Hyun Bin 현빈 [Movies: “The Point Men”, “Confidential Assignment 2” | Upcoming: Movie “Harbin”]

[bearcreek]

 

[2023/01/13] <The Point Men> casts interview with NAVER NOW.

 

[bearcreek]

 

 

[2023/01/16] <The Point Men> casts interview with Yonhap TV.  

 

 

 

 

Hyun Bin Q&A cut.

 

Q. Foreigners were banned from entering the country before filming began. Is there an episode?

LSR: "The agency that grants filming permission is the Jordan Film Commission, and the person who makes the best decision of the film committee is Hyun Bin's fan, so we benefited a lot from that." 

 

 

Q. What was the hardest part while filming?

HB: "What was difficult was the sandstorm? Also, in the heat of over 40 degrees, sometimes you have to do action, and these things are a little... I don't want to express that it's difficult, but those things were a little difficult."  

Q. Your role is that of the National Intelligence Service. How did you do your research?

HB: “As Hwang Jung-min said earlier, the character Park Dae-sik is also a fictional character, and this person has a trauma in the past due to the role, he is a person who has a greater desire than anyone else to save the kidnapped Korean people. So I think I thought it would be nice to express those things well, Park Dae-sik is a professional agent dispatched to the Middle East. So, I also thought that it would be nice to see the appearances and appearances that feel a little different from the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bearcreek]

 

 

Hyun Bin playing with his goatee. 

 

[bearcreek]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bearcreek]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bearcreek]

 

 

 

How Hyun Bin got into Daesik character so smoothly when it’s time for sum action.  Best actor indeed!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bearcreek]

 

Actor: Room service darling
Daesik: NO 

Actor: You look so good!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bearcreek]

 

 

[2023/01/16, 11:30pm KST] <The Point Men> leading TOP real-time advanced ticket reservation rate at 24.8% and 90,711 audiences.  crossing 90,000. 

https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/mobile/main/findRealTicketList.do

 

 

Cine 21 rating ~ 7.0/10

 

[bearcreek]

 

[2023/01/12] Coffee truck support from Hyun Bin Thailand fans at <Harbin> filming site deep in the mountains.  Hyun Bin wasn’t feeling well and did not visit the truck.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnTrwvFpYZk/?igshid=MWI4MTIyMDE=

 

 

 

 

“Warm latte, moonlight walk (pear-scented green tea).  The actor couldn't visit the truck because he wasn't feeling well, but the cookie boxes the fans took care of were well delivered through the manager! He said hello to eat well.” ~ Cafe Imoi

https://www.instagram.com/p/CndzbV5JI-h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

 

[bearcreek]

 

[2023/01/16]  Our “The Space” coffee truck & dinner buffet support today.  <Harbin> team fighting!

 

 

ctto HB manager IG stories

[bearcreek]

 

 

Megabox <The Point Men> Original Ticket No.67 to be released on 01/18.

 

[bearcreek]

 

(Movie Review) 'The Point Men' recounts S. Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan
 

2023-01-16 09:44:20
By Kim Eun-jung | K-Odyssey

SOURCE

 

(Movie Review) The Point Men

 

 

▲ A scene from Korean film "The Point Men" is seen in this photo provided by its distributor, Plus M Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

▲ Korean film "The Point Men" is seen in this photo provided by its distributor, Plus M Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- "The Point Men" sheds light on the 2007 South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan by focusing on the desperate rescue efforts, walking the fine line between what happened on stage and behind the scenes.

The film's director and screenwriter Yim Soon-rye deals with the sensitive subject by following two fictional protagonists behind the nail-biting moment of the hostage rescue operation.

At the forefront are Jeong Jae-ho (Hwang Jung-min), a senior foreign ministry official specializing in crisis negotiations, and Park Dae-shik (Hyun Bin), a National Intelligence Service agent with expertise in the Middle East and Central Asia.

The drama faithfully revisits the real incident based on news reports and clips but recreates the behind-the-scenes negotiations largely unknown to the public. 

In July 2007, 23 South Korean missionaries are taken hostage by the Taliban, and a South Korean negotiation team is dispatched to Afghanistan. 

The Taliban demands Seoul withdraw its forces from Afghanistan and the Afghan government release Taliban prisoners in exchange for the hostages. 

At first, Jeong sticks to the hostage negotiator's playbook. He refuses to negotiate with the terrorist group or prepare a ransom.

In contrast, Park tries to solve the crisis with whatever it takes. He still harbors a traumatic memory of witnessing the execution of a South Korean in Iraq, reminiscent of Kim Sun-il, who was kidnapped and beheaded by Iraqi insurgents in 2004.

After initial talks fail, two male hostages are executed in the span of a few days. 

As the negotiation team stands at a crossroads, the diplomat and spy agent team up for the same goal: to win the freedom of the remaining hostages.

The climax occurs in the last part of the film, when Jeong sits down with a Taliban commander in an underground cave. 

The movie hints at the Seoul government paying the ransom in exchange for the safety of the captured missionaries. 

In fact, the Taliban later claimed it had received some US$20 million from the Seoul government in exchange for the safety of the captured missionaries. 

South Korea brought home some 200 troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2017 to end its five-year deployment. The troops withdrawal had been planned ahead of the hostage incident. 

Although the drama recounts the traumatic incident of South Korea's worst hostage crisis, it still offers entertainment with a well-calibrated plot and an impressive performance by veteran actors. 

Hwang, who starred in many hit films, including "Ode to My Father" (2014), "Veteran" (2015) and "The Wailing" (2016), to name a few, skillfully portrays the crisis negotiator's changing state of mind to rescue the hostages. 

Hyun, a fan-favorite who played a North Korean agent in the 2017 action comedy "Confidential Assignment" and its 2022 sequel, demonstrates his proven action skills in a car chase scene, amplifying tension at a critical moment. 

"The Point Men" hits local theaters Wednesday. 

 

[bearcreek]

 

 

Director Yim Soon-rye shows new style in 'The Point Men' based on Afghan hostage crisis

 

2023-01-16 17:08:18
By Kim Eun-jung | K-Odyssey

SOURCE

 

Hostage Film Director

▲ Director Yim Soon-rye of "The Point Men" is seen in this photo provided by the film distributor Plus M Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)   ▲ This photo, provided by Plus M Entertainment, shows the poster of 'The Point Men.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

▲ The poster of "The Point Men" is seen this photo provided by the film distributor Plus M Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- When director Yim Soon-rye was offered a new film about the Afghanistan hostage crisis, called "The Point Men," she hesitated to take on the controversial theme as she knew little about the war-ravaged country.

In 2007, 23 South Korean missionaries were kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan for 43 days. The incident, which left two male hostages dead, gripped the nation and stirred debates over the Seoul government's direct negotiations with the terrorist group. 

Yim studied the weighty theme and decided to write a story from the perspective of negotiators who made desperate efforts to rescue the hostages. 

Even for the veteran filmmaker who has helmed multiple movies based on true stories, including "Forever the Moment" (2008) and "Whistle Blower" (2014), it was not an easy job.

Government documents related to negotiations were classified and victims' writings were centered on their personal experiences.

"There are usually original works that can be adapted into films, but there was nothing except the (hostage) incident and the desire to dramatize it. I was at a loss at first," the 63-year-old said in a group media interview on Monday. 

"I finally accepted the offer as I thought the story's subject has rarely been covered in Korean films and I could make a unique story," she said. 

Based on the real incident, Yim created two fictional characters -- Jeong Jae-ho, a senior foreign ministry official dispatched to Afghanistan (played by Hwang Jung-min) and Park Dae-shik, an intelligence agent with expertise in the Middle East and Central Asia (played by Hyun Bin). 

The director said the movie delves into several themes -- conflicts between different religious beliefs, the scope of the government's responsibility for its people and professionalism of diplomats, government officials and journalists.

The celebrated female auteur, mostly known for heartfelt dramas and arthouse films, including "Waikiki Brothers" (2001) and "Little Forest" (2018), said the big budget project posed several challenges while filming in Jordan amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. 

Her team had to make bombs with limited resources and search for an old bus for the kidnapping scene, and supporting actor Kang Ki-young, who appeared as an interpreter, rigorously practiced Pashto, a language used in southern Afghanistan. 

Yim said she cast Hwang as the main protagonist to convincingly lead the story and chose Hyun as a spy agent with a traumatic memory from a past hostage incident to draw a new personality from the star actor.

"The role of Jeong Jae-ho is important from the beginning till the end as he has to get audiences to follow his emotions and thoughts in the negotiation process," she said. "I imagined a more cool-headed, restrained character, but Hwang showed a more active, energetic personality. As a result, his acting elevated the movie." 

Hyun Bin's car chase action is a scene stealer in the movie, but Yim manages to maintain the focus with the right balance of dynamic scenes and a tightly-knit plot.

"I was tempted to take more action scenes, but didn't do because they were not necessary in the negotiation process," she said.

"The Point Men" arrives in local theatres Wednesday.

 

[bearcreek]

 

 

'The Point Men' Director on Hyun Bin Playing NIS Agent, His Shower Scene, and More

 

2023-01-16 
BY KRISH KIM | ZAPZEE

SOURCE

 

Credit: ZAPZEE

 

Director Lim Soon Rye dished on working with Hyun Bin in her new action movie The Point 

 

The Point Men follows a diplomat and a National Intelligence Service (NIS) agent who risk their lives on foreign soil to save Koreans being held hostage by the Taliban. The story is based onthe 2007 South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan when 23 South Korean missionaries were captured and held hostage.

 

“Many people told me Hyun Bin looks more like a diplomat and Hwang Jung Min suits a wacko NIS agent more. But I wanted to give Hyun Bin a role with a different vibe,” Director Lim candidly opened up. “He’s mostly played beautiful roles, but I wanted to show him playing a rough, free-spirited yet lonely man living in the Middle East rather than a typical NIS agent we’ve always seen.”

 

 

In The Point Men, there is Hyun Bin’s shower scene and a flashback scene that’ll remind people of the actor’s younger days. “Actors have their own so-called ‘branding.’ Fans expect certain things from their stars, and I’m not so clueless about what they want, so I tried incorporating what I could into the movie. Of course, I wouldn’t have if the actor said no, not Hyun Bin so willingly did (the scenes).”

 

Director Lim then added about Hyun Bin’s transformation into a tough guy. “Hyun Bin wanted to look different, so he had put a lot of thought into his appearance like beard, hairstyle, and clothes,” she shared. “We were worried how the female audience would react to his beard after being used to his shaved face, but I think they liked it.”

 

Hyun Bin has once again pulled off action sequences for The Point Men. “Hyun Bin’s done a lot of action stunts in Confidential Assignment and other movies,” Director Lim commented. “And the action team we worked with was the team Hyun Bin’s always worked with. So they were practically ‘Hyun Bin’ himself.”

 

 

 

 

 

[bearcreek]

 

All You Need To Know About Hyun Bin’s Upcoming Movie 'The Point Men' 

 

The actor will portray heroic valor as an NIS agent on a mission to free Korean hostages in the Middle East with the aid of a diplomat

 

 

Jan 16, 2023
BY DEBASHREE DUTTA | ROLLING STONE 

SOURCE

 

Hyun Bin as Park Dae-sik in 'The Point Men.' Photo courtesy of Watermelon Pictures Co.; HanCinema

 

As one would expect from Hyun Bin, he plays a character to perfection. His acting strikes what I consider to be the perfect balance of emulation and impact, which is a defining trait of a great artist. Especially for a die-hard fan like myself, it’s hard to imagine him putting on an average performance.

 

The Korean megastar has been making news for years since each of his works has set new benchmarks thanks to his career choices. Despite having more than 15 years of acting experience and several characters under his belt, the actor remains on the lookout for high-quality content in the industry. He once said that, upon reflection, he had learned a great deal about how to handle playing his parts and that, moving forward, he would like to exhibit something more distinctive and daring than his previous performances.

 

Since 2017, he has been on a tear, taking on more meaty roles in crime and action movies, including Confidential Assignment(2017), The Swindlers (2017), and Confidential Assignment 2: International(2022). And this time, with his forthcoming film, The Point Men, there has been no interruption to that continuity.

 

The Point Men follows diplomat Jung Jae-ho (Hwang Jung-min) and National Intelligence Service (NIS) agent Park Dae-sik (Hyun Bin) as they fight and put themselves in jeopardy to release Korean captives in the Middle East. Jae-ho helps Dae-sik with his negotiating and relief operations. The film is based on actual events from the 2007 South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan when 23 South Korean missionaries were abducted and held hostage there.

 

 

 

The Point Men’s subject matter is highly sensitive, but its director, Yim Soon-rye, one of the few notable female auteurs of Korean New Wave cinema, sought to address it from a neutral point of view that can perceive twisted views rationally, as she explained in a recent press conference held for the film. Yim added that the attitudes and viewpoints of the diplomat and the agent are dominant in order to keep the narrative in equilibrium. Her films are known for having human stories that are typically slow-paced, humorous, and heart-warming. The Point Men marks her breakthrough in dealing with action and violent moments in that respect.

 

While Hyun Bin won’t be romancing anyone in this movie, I believe Hwang and his bromance will have a special vibe. Elaborating on his role, Hyun Bin revealed that Dae-sik was scarred by a previous failure to save a hostage. Although he and Jae-ho have the same objective, they work in different ways. “I crafted him based on the idea of an agent working with deployed Korean operatives,” the actor said of his character’s appearance. “His long stay in the Middle East must have affected his style. When Dae-sik first arrived in the Middle East, he must have been like Jae-ho — a neat guy in a suit — but he gradually changed as he adjusted to living in a new setting.” Well, if you ask me, Hyun Bin certainly looks on point in The Point Men, neat, dapper, or not!

 

 

The Point Men follows diplomat Jung Jae-ho (Hwang Jung-min) and National Intelligence Service (NIS) agent Park Dae-sik (Hyun Bin) as they fight and put themselves in jeopardy to release Korean captives in the Middle East. Photo courtesy of Watermelon Pictures Co.; HanCinema

 

Impressively, some actors are adept at changing into action heroes. Hyun Bin is one of them. He has the talent to expertly immerse viewers in an exhilarating scene of heroic bravery. We are won over by more than simply his athleticism and machismo; it’s also the way he employs his physicality to convey emotions. As Steven Frederic Seagal, the American martial artist, actor, and screenwriter, had observed, “Action films are great, but an action film that has characters that are compelling and a story that people can care about is something even better. We love to see action heroes that are vulnerable, that are sensitive, that are family people, that are accessible.” The Point Men should be a comparable encounter, I feel, and although the film boasts a stellar cast, my eyes are fixated on Hyun Bin. I’m eagerly awaiting the movie’s release on January 18th

 

 

 

[bearcreek]

'Negotiation' director Lim Soon-rye "I want to do an action that doesn't harm lives"

 

SOURCE

 

“The Afghan kidnapping situation, reorganized to focus on the movie itself instead of unnecessary debate" 
Hwang Jung-min and reunion after 20 years... "Great focus and energy"

 

Director Lim Sun-rye 
[Provided by PlusM Entertainment. Resale and DB prohibited]

[SEOUL YONHAP NEWS]
"First of all, I thought I shouldn't kill too many people. I wanted to do action for a reason when shooting or killing people." 

Director Lim Soon-rye meets the audience with his new film 'Negotiation' after 5 years. This work depicting a desperate struggle between a diplomat and an NIS agent to save 23 Koreans abducted by the Taliban has a distinctly different outcome from director Lim's previous films, which put humanism at the forefront. Through this work, director Lim challenged himself with a traditional action scene for the first time. 

Director Lim, who we met at a cafe in Palpan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 16th, laughed and said, “If there is an action field that does not harm lives, I wonder if I can try (action movie) next time.” 

"When you watch a movie, there are too many cases where people are killed for no reason. It was a little uncomfortable for the audience. It's not that things like murder don't happen in reality, but I think it makes me think about the way it's shown. Action movies are for the audience. It gives people suspense and catharsis, so it would be nice to be able to create something like that without brutally killing people."
 

This film is also the one with the highest budget among director Lim's productions. The production cost is 16.8 billion won, and the break-even point is 3 million people. 

Director Lim said, "I've been worrying that I have to pass the break-even point for a long time." "If this work goes well, I think the range of choices that can make a large-scale movie will widen. In that sense, box office success is important.”
 

'Negotiation' was based on the kidnapping situation in Afghanistan. In 2007, 23 Protestant believers were kidnapped by the Taliban while visiting Afghanistan for missionary work. At the time, the abductees were criticized for visiting Afghanistan, which the government set as a travel ban, for missionary purposes.

 

 

Director Lim said, "There was definitely a point where the material was burdensome," but "I felt attracted to it because I could think about something big in terms of the subject matter." 

"Even if it's not necessarily religious, I came to think, 'Is the belief that I firmly believe in is always absolutely right?' Also, the state needs to safely return its citizens, and to what extent does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or NIS staff who carry out that responsibility fulfill such a calling? I think I made it while developing a cinematic imagination about whether to perform "

The film focuses on Jae-ho (Hwang Jung-min), a foreign ministry employee, and Dae-shik (Hyun Bin), a local NIS agent, struggling to save the abductees, rather than the incident itself. 

Director Lim explained, "I predicted that if the focus was on the abductees too much, the focus of the film would go to other unnecessary discussions. I made a lot of effort to compose the content so that I could focus on the film itself." 

Regarding the first Korean film to be set in Afghanistan, he said, “Since there is not much known about Afghanistan, it was difficult to prepare the material. It wasn't easy either," he recalled. 

'Negotiation' is also the reunion of director Lim and Jung-min Hwang after 20 years since 'Waikiki Brothers' (2001). 

Director Lim said, "I thought it would be very powerful if actor Hwang Jung-min did it in that the character Jae-ho Jeong leads the movie from beginning to end. I am very grateful for the willingness to appear in it, even though it is very different from the roles or genres I have played before."
 

Spoiler

 

Movie 'Negotiation' 
[Provided by PlusM Entertainment. Resale and DB prohibited]

"There was a lot of accumulated know-how on how to act to move the audience's heart. I received a lot of help. The concentration and energy that I worked on in the field was amazing. I thought I'd become a great professional in 20 years." 

Regarding Hyun Bin, director Lim praised him as "an actor with a very good sense of movement and action", saying, "It is not an exaggeration to say that Hyun Bin did most of the action scenes." 

'Negotiation', which is about to be released on the 18th, has been ranked first in real-time reservation rate, beating the Hollywood blockbuster 'Avatar: Road of Water' from the afternoon of the previous day. Director Lim said, “I am grateful for the expectations of the audience,” and expressed his expectations, saying, “I hope that we will have a good start (in 2023) as we have waited for nearly two years after completing both ‘Ghost’ and our film.” 
 

 

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by ferily
Maximum of 3 images per post, please put any other images in spoiler tag. Thanks!

[bearcreek]

 

 

Negotiation' Director Lim Soon-rye "Beautiful appearance + one-top Hyun Bin..." Revealed behind the scenes 

SOURCE

 

 

[MY DAILY]

Director Lim Soon-rye revealed about actor Hyun Bin, who first worked with the movie 'Negotiation'. 

On the morning of the 16th, director Lim Soon-rye had an interview with My Daily at a cafe in Palpan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. On the 18th, ahead of the release of the movie 'Negotiation', they met and talked.

 

'Negotiation' was inspired by the kidnapping of Saemmul Church missionaries in Afghanistan in 2007. A drama depicting the negotiating strategy between diplomat Jung Jae-ho (Hwang Jung-min) and local NIS agent Park Dae-shik (Hyun Bin), who headed to Afghanistan to rescue Koreans held hostage by the Taliban in the worst kidnapping incident. It was the first Korean film to be completed on location in Jordan. 

Director Lim Soon-rye of the films 'The Best Moment of Our Lives' (2008), 'The Whistleblower' (2014), and 'Little Forest' (2018) took the megaphone.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

On this day, director Lim Soon-rye said about the casting of Hyun-bin, "Contrary to the actual casting, I think people will think that Hyun-bin is more suitable for diplomat Jeong Jae-ho and Hwang Jung-min is a better fit for NIS agent Doi. I always had the belief that I could do it. That's why I wanted to give Hyun Bin a new role. Hasn't he always been so beautiful and did just that? A new person who is a little rougher and freer than the NIS I've always seen, a person who lives alone in the Middle East, lonely but cool. I wanted to show a man." 
 

She continued, "As you know from watching the movie, Hyun Bin's role is not large. I have always played one-top and two-top roles, but it was a relatively smaller role than Jung Jae-ho. Nevertheless, the timing I wanted to work with Hwang Jung-min was also 'negotiation'. It seems to have been a factor that made it possible," he said, highly recommending Hyun Bin's enthusiasm.

 

 

In addition, director Lim Soon-rye said, "Didn't Hyun Bin do a lot of action in other works? The martial arts teams that I went with this time are also teams that always worked with Hyun Bin. Even in the case of action scenes, it's not even a good motorcycle, but he did it wonderfully. His motor skills and action sense are very good."

 

In addition, regarding the directing in which Hyun Bin's image of a handsome boy was highlighted in the flashback scene in the play, "Each actor should be called their own brand, but there is a part that is expected from that actor. The expectations that Hwang Jung-min fans place on Hwang Jung-min, "I didn't know what to expect from Hyun Bin, so I used it within the range that can be allowed cinematically to some extent (laughs). Of course, if the actor doesn't want to do it, he won't do it, but the actor said he was happy." 

At the same time, director Lim Soon-rye said, "When I told Hyun Bin that I wanted to look different, Hyun Bin himself thought a lot about how he should look outwardly. He checked the beard, hairstyle, and clothes very carefully." I was worried about how the female audience would view my face with a beard after only seeing the smooth appearance of '', but it seems to fit better than I thought and the reaction was good." 

 

 

 

[willenette]

1 hour ago, bearcreek said:

'Negotiation' director Lim Soon-rye "I want to do an action that doesn't harm lives"

 

SOURCE

 

“The Afghan kidnapping situation, reorganized to focus on the movie itself instead of unnecessary debate" 
Hwang Jung-min and reunion after 20 years... "Great focus and energy"

Director Lim Sun-rye 
[Provided by PlusM Entertainment. Resale and DB prohibited]

[SEOUL YONHAP NEWS]
"First of all, I thought I shouldn't kill too many people. I wanted to do action for a reason when shooting or killing people." 

Director Lim Soon-rye meets the audience with his new film 'Negotiation' after 5 years. This work depicting a desperate struggle between a diplomat and an NIS agent to save 23 Koreans abducted by the Taliban has a distinctly different outcome from director Lim's previous films, which put humanism at the forefront. Through this work, director Lim challenged himself with a traditional action scene for the first time. 

Director Lim, who we met at a cafe in Palpan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 16th, laughed and said, “If there is an action field that does not harm lives, I wonder if I can try (action movie) next time.” 

"When you watch a movie, there are too many cases where people are killed for no reason. It was a little uncomfortable for the audience. It's not that things like murder don't happen in reality, but I think it makes me think about the way it's shown. Action movies are for the audience. It gives people suspense and catharsis, so it would be nice to be able to create something like that without brutally killing people."

This film is also the one with the highest budget among director Lim's productions. The production cost is 16.8 billion won, and the break-even point is 3 million people. 

Director Lim said, "I've been worrying that I have to pass the break-even point for a long time." "If this work goes well, I think the range of choices that can make a large-scale movie will widen. In that sense, box office success is important.”
 

'Negotiation' was based on the kidnapping situation in Afghanistan. In 2007, 23 Protestant believers were kidnapped by the Taliban while visiting Afghanistan for missionary work. At the time, the abductees were criticized for visiting Afghanistan, which the government set as a travel ban, for missionary purposes.

 

Director Lim said, "There was definitely a point where the material was burdensome," but "I felt attracted to it because I could think about something big in terms of the subject matter." 

"Even if it's not necessarily religious, I came to think, 'Is the belief that I firmly believe in is always absolutely right?' Also, the state needs to safely return its citizens, and to what extent does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or NIS staff who carry out that responsibility fulfill such a calling? I think I made it while developing a cinematic imagination about whether to perform "

The film focuses on Jae-ho (Hwang Jung-min), a foreign ministry employee, and Dae-shik (Hyun Bin), a local NIS agent, struggling to save the abductees, rather than the incident itself. 

Director Lim explained, "I predicted that if the focus was on the abductees too much, the focus of the film would go to other unnecessary discussions. I made a lot of effort to compose the content so that I could focus on the film itself." 

Regarding the first Korean film to be set in Afghanistan, he said, “Since there is not much known about Afghanistan, it was difficult to prepare the material. It wasn't easy either," he recalled. 

'Negotiation' is also the reunion of director Lim and Jung-min Hwang after 20 years since 'Waikiki Brothers' (2001). 

Director Lim said, "I thought it would be very powerful if actor Hwang Jung-min did it in that the character Jae-ho Jeong leads the movie from beginning to end. I am very grateful for the willingness to appear in it, even though it is very different from the roles or genres I have played before."

 

Movie 'Negotiation' 
[Provided by PlusM Entertainment. Resale and DB prohibited]

"There was a lot of accumulated know-how on how to act to move the audience's heart. I received a lot of help. The concentration and energy that I worked on in the field was amazing. I thought I'd become a great professional in 20 years." 

Regarding Hyun Bin, director Lim praised him as "an actor with a very good sense of movement and action", saying, "It is not an exaggeration to say that Hyun Bin did most of the action scenes." 

'Negotiation', which is about to be released on the 18th, has been ranked first in real-time reservation rate, beating the Hollywood blockbuster 'Avatar: Road of Water' from the afternoon of the previous day. Director Lim said, “I am grateful for the expectations of the audience,” and expressed his expectations, saying, “I hope that we will have a good start (in 2023) as we have waited for nearly two years after completing both ‘Ghost’ and our film.”

 

@bearcreek  thanks for sharing this. She also wanted to relay the message that while Korea may be viewed as a powerful country, it cannot make any diplomatic moves without the United States’ consent. She explained this during a press conference for the movie. Due to the difficult filming conditions — the crew had to scout tens of different countries and locations before finally settling on Jordan — The movie is heading to theaters tomorrow, from Jan. 18. 

[bearcreek]

 

[2023/01/17 | D-1] PlusM update. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnfz9zxSeBc/?igshid=MWI4MTIyMDE=

 

 

As 12pm KST, <The Point Men> real-time advanced ticket reservation rate with 99,516 tickets sales, day before its release, crossing 100K very soon.

https://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/mobile/main/findRealTicketList.do

 

[bearcreek]

 

<The Point Men>  released a new review poster containing rave reviews. 

”A dense 108-minute push-and-pull built with super trust between director and actor” ~ Daily Sport Reporter Jeong Jin-young

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnf63VehyHD/?igshid=MWI4MTIyMDE=