima

Original Title: 마이 라띠마 (Mai Ratima)
Country:South Korea
Language:Korean
Genres:Drama
Year:2012
Director:Yoo Ji-tae
Main Cast:Park Ji-soo
Bae Soo-bin
So Yu-jin

 

The Story…

---

<img class="alignright wp-image-4806" title="mairatimaposter" src=" " alt="" width="282" height="403" />

Mai Ratima (played by newcomer Park Ji-soo) is a mail order bride from Thailand. Her husband is mentally sick, and she is constantly sexually harassed by her brother-in-law. To top it off, her mother-in-law ignores her existence, and wishes the family would have saved money on raising a grandchild, rather than spend it on bringing Mai to Korea. In fact, nobody in the family (besides her husband) treats Mai as a member, as they fear that she will run away ones she attains citizenship.

Though her brother-in-law constantly harasses her, she must put up with it if she ever hopes of him agreeing to sponsor her visa. However, Mai’s resistance angers her brother-in-law, who beats her in public in front of many observers. Soo-young (played by Bae Soo-bin), a drifter on his way to Seoul in hopes of making it big, is the only one who steps in and saves her. Mai is reluctant to receive his help at first because her brother-in-law’s sponsorship is the only way she can live and work in Korea and send money home to her family. Eventually, he convinces the panicked Mai to run away with him to Seoul.

As the two dodge the authorities and attempt to find work in the big city, they live in abandoned buildings and steal food from the back of delivery trucks. How will the two runaways and their budding relationship fare with the temptations and troubles running rampant in the busy city?

The Good, The Bad, and The Surprising

Yoo Ji-tae is one of the few Korean actors who have decided to make the jump into the director’s chair. Many of us in the West know him as the bad guy in Park Chan-wook’s 2003 thriller Old Boy, but with the many approving reviews that Mai Ratima has been getting, we might see him as a successful director in the future.

The center of the story focuses on the unfortunate treatment of low-class immigrants in South Korea. The titular Mai Ratima, who is Thai, is greeted with “dirty foreigner” faces and snide comments from the people around her. She is mistreated by her new family who suspects her of scamming them. Could this be a commentary on how it really is in Korea, where poor non-Koreans are treated the same as dirt?

Park Ji-soo, the girl in the title, is a newcomer on the silver screen; however she did well to portray the lost foreigner in a sea of Koreans. Being of Korean decent, she can prove to be very convincing to the average viewer that she is Thai. Hell, I was fooled. With her performance that will pull the audience in, her character’s journey will leave the audience enraged and shocked. It gives us a lot of reasons to be sympathetic with Mai and cheer for her as the story progresses.

Bae Soo-bin represents the desperation in humans, easily discarding his past once a new opportunity rises up. The drifter is so poor that he can’t even afford the renewal of his national ID. However, he rises in the social ladder, landing a job as a janitor but making his way to being an escort of high demand with the help of hottie Young-jin (So Yu-jin), who helps restart his life in demand for his companionship and loyalty. The choices Soo-young makes make him out to be despised, but rather, he is flawed like any other human.

<img class=" wp-image-4813 aligncenter" title="mairatima002" src=" " alt="" width="450" height="304" />

This film is definitely not for the popcorn movie watcher who is looking for a textbook Korean romantic-comedy. The characters take a bit of time to understand, but their on-screen chemistry felt really natural. However, it did feel that the characters themselves were spiritless; rarely showing much emotion unless it was very extreme.

The challenges the characters go through hit home for many of us; they make their way into the big city bright-eyed and naive, only to be end up jaded with destroyed dreams.

<img class="wp-image-4816 aligncenter" title="mairatima004" src=" " alt="" width="439" height="296" />

The film, clocked in at 123 minutes, feels a bit too long with scenes here and there dragging out. Ironically, it felt like the build-up to the relationship between Mai and Soo-young happened too quickly. It just…kind of happened…on the the train ride into Seoul.

This film was anticipated in that it is the directorial debut of Yoo Ji-tae. Was it anything revolutionary? No. Did it tell a story that will have you thinking? Most definitely. Yoo Ji-tae’s future directorial works are something to look forward to.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-4815" title="mairatima003" src=" " alt="" width="401" height="271" />

Watch this film if…

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…you have enough energy to stay awake, because it does feel about 30 minutes too long. Half of the viewers who watch this will pause for a moment to let the story sink in, while the other half will question why they spent the two hours to watch it when they could have watched something else.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest annieice]

cynkdf: hmmmmm I didn t check, but I am watching all the dramas and movies over a page
http://www.gooddrama.net/korean-movie/oldboy-movie

hope My Ratima premier will be soon

Watch this film if…

---

…you have enough energy to stay awake, because it does feel about 30 minutes too long. Half of the viewers who watch this will pause for a moment to let the story sink in, while the other half will question why they spent the two hours to watch it when they could have watched something else.

  hmmmmm not really good critics :/

[Guest annieice]

found this in the KNG tread
Nice of him to give his friend support
http://kimnamgilstory.blogspot.com/2012/10/news-2012-kim-nam-gil-attends-yoo-ji.html

[rubie]

October 24, 2012
More Actors Turn to Directing
ChosunIlbo
An increasing number of actors are venturing into the world of directing. For now, they are mostly working in short films, but with an eye to eventually heading commercial feature films. 
The trend was visible at this year's Busan International Film Festival, which concluded on Oct. 13. Pang Eun-jin's second feature film "Perfect Number," Yoo Ji-tae's first full-length film "Mai Ratima," and Yoon Eun-hye's first short film "Sweater" were featured in Busan. 
"Peach Tree," directed by actress Ku Hye-sun and starring fellow actors Cho Seung-woo, Ryu Duk-hwan and Nam Sang-mi, will be released on Oct. 30. Meanwhile, actor Park Joong-hoon is preparing for his directorial debut with "Top Star," which is slated for release in the second half of next year. 
Although this is not a new phenomenon, it was rare to see actors try their hands at directing in the past and few were successful as they jumped in without properly learning the ropes. However, these days they are making inroads by brushing up on the art of moviemaking at college or graduate schools.
From left, Park Joong-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae, Ku Hye-sun and Yoon Eun-hye
Yoo and Yoon's debut films were actually their graduation projects for their respective filmmaking degrees at the Graduate School of Advanced Imaging Science, Multimedia & Film at Chungang University. After making her directorial debut with "Magic," Ku also entered Sungkyunkwan University to study the art of cinema.
"Based on the premise that they are equipped with basic directorial skills and knowledge, I think it's a positive thing that we are seeing actors transfer their experiences from acting to directing," said film critic Jeon Chan-il.
Others view popular actors' transition behind the lens in a less positive light, as it can skew viewers' judgment and give them an unfair advantage regardless of the quality of the movie they produce.
One CEO of a film production company said, "Some actors get to steal the spotlight just because they directed something, whether it's well made or not. This would be impossible for ordinary students of cinema." 
Jeon added, "Their strength is that they have hands-on experience in acting. If they want to succeed as directors, they should try to make most of their acting experience to communicate with actors when they direct."

[Guest Jangta]

annieice said:

Watch this film if…

---

…you have enough energy to stay awake, because it does feel about 30 minutes too long. Half of the viewers who watch this will pause for a moment to let the story sink in, while the other half will question why they spent the two hours to watch it when they could have watched something else.

  hmmmmm not really good critics :/

[Guest annieice]

Hello Jangta nice to meet you
1) thanks for the review, nice to finally read something about Mai Ratima, when the news spread about this movie I couldn t find anything about it on the internet for months
2) about the critics, I think you misunderstood me, I didn t mean that your way of criticizing is bad or your movie review, I was talking about the movie  (I am really excited about it and of course I am going to watch it anyway, maybe I m going to feel about it the same way as you do after I finish it), I am really sorry if I offended you with my comment. Keep up with the good work, looking forward to see more of it...

[Guest Jangta]

Hi again annieice,
It's nice to meet you too!
No worries . Ahhh, I must have misunderstood the message. I thought you were talking about our critiques, instead of the movie.
We were not offended at all actually. We find the Soompi community, in general, very down-to-earth and chill, so we didn't think you meant anything bad. And we're all about improving our reviews, so anything (good or bad) is welcome. 
In any case, we do recommend watching Mai Ratima. It is a charming film and the actors do a very good job. We just felt that in the end, it went on just a little too long.
Thanks again for the comments and let us know what you think of the movie!