Kim Hye-Soo 김혜수 [Drama “Under the Queen’s Umbrella” | Movie “Smugglers”]

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April 14, 2012

Jun Jihyun's wedding becomes a star studded event

Credit: StarN

Jun Jihyun's wedding became a star studded event.

On 13th, Jun Jihyun's wedding was held at Silla Hotel, located in Jangchoong-dong, Seoul, and numerous stars appeared to celebrate her.

Actors and actresses including Kim Yoonseok, Kim Haesook, Kim Hyesoo, Oh Dalsoo, Lee Jungjae, Kim Soohyun, Kim Sooro, Song Joong-gi, Han Yesul, Jang Hyuk, Cha Taehyun, and Hwang Jungmin appeared at the wedding, and sincerely celebrated Jun Jihyun's marriage and wished for her happiness.

On the other hand, Jun Jihyun will be starting her wedded life at a villa located in Gangnam.

/Reporting by HAN Ah-Yeong en@starnnews.com

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April 20, 2012

The Thieves releases introductory trailer

by javabeans dramabeans.com

Here’s the trailer for The Thieves, which may be the movie I’m most looking forward to right now, because despite its less-than-original plot (a diamond heist that’s basically Ocean’s Eleven in Macau), it’s got a killer cast, a skilled director (Jeon Woo Chi, Tazza), and looks snazzy and fun to boot.

I’ll never assume a project is awesome just because it’s got a fantastic cast, but you can hardly thumb your nose at this one: Lee Jung-jae (The Housemaid), Kim Hye-soo (Villain & Widow), Jeon Ji-hyun (Blood: The Last Vampire), Kim Yoon-seok (The Chaser), Kim Soo-hyun (The Moon that Embraces the Sun), Oh Dal-soo (Detective K), Kim Hae-sook (Thousand Day Promise).

The poster above reads, “Ten thieves. One diamond. They’re on the move.”

With so many characters, the teaser is basically a brief intro to each one. The ten teammates scheme to steal a diamond from a casino in Macau and operate using nicknames, so we’ve got characters like shrewd mastermind Popeye (Lee Jung-jae), legendary safecracker Pepsi (Kim Hye-soo), tightrope-walking Anycall (Jeon Ji-hyun), gum-snapping Chewing Gum (Kim Hae-sook, who poses as a mother-daughter pair with Jeon), “cowardly gunman” Andrew (Oh Dal-soo), and romanticist rookie Zampano (Kim Soo-hyun).

Then there are the Chinese contacts: leader Chen (Simon Yam), Johnny (Derek Tsang), and Julie (Angelica Lee). At the end of the trailer, Jeon Ji-hyun’s on the phone call with a guy who asks, “Whatcha doin’?” She replies, “Stealing.”

The Thieves releases in July.

Via No Cut News

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May 9, 2012

Choosing the Perfect Summer Sunglasses

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

Summer is coming and it's time to don your shades. Choosing the brand and style that suits your taste and face is a key concern, whether you fancy aviator sunglasses or bug-eye wraparound ones. But the lenses can also be color-coordinated for safety purposes depending on where you are heading. Here are some useful tips to help you select the optimum eyewear to suit the occasion.

◆ Brown on the Beach

Sand on the beach reflects 30 percent of ultraviolet light, twice as much as the concrete that defines city life. As such, brown-tinted sunglasses are the best choice when the sun is out in full strength and you are bronzing on the beach. "Brown-colored lenses are good at filtering blue light rays to let wearers see clearly, and they are best for protecting the eyes," said an employee at Look Optical.

◆ Grey on the Mountain

Grey-tinted lenses are a good choice for climbers, especially graded lenses with a stronger tint at the top as these make for safer hiking by taking care of the glare. They are also recommended for drivers on sunny days.

◆ Green When Fishing

Green-colored lenses help protect the eyes from being strained as they allow the retina to identify colors quickly, making them good to wear in the city or on the riverside. In particular, green lenses are suitable for fishing because people need to keep their eyes pinned on the same spot for long periods.

◆ Primary Colors

Primary colored lenses in shades of red, green or blue may serve you well as a fashion accessory, but they won't do much to protect your eyes. These lenses distort colors and lead to eye fatigue. When driving, they can cause problems in identifying traffic light colors or safety signs, increasing the risk of an accident.

When choosing sunglasses, it is important to check how much the lenses reflect ultraviolet rays. Ideally, you want to ensure the lenses are specially coated to block out almost all of the UV rays but also maintain the true colors of everything you see.

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May 23, 2012

Thieves and Oldboy remake sell strongly at Cannes

By Patrick Frater filmbiz.asia

The Thieves 도둑들 (pictured) proved a steal for a number of international distributors, which acquired the big-budget heist movie from South Korea's Showbox/Mediaplex Inc 쇼박스 미디어플렉스.

The film was licensed to China's Lava Films 火山石影視文化有限責任公司, Hong Kong's Edko Films Ltd 安樂影片有限公司 and Thailand's LH Moviefusion. Lava previously marketed South Korean comedy Scandal Makers 과속스캔들 (2008) in China.

Showbox also sold recent hit Nameless Gangsters: Rules of the Time 범죄와의 전쟁 : 나쁜놈들 전성시대 to Japan's KRCG, China's BINCI Media, Hong Kong's i-Cable Communications Ltd 有線寬頻通訊有限公司, French-speaking Europe to Metropolitan Filmexport, Spain's Mediatres Estudio and the former-Soviet Union and the Baltics to Russia's Maywin Films AB.

In addition, Showbox sold A Company Man 회사원 to Japan's Pony Canyon Inc ポニーキャニオン, Indonesia's Ram Indo, Thailand's STG Multimedia, Splendid Film for German-speaking Europe and to Synergy Cinema for French-speaking Europe. The Scent 간기남 was sold to Thailand's LH Moviefusion, Hong Kong's Edko Films and Singapore's Shaw Organisation.

New US-based sales firm Good Universe sold strongly on Oldboy, the Spike LEE-directed remake of the South Korean thriller originally directed by PARK Chan-wook 박찬욱. Universal Pictures International Entertainment bought the now-in production film to the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Australia and Spain. The remake stars Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen and Sharlto Copley. Spike Lee is producer alongside Roy LEE and Doug DAVISON. Good Universe's Nathan KAHANE is an executive producer.

French sales agency, Wild Bunch licensed Cannes competition film Holy Motors (directed by Leos Carax) to Japan's Eurospace ユーロスペース. And Comstock Group コムストック・グループ and Broadmedia Studios Corporation ブロードメディア・スタジオ株式会社 co-acquired Marina de Van's psychological thriller Dark Touch for Japan.

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It sure is easy to pick Kim Hye Soo out in a crowd!!!

[Shinobu]

My only point of interest in this new movie is Kim Hye Soo. Unfortunately, since it's a star-studded cast, it can only mean that she will have limited screen time. From what I've seen, these star-studded movies often turn out to be disasters. Sometimes, the focus is to try giving screen time to every and each one of them, not the story. Hopefully she'll be back with a decent drama. I want to see her pair up with Park Yong Woo.

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May 29, 2012

"The Thieves" attracts more international buyers at Cannes film fest

Reporter : Lucia Hong. Editor : Monica Suk. 10Asia

Pushing its popularity further at the Berlin International Film Festival, Korean heist feature "The Thieves" has locked more deals with firms based in Asian countries at the 65th Festival De Cannes.

On Tuesday, the pic's promoter Showbox announced that "The Thieves" was presold to eight countries in Asia -- Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Thailand -- even before it hits the big screen in Korea.

Showbox explained that the deals were made after the film's teaser preview and the poster revealed at the film market during the Festival De Cannes held in Cannes, France from May 16 to 27.

"We have received a number of inquiries from other countries and we're currently at the last stage of signing deals with Japan and Vietnam," a rep with Showbox said in the statement.

"The Thieves," the fourth feature by director Choi Dong-hoon from "The War of Flower" (2006) and "WOOCHI" (2009), tells the story of thieves from Korea and China that team up together to steal a 40 billion Korean won diamond locked in a special room at a casino in Macao.

The pic, featuring a star-studded cast consisted of Kim Yun-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun, is slated to open in local theaters in July 2012.

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June 12, 2012

'The Thieves' all-star cast set to steal show
By Cho Jae-eun Korea JoongAng Daily 


Stars of the new action film 'The Thieves' pose for the press yesterday at the Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul. From left, Oh Dal-soo, Kim Hye-sook, Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Hye-su, Kim Yoon-seok, Jeon Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae [NEWSIS]
The biggest names in Korean film are set to star in the upcoming summer blockbuster “The Thieves,” dubbed Korea’s “Ocean’s Eleven” with its megawatt leads featured as a gang of thieves. 

Kim Hye-su, Kim Yoon-seok, Lee Jung-jae, Jeon Ji-hyun and Kim Soo-hyun, as well as Hong Kong stars Angelica Lee and Simon Yam, make up the all-star ensemble in this heist movie directed by critically praised director Choi Dong-hun of “Tazza: The High Rollers” (2006) and “The Big Swindle” (2004). 
The thought of directing this group of high-profile actors and actresses was “really scary,” confessed the director.

“At the beginning, I was worried whether Kim Hye-su and Jeon Ji-hyun might get into a fight or something,” joked Choi, during the press conference for the film yesterday at the Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul, adding that in the end the two leading actresses got along well and supported each other. 

“Even during filming, I couldn’t take my eyes off the monitor because of the charisma of all these actors.” 

On comparisons with “Ocean’s Eleven,” the director said he never went into production consciously thinking about the hit Hollywood film.

“I think the film, more than ‘Ocean’s Eleven,’ is closer to ‘Tazza’ and ‘The Big Swindle.’ Maybe there are similarities in that both films [‘The Thieves’ and ‘Ocean’s Eleven’] are about stealing, but the action featured in our film is invested with more emotion,” said Choi.

“When I saw ‘Ocean’s Eleven,’ the gang seemed really compatible and harmonious, but in ‘The Thieves,’ we are all over the place, all with our own faults,” said Kim Yoon-seok, who plays the head thief, Macao Park, in the new action blockbuster. 

“But I think that you will see through the friendships and love in the film, our unique emotional developments will show through.” 

 A still image from the new film 'The Thieves' Provided by 1st Look

Director Choi’s fourth feature film is set in Macau, as a group of Korean thieves are called out by legendary thief Macao Park to the region to steal a rare blue diamond worth $20 million. The gang works with a group of Hong Kong thieves, all with their own secrets and ambitions regarding the project. 

Veteran actress Kim Hye-su said that the shooting of one trying scene in the film, where she is featured under water trapped in a car, tested her patience and determination as an actress.

“When the director called for one more take, I could sense a touching passion in his voice, so I did one more,” said the actress, who also starred in the “Tazza: The High Rollers” along with her co-star Kim Yoon-seok.

“When I was watching myself on the monitor afterward, I started questioning why, as an actress, I had to endure such hardship - for what? The director, the audience or for the sake of the film?” she said.

“It was a moment when I questioned what films are to me.” 

The film also marked the return of Hallyu star Jeon Ji-hyun to the big screen, as a rope-walking thief in the film, after her recent wedding. Her love interest in “The Thieves” is fellow thief, Jampano, played by up-and-coming actor Kim Soo-hyun, who catapulted into stardom with his role in the MBC historical drama “The Moon that Embraces the Sun” this year. 

“My kiss scene with Jeon Ji-hyun was easy because I was able to get immersed in the scene easily with her presence,” said the young actor, looking a bit flushed. 

When asked if he is anxious about the film’s July 25th opening, which will be in theaters with Hollywood blockbusters including “The Dark Knight Rises,” director Choi joked, “I see Batman in my sleep these days.”

“But more than anything, I wish that through the film, more people outside Korea will be able to get to know these great actors.”

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Source: innolife.net

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June 13, 2012
Kim Hye-soo, "I showed my midriff when I was 20 but not anymore"Source: hancinema.net
Kim Hye-soo revealed her way of taking care of her body.
SBS TV program "TV News At Night" interviewed Kim Yoon-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Jeon Ji-hyeon, Kim Hae-sook, Kim Soo-hyeon-I and Lee Jeong-jae.
Jeon Ji-hyeon asked Kim Hye-soo how she took care of her body and Kim said, "That's what I'd like to know". She continued, "I thought I couldn't forgive myself if my body wasn't firm. I wasn't like that in my twenties. I exposed my midriff even if I had chubs".
She said, "The job of being an actress keeps me tense" showing how professional she was.
Director Choi Dong-hoon even said, "I am a lucky director" about worki
Source: tvdaily.mk.co.kr

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class="content-title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 1px 1px 0px; visibility: visible; "Kim Hye Soo and Lee Jung Jae in Sexy Photo Shoot for “Vogue Korea”jnkm June 21, 2012

As they face the opening of the highly anticipated film, “The Thieves,” actors Kim Hye Sooand Lee Jung Jae took part in a sexy photo shoot for “Vogue Korea.”

This photo shoot was revealed on June 21 and can be found in the July edition. The concept of the photo shoot is “Dangerous Partners,” and features dramatic and visually artistic cuts of the two actors.

During the interview that followed, Kim Hye Soo stated, “When it comes to everydayness, I’m very weak – that is my complex. I live an everyday life. I just don’t like my everyday to be revealed to the public – that’s where we don’t agree.” She expressed her brave and confident thoughts on the general public.

Lee Jung Jae shared, “Living as Pop-eye in the film was so much fun. It was the most perfect, and near-fantastic chemistry – a happy ensemble,” as he referred to filming “The Thieves.”

Director of “The Thieves,” Choi Dong Hoon praised Kim Hye Soo, calling her the “AsianMonica Bellucci.” He continued, “She is such a beautiful person that I wanted to create a great character for her.” On Lee Jung Jae, director Choi commented, “From the first day he acted on set as Pop-eye, I couldn’t forget him. It felt like he was an actor, who was born for my scenario.”

Check out these steamy photos below:

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July 11, 2012
Kim Hye Soo Is All Kinds of Sultry at ′The Thieves′ Press ConferenceCJ E&M enewsWorld Esther Oh | Kim Byung Kwan 
On July 10, Kim Hye Soo attended the press roundtable for her latest film, The Thieves. The event was held at the CGV in Wangsimni, Seoul.

Kim Hye Soo just gets better with age

We′re pretty sure she knows she looks good

Kim Hye Soo with the main cast of the film

The Thieves is about 10 thieves from Korea and China who try to rob a very rare diamond from a casino in Macao. 
The movie will premiere on July 25.

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July 11, 2012
Source: ChosunIlbo

Actress Kim Hye-soo poses at a press event for her new film "The Thieves" in Seoul on Tuesday.

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July 11, 2012
Star-studded 'Thieves' takes different route from 'Ocean'By Kwaak Je-yup The Korea Times
A scene from “The Thieves” shows, from left, the characters Johnny (Derek Tsang), Popeye (Lee Jung-jae), Zampano (Kim Su-hyun), Yenicall (Jun Ji-hyun), Pepsi (Kim Hye-soo), Macau Park (Kim Yun-seok), Julie (Angelica Lee Sin-Jie), Chewed Gum (Kim Hae-sook), Andrew (Oh Dal-soo) and Chen (Simon Yam Tat-Wah). The $120-million burglary-themed blockbuster by director Choi Dong-hoon is slated to open on July 25 in theaters nationwide. / Courtesy of Showbox/Mediaplex
A bunch of thieves collaborating to steal a rare diamond from the gambling capital of the world? Sounds suspiciously like Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s series.
The similarity does not stop there: Choi Dong-hoon’s latest film “The Thieves,” which opens on July 25, also has an all-star cast packed with some of the most bankable actors in Korean cinema, comparable to George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Robert in “Ocean’s Eleven.”
But that’s about it. “Thieves” is not a fun-filled and stylized celebration of high-skilled, high-tech burglary like the American franchise; it is fundamentally a cynical portrait of avaricious human nature with sporadic comedic moments for side entertainment.
The quality of the screened version comes somewhat short of his previous hits like “Woochi” (2009), “Tazza: the High Rollers” (2006) and “The Big Swindle” (2004) — its enormous scale makes the work a little spotty on several occasions — but “Thieves” has a lot to like, even outside the mouthwatering multinational star-studded cast.
Choi’s screenplay, for the most part, keeps the audience guessing until the end; it is never clear who will win from this deal. 
There are 10 thieves, Korean and Chinese, teaming up in Macau to take on the biggest heist of their lives. But everyone has his/her own agenda. Almost everyone betrays each other at some point. One is even a detective trying to arrest the biggest criminal in Hong Kong who is also the diamond’s owner.
Choi’s comment at the post-screening press conference Tuesday revealed his priority: “This is a movie that can kill a director. It’s a movie where I must make sure that every actor shines.”
And that preoccupation certainly shows in every scene, to the work’s detriment. 
By tiptoeing around the stars’ egos, he has made sure every actor gets their time to shine, but the overall quality of the work suffers from this loss of focus. The 135-minute running time drags on because of this need of “fair” distribution of spotlight. 
Until some of them are actually eliminated by death or arrest, the movie fails to find a real direction.
Not that any of the actors perform poorly; without their presence, the movie would fall apart entirely. 
All of them have done more than a passable job here, especially veterans Kim Yun-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Simon Yam Tat-Wah and Kim Hae-sook standing out as mastermind Macau Park, his former lover Pepsi, head of the Chinese team Chen and his partner Chewed Gum, respectively. 
Malaysian-born Chinese actress Angelica Lee Sin-Jie also manages to keep the attention on her against her rather underdeveloped role.
They all have something in common: they are given real story arcs, which make them easily relatable. They act tough but are vulnerable to love and family. Other characters are given nothing comparable. Why have they become thieves in the first place? And why do they have awkward-sounding nicknames and call each other by them — when their Chinese counterparts do not? There is no explanation.
The biggest waste of talent befalls Jun Ji-hyun (a.k.a. Gianna Jun, who became the country’s most popular actress with “My Sassy Girl” in 2001). She makes a triumphant return to form after years of missed opportunities here and abroad, holding her ground against the biggest stars with her natural delivery, sometimes coming close to stealing some scenes. 
The press reception was the warmest to her, too. She was subjected to the biggest number of questions at the press conference, sidelining other big names seated next to her. 
But her character Yenicall lacks depth. Who is she? Why does she steal? Why does she keep rebuffing the advances of Zampano (Kim Su-hyun, Korea’s answer to Taylor Lautner)? Without any answers, her value is mostly comic relief, although a very fine one.
Lee Jung-jae in the role of Popeye is another victim of this spotty screenplay. He starts strong when the spotlight is given to him early on but falls flat as soon as his rival Macau Park makes his entrance. His presence almost becomes trivial after, and his jealousy towards him is unconvincing. 
It is to be seen how the last-minute editing will change the film, but even tweaks to the strange sound effects and cliched music choices will not save it. The characters have no motivation other than money, and we will just have to accept that theft is a perfectly normal career option if given a chance. 
“The Thieves” opens on July 25 in theaters nationwide. Runs for 135 minutes. Rated 15 and over. Distributed by Showbox/Mediaplex.

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July 23, 2012
'Actor and director are like husband and wife'Choi Dong-hoon on making 10 stars shine in 'Thieves,' opening Thursday
By Kwaak Je-yup The Korea Times
Director Choi Dong-hoon poses at an interview in this July 18 photo. He returns to the box office Thursday with crime drama “The Thieves,” starring some of the most bankable actors in Korean and Hong Kong Cinema, including Kim Yun-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Jun Ji-hyun, Simon Yam Tat-Wah, Lee Jung-jae and Kim Su-hyun, among others. / Yonhap
Unlike in Hollywood, there are few full-time screenwriters left in Korean cinema. Successful ones have moved to more lucrative TV dramas and soap operas, and movies are now written and brought to life by the hands of the director.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the results have been mixed. Some films of late have had painfully unbelievable lines, while others seemed to have managed just fine.
Director Choi Dong-hoon, whose new movie “The Thieves” opens on Thursday, falls in the latter category. His last two films attracted more than 6 million people each and he is regarded by screen actors, critics and audiences alike as someone who can truly bring characters to life.
Writing and shooting the crime drama involving a theft of a rare diamond in Macau, he had to deal with no less than ten parts but took the industry by surprise when he successfully filled most of them with the hottest stars from here and Hong Kong, including Kim Yun-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Jun Ji-hyun, Simon Yam Tat-Wah, Lee Jung-jae and Kim Su-hyun. He must be doing something right to get such big names to sign on.
“It’s like a husband and a wife, the relationship between the director and an actor,” he said in an interview on Thursday. “There are intimate details no one else knows.”
From left, actors Kim Hye-soo, Lee Jung-jae, Oh Dal-soo and Jun Ji-hyun in a scene from “The Thieves.” The film opens Thursday in theaters nationwide./ Courtesy of Showbox/Mediaplex
That theory shows in his continuing (professional) relationships with Kim Yun-seok and Kim Hye-soo, who star in the new film as mastermind Macau Park and his on-and-off girlfriend Pepsi, respectively. The latter starred in Choi’s 2006 hit “Tazza: the Higher Rollers,” another gambling and crime drama, and the former having worked with the director four times in a row, from thriller “The Big Swindle” (2004) to action comedy “Woochi” (2009) and now on “The Thieves.”
The media buzz around the new film has concentrated much on the technical aspects — climbing buildings on wires, shoots in Macau and Hong Kong and of course, the marquee names — but Choi spent most of the hour talking about the characters, from development to interpretation. He seemed completely satisfied with each and every one and the actors who played them. His words on the cast were not obligatory compliments but reflections of his affection.
“Never did it occur to me that they needed to be handled in a certain way. It’s just that the screenplay must be fully understood... We talk. Slowly infect them with my thoughts, mixing the individual with the movie’s tone and manner.”
The best example of this at work is with the women. Defying expectations that a theft-themed film would be led by male characters, magic is witnessed more often around the female thieves, played by Kim Hae-sook, Kim Hye-soo, Jun and Angelica Lee Sin-Jie. Nimbly delving into their vulnerabilities, hopes and dreams, Choi achieves a rare feat in male-dominated Korean cinema, where women are too often sidelined as the sexpot, the femme fatale or the unattractive comic relief.
“I think I have, personally and writing-wise too, a strong feminine side, like a talkative ajumma (middle-aged woman). Female characters are always a challenge but a kind of an unknown, too. If you can create great women, wouldn’t that make you a great director? I find myself fixing and fixing, thinking about how my mother would talk.”
Choi has reiterated over the past years that he wants to work with Korean cinema’s most respected actor of the moment, Ha Jeong-woo, and he said it again during the interview. His mind seemed to wander a little, already dreaming about the next project and characters.
“The Thieves” opens in theaters nationwide on Thursday.

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July 23, 2012

Kim Hye-soo 'steals' the big screen
'The Thieves' actress talks about her new movie, her love for people
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald

Among the many living actresses in Korea, Kim Hye-soo is an icon. 

She is the type of actress who is remembered for her image first, film roles second. Many are well aware of and charmed by her risqué and daring fashion choices on red carpets, her gift of gab on TV talk shows, and her dominating, charismatic presence off screen. She is one of the very few, or perhaps the only actress, who is regarded as both sensual and intelligent.

Upon arriving for the interview at a hotel in central Seoul, the 41-year-old actress looks surprisingly laid back in her simple, black garment. 

“I bet I’m not someone so impressive to my brothers,” Kim says. “I’m genuinely being myself on TV shows and red carpets and so on. But there is a part of me that only my close ones get to see. And it’s nice to be ‘just a sister’ to your siblings than someone special.”


Kim Hye-soo poses for a photo prior to an interview with The Korea Herald 
on Thursday. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)

Kim is returning to the silver screen this month as one of the thieves in director Choi Dong-hun’s star-studded blockbuster “The Thieves.” This is Kim’s second movie with Choi, after their highly successful 2006 gambling drama “Tazza: The High Rollers.” In the 2006 film, Kim played a seductive villain character Madam Jeong, who is obsessed with money and power. 

In the upcoming film, however, Kim is given a role that is nothing like Madam Jung. She plays a safecracker named Pepsi, who, along with nine other professional thieves, gets involved in a project to steal a diamond worth $20 million in Macau. Her co-stars include Lee Jung-jae, Jun Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun), Kim Yoon-seok, Kim Soo-hyun, and Hong Kong-based actor Simon Yam. 

“I’d never seen any character like Pepsi in Choi’s previous works,” said Kim. 


From left: Kim Hye-soo, Lee Jung-jae, Oh Dal-soo and Gianna Jun 
star in director Choi Dong-hun’s upcoming heist film “The Thieves.” (1st Look)

“The character is complex and has much substance. Most of the thieves in the film get into the diamond project for shallow, materialistic reasons. But what Pepsi wants out of this project is very different from others. Her desire is, I think, rather universal. Everyone has that desire, but often gives it up for wealth and fortune. But Pepsi does not. That really intrigued me.”

Even before the movie’s premiere, there had been a lot of buzz about the two heavyweight actresses -- Kim and “My Sassy Girl” star Gianna Jun -- co-starring in the same piece. While Kim’s character mostly pivots around her difficult relationship with her fellow thief, Jun plays a clever, self-oriented cat burglar -- showcasing incredible stunts and wire action throughout the film. 

During a press conference on the film this month, Kim was asked what it was like to “compete” in a movie with an actress widely recognized for her beauty. Kim gave a humble answer, openly praising Jun’s looks and charms. “Jun’s so pretty that we are not even comparable,” she told the reporter.

“I think I lack the competitive gene by nature,” she said. “I honestly don’t really know what it feels like to be jealous or competitive. I’ve always been this way since I was a child. And many would say the greatest competitor in your life is yourself. Well, I don’t want to do that either. I’m not really interested in winning against anyone, including myself. I’m more interested in how I’d handle things when I run into unexpected, rough situations in life.”

Kim says she was genuinely in awe of Jun’s charms throughout the production period in Hong Kong, and everyone else in the crew. She in fact took thousands of pictures of her fellow actors, actresses and even crew members, whenever she was off-shoot in Hong Kong -- and gave the photographs as gifts after the production period. 

“I just adore people and find so much beauty in them,” she says. “And it was hard not to take pictures of these people. It was beautiful to see our young crew-member looking into the view finder as if there’s nothing else in the world but camera. My fellow actress, Kim Hae-sook, has been acting for more than 30 years. But she still gets so nervous and happy like a little girl before each and every shoot. I found such passion touching and beautiful, too.”

The actress made her TV debut in 1986 at the age of 16. Having missed out on “ordinary teenage years,” she says she keeps her close friends by her side for a long time. One of her best friends is from her elementary school days. She’s been working with same make-up artist for more than 10 years. If she were to given the option to go back to the age of 16, she says, she’d choose to live as a housewife -- a “good” housewife who really does her job well. 

“I spend most of my leisure time with my nieces and nephews,” she says. “When they tell me ‘Please don’t go, aunt Hye-soo,’ I just stay home with them like a recluse unless something really urgent happens.”

Asked if there is anything she wants so bad that she’d consider stealing it, Kim said “all sorts of talent.”

“I always felt a part of me is incomplete because of what I did not experience as a teenager,” she says. 

“And I tried to fill in the holes with something else, including my career, throughout the years. And where I am is a result of that. I guess people end up admiring the qualities that they don’t have. I admire those who always strive for the better, those who have pretty voices, those who have a great sense of humor.” 

“The Thieves” opens in theaters on Wednesday.

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July 24, 2012
A-Listers Vie for Screen Time in Heist Movie 'The Thieves'ChosunIlbo
Choi Dong-hoon's "The Thieves" tells the story of 10 thieves from Korea and China who steal a W30 billion (US$1=W1,147) diamond from a casino in Macau. Given the plot and the size of the cast, the movie, which is scheduled to be released here on Wednesday, is reminiscent of Steven Soderbergh's star-studded crime caper "Ocean's Eleven." 
The crooks are played by A-listers including Kim Hae-sook, Kim Yun-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Oh Dal-soo, Lee Jung-jae, Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Soo-hyun and Simon Yam Tat-Wah from Hong Kong. But they only get to appear on screen for a measly 13 minutes each on average, making them both leading and supporting actors at the same time.
Last week, the Chosun Ilbo met with the 41-year-old director Choi and actress Kim Hye-soo, who plays the role of a veteran safebreaker.
Kim Hye-soo (left) and Choi Dong-hoon
Asked to describe the appeal of the film given the relatively short amount of screen time she gets, Kim said, "When I appeared in Choi's last film, 'The War of Flowers,' I really liked working with him, as well as with the other actors and staff. I didn't want it to end, actually, as I would happily continue working with the same crew forever." 
Kim said that being surrounded by such a talented cast kept her on her toes. "From Kim Hae-sook and Yam Tat-Wah to Kim Yun-seok, Lee Jung-jae and Jun Ji-hyun, they are all outstanding actors. Even young Kim Soo-hyun is more than just a cute face," she said. 
"It was a rare opportunity to be able to work with so many great actors and get to know them better in person." 
"The Thieves" seems to draw its inspiration from a number of sources, including film noir and heist movies, but Choi was quick to make a distinction with Soderbergh's successful "Oceans" trilogy. 
"'Ocean's Eleven' was also a remake, and many heist movies begin with a similar premise. But even though the starting point may be familiar, this becomes a very different movie as the story progresses."

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July 25, 2012
ChosunIlbo



Actress Kim Hye-soo meets fans at a press event for her new film "The Thieves" in Seoul on Tuesday.

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July 24, 2012
Song Kang-ho, Lee Jeong-jae, Kim Hye-soo and Jo Jeong-seokStarNews via hancinema.net

Director Han Jae-rim's new movie "Fortune" has a cast so amazing it's almost the new "The Good, the Bad, the Weird".
According to the movie industry on the 25th, Song Kang-ho, Lee Jeong-jae, Kim Hye-soo and Jo Jeong-seok have confirmed to star in the new Chosun movie "Fortune".
"Fortune" is based on the early Chosun times when General Sooyang and Kim Jong-seok fought for power, about the best physiogomist there was. It is directed by Han Jae-rim and Song Kang-ho confirmed to star in the movie first.
Song Kang-ho takes on the role of the best physiogonomist of the Chosun times and Lee Jeong-jae is General Sooyang, attempting at his first historical. Kim Hye-soo is a gisaeng.
Song Kang-ho confirmed starring in "Snow Piercer" before this and Lee Jeong-jae starred in "New World" with Choi Min-sik and Hwang Jeong-min.
Lee Jeong-jae and Kim Hye-soo are working together once again after "The Thieves".
Jo Jeong-seok is Song Kang-ho's brother-in-law.
"Fortune" will start filming at the end of August.