[Movie 2020] The Man Standing Next 남산의 부장들

[Ephoenix]

June 19, 2020

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ACTOR LEE BYUNG HUN AND ACTOR LEE SUNG MIN FOR WINNING THE BEST ACTOR AWARD AND THE BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR RESPECTIVELY AT 25TH CHUNSA FILM ART AWARDS 2020 FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING PORTRAYAL OF KCIA DIRECTOR KIM GYU PYUNG AND PRESIDENT PARK IN THE MAN STANDING NEXT. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ephoenix]

June 21, 2020 

 

Some of the unseen group photo of the casts of The Man Standing Next. 

 

Credit to @Moran on Twitter 

 

 

 

[Ephoenix]

June 23, 2020 

 

 

More pictures of Kim Gyu-pyeong (LBH) and President Park (LSM) from 25th Chunsa Film Art Awards, where they both won Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively.

 

 

 

Pic credit: Chunsa Film Art Awards Instagram.

[Ephoenix]

June 24, 2020 

 

 

A very well written review of movie The Man Standing Next. 
Link: http://koreanfilm.org/kfilm20.html#themanstandingnext

 

 

 

    The Man Standing Next

 

1979. The KCIA director Kim Gyu-pyeong (Lee Byung-hun, Magnificent Seven, Ashfall) is a trusted right-hand man to the South Korean dictator President Park (Lee Seong-min, The Beast). When his friend and the former KCIA honcho Park Yong-gak (Gwak Do-won, The Wailing) threatens to expose the records of human rights abuses and other dirty secrets of the Park regime to the US Congress, Kim is put in a tight spot. He becomes increasingly concerned that President Park is putting too much trust in the sociopathic, violent sycophant Gwak Sang-cheon (Lee Hui-jun, Miss Baek), Chief of Security Service, having been deeply disturbed by his pal's warning that both of them are merely expendable tools to the President. When the pro-democracy activism ignites a civic uprising in Busan and the President agrees with Chief Gwak that a martial law and possibly lethal suppression of the protesters should be implemented, Kim has to decide what is the right course of action for himself and for the nation.

Director Woo Min-ho, who co-authored the screenplay with Lee Ji-min (The Age of Shadows), has publicly stated that the present film is the final part of the trilogy that began with Inside Men (2015) and continued into Drug King(2018). All three films explore the nature of political power and the steep price Korean men are willing to pay to maintain their illusions of omnipotence. For the present project, Woo has chosen to dramatize the assassination of President Park Chung Hee by the KCIA Director Kim Jae-gyu, based on the nonfiction exposé (serialized in Tonga ilbo from 1990 to 1992) of the behind-the-scene political intrigues by Park's lieutenants and underlings that ultimately led to the dictator's death. I am not certain whether Woo decided not to repeat his past mistakes (Drug King was widely criticized for its overcluttered narrative and stylistic excesses) or merely found the current style more fitting to this particular subject matter, but The Man Standing Next is extremely streamlined, visually speaking, with baldly cavernous sets not at all like the grungy real life of South Korea in 1979 and the chiaroscuro, color-depleted lighting that blot out all sideline details (except for the pertinent ones such as amber liquids churning in a bottle of Chivas Regal, Park Chung Hee's favorite hard liquor). At times, the movie approximates the form of a filmed theatrical production: in several key scenes, the actors' verbal outbursts and seething gazes toward one another stand in for physical action, although the film does illustrate the ignoble death of the dictator and his number-one crony in gory, graphic details.

 

It is not surprising, therefore, that the engine driving The Man Standing Next is the performances of its superb (mostly male) actors. Knowing that nearly all of them are cast to represent real-life figures, a few of them still alive, we can appreciate that it could not have been easy for them to balance the quotient for impersonation against one for portrayal unencumbered by fidelity to history. The good news is that the principals perform with their usual strength, although the casting is not without its problems. Lee Byung-hun, who had previously worked with director Woo in Inside Men, does not resemble the real-life Kim Jae-gyu at all (despite the extremely unflattering balding hairline he is given), but he projects the kind of coiled intensity rarely seen in his other roles. Just turned fifty, Lee could be either cool as cucumber or melodramatically vulnerable, his soulful voice and child-like, gleaming eyes still ready to be deployed to demolish the viewer's defenses, but here he mostly pulls back his usual tools of the trade. Lee's turn here refuses to reduce all of Director Kim's motivation to a personal sense of betrayal (Remember Lee's "Why did you do it to me?!" tearful tirade against his paternal boss in A Bittersweet Life?) and successfully keeps the viewers guessing about the exact calculus in his mind among a desire for his own self-preservation, lamentation for his lost idealism, and the sullied ego.

 

Gwak Do-won is fine as the heavily fictionalized version of the former KCIA Director Kim Hyung-wook, although due to the film's rather unnecessary invention of a "friendship" between his character and Kim Gyu-pyeong/Jae-gyu, he has to soft-pedal many well-known terrible aspects of the former. He simply does not look nasty or arrogant enough to be the head of the KCIA, feared and hated by President Park's own ruling party members (Gwak's villains tend to be petty bureaucrats in essence, as in, say, Asura: City of Madness and The Berlin File). Lee Seong-min has been one of the more reliable supporting actors in recent years, leaving strong impressions with difficult roles in Broken(2014) and The Spy Gone North (2018), among others, but he is, like Gwak Do-won, somewhat miscast in the role of President Park. He skillfully conveys the serpentine greed and paranoia percolating inside the folksy, I-am-nobody-special charm of the military dictator, but Lee appears somewhat constrained by the elaborate makeup job done on him, as if he is reluctant to dispel the Korean public's image of Park. He never fully comes alive in the role, even though he does a commendable job essaying the iconic moments from the last days of President Park's life, such as muttering "I am OK," while profusely bleeding from a bullet hole in his chest.

 

In the end, the film's streamlined style- to be fair, it does feature some top-grade location work in both United States and France- is both its strength and weakness. The superlative acting skills of Lee Byung-hun, Gwak Do-won and Lee Seong-min do draw the viewers into the film's complex narrative. But at the same time, the heightened theatricality renders all these characters more like icons in Renaissance paintings than flesh-and-blood characters. Unlike Im Sang-soo's The President's Last Bang (2005), which also features the nearly same cast of characters but attempts to highlight absurdities of absolute political power through black comedy, the present film aspires to be more documentarian, not to say "realist." In the end, however, The Man Standing Next, too, opts to tread the path of many Korean films dealing with the country's history, greatly attentive to material details but insisting on fictionalizing its characters and narratives for the purpose of generating the desired affective responses from the viewers, not because the actual "gaps" in our historical knowledge call for such imaginative interventions. I endorse the film's respectful attitude toward the psychology of its principal characters, in truth unknowable to anyone, much less the viewers (Korean or not) seeing it forty years after the events, but I wish it were more reflective about the relationship between these personages and their dramatized versions, or iconic images of them, if you will, than it actually is.      (Kyu Hyun  Kim)

 

 

Spoiler

 

The Best Selling Films of 2020  (updated June 13)

	Korean Films	Nationwide	Release	Revenue
1	The Man Standing Next	4,750,104	Jan 22	41.2bn
2	Hitman: Agent Jun	2,406,232	Jan 22	20.6bn
3	Honest Candidate	1,536,682	Feb 12	12.8bn
4	The Closet	1,270,835	Feb 5	11.0bn
5	Secret Zoo	1,209,689	Jan 15	10.2bn
6	Beasts Clawing at Straws	627,247	Jan 19	5.4bn
7	Mr. Zoo: The Missing VIP	603,203	Jan 22	5.1bn
8	Intruder	424,907*	Jun 4	3.9bn
9	Innocence	215,328*	Jun 10	2.0bn
10	Beyond That Mountain	103,226	Apr 30	0.8bn

 

	All Films	Nationwide	Release	Revenue
1	The Man Standing Next (Korea)	4,750,104	Jan 22	41.2bn
2	Hitman: Agent Jun (Korea)	2,406,232	Jan 22	20.6bn
3	Dolittle (US)	1,607,082	Jan 8	13.5bn
4	Honest Candidate (Korea)	1,536,682	Feb 12	12.8bn
5	The Closet (Korea)	1,270,835	Feb 5	11.0bn
6	Secret Zoo (Korea)	1,209,689	Jan 15	10.2bn
7	1917 (US)	870,113	Feb 19	7.9bn
8	Little Women (US)	862,193	Feb 12	7.3bn
9	Beasts Clawing at Straws (Korea)	627,247	Jan 19	5.4bn
10	Mr. Zoo: The Missing VIP (Korea)	603,203	Jan 22	5.1bn

* Still on release.  Source: Korean Film Council (www.kobis.or.kr).


Seoul population: 10.4 million 
Nationwide population: 50.9 million

 

 

[Ephoenix]

June 27, 2020 

 

THE MAN STANDING NEXT 

 

 

[Ephoenix]

July 1, 2020 

 

IT'S SUCH A PLEASANT SURPRISE!!!

 

I was wondering when will our Woo Min-ho Director nim send his message to the audience of 22nd Far East Film Festival since today is the scheduled screening date for The Man Standing Next, and here we have the star of the movie himself. MR. LEE BYUNG HUN!!! ~ 

 

 

[Ephoenix]

July 5, 2020 

 

An exclusive video interview with Director Woo Min-ho on the occasion of screening of The Man Standing Next at 22nd Far East Film Festival at Udine, Italy.

 

https://asianmoviepulse.com/2020/07/interview-with-woo-min-ho-i-am-always-interested-in-themes-like-desires-and-power/

Interview with Woo Min-ho: I am Always Interested in Themes Like Desires and Power

BY

 RHYTHM ZAVERI

 

Woo Min-ho graduated from Chung-Ang University in film before studying abroad at the University of London’s Goldsmith College, where he made his first short film “Who Killed Jesus?” in 2000. Though the short won Woo his first award at the Seoul International Agape Film Festival, he would not go on making films until a decade later, when he released his feature debut “Man Of Vendetta”. “The Spies” followed in 2012, but it wasn’t until “Inside Men” three years later that Woo broke out. The film, based on a web toon, was a political thriller starring Lee Byung-hun and won Best Film at both the Blue Dragon Awards and the Grand Bell Awards. He followed that up with the Song Kang-ho starring drug lord drama “The Drug King“, which was met with lukewarm response both from audiences and critics.

In 2020, he is back with “The Man Standing Next“, a true-life tale that retells the story of 40 days leading up to the assassination of a former South Korean President at the hands of his right-hand man, an event that is still shrouded in mystery and controversy. Once again starring Lee Byung-hun, the film has already garnered high praise and awards for its leading man.

On the occasion of “The Man Standing Next” screening at Udine Far East Film Festival, we sat down “virtually” with Woo Min-ho for a chat about the film, the real-life events it is based on, actor Lee Byung-hun and more.

 

From what I understand, the book “Namsanui Bujangdeul” is a non-fiction book published as a regular column in a newspaper. How hard was it to adapt that for the screen and what was your process behind it?

First of all, thank you for your interest in my film and for gathering here digitally due to COVID-19. It is such an honour to participate in this interview. As for your question, the most difficult thing about taking a book and also the Korean history from the 60s to the 80s is that it is a lot of information to put into a 2-hour long film. So that was one of the main difficulties. Because we had so much information to contain into the film, I even thought about making it into a three-part series and I was greedy about doing that but it was not as easy as I had hoped. So I decided to just focus on the last part of where the KCIA came to an end.

 

What we know about what happened in the motivations behind the assassination is still evolving, I suppose. How did you and Lee Byung-hun research the character of Kim and his motivations for the assassination?

The main reason why I decided to do this film in the first place is because I was curious as to why Kim decided to assassinate the President. This is actually still left as a mystery in Korean history as to why it happened. Some people think it happened because of a power struggle, others think it was a pressure that was forced by the stakes, others think it was for democracy and yet others think it could be due to emotions caused by trust and betrayal among the others. When I spoke with Lee Byung-hun, we discussed that we shouldn’t define one answer as to why it happened. We should leave the mystery as it is and we thought it would be great to have the audience find the answers themselves while watching the film. This film was released in Korea not too long ago in January and of course it was impacted by the corona virus, but in any case, this case is very famous in Korea and I wondered how the Korean audience would find their own reasons to why the assassination happened. However, what I’m also interested in is about how foreign audiences look at this question and so I would like to ask you who asked me this question what you thought the reason behind this assassination was.

 

I think that perhaps Kim thought he was next in line and that that was definitely a part of what his mental makeup was. Also, I think that he thought there was time to stop what was happening and I think it is historically correct that he was against the moves to gun down the protestors in Busan, which must have taken enormous courage given how autocratic President Park was and how many sycophants he had around him who would have (and probably did) threatened his life. 

Thank you for your answer. It was very interesting for me. What I didn’t want to do was give one definite answer. I wanted to leave it open-ended. There’s one thing that the judge (presiding over the case) said that is very important to know is that the assassination seemed too improvised to be planned and it seemed too planned to be an improvisation. So it was hard to define the case and motives in one specific way.

 

I really liked how well you build tension in this film, particularly in the scenes leading up to the assassination. Was it challenging for you to keep the audiences on the edge of their seats, specially when the story is based on historical events so everyone already knows where the film is leading?

Like you said, we already know what’s going to happen, so it was very difficult to do a tension build-up. Although we know what happened, what we do not know are the character’s psychological state and relationships and their inner turmoil in detail. So I tried to focus on those aspects. Instead of showing their emotions directly, I thought it would be important to play hard-to-get with the audience. Instead of being so upfront about what the characters are thinking, why they are acting the way they are or their state of emotion, I was very focused on the importance of splitting between what to show and what not to show and creating that atmosphere. I thought not showing everything would work better, so that’s why I tried to shoot as minimal as possible and I referenced to the works of directors Bernardo Bertolucci and Jean-Pierre Melville for this.

 

Why the changes in names when the story is clearly based on a well-known true story and real-life characters that everyone is aware of?

The bigger case is factual and one that people know already, but the details in between, for example the characters’ psychological states, were fabricated for cinematic purposes, so if we were to use actual names, it could kind of bring upon pressure. I didn’t want this historical case to remain a historical story. I wanted it to expand cinematically and I believe that such events happen around us in reality now and I feel that these feelings are something we can still feel amongst our colleagues and friends as well.

 

Kim Kyu-pyeong comes off almost as a Shakespearean hero in a Shakespearean tragedy, which is further enhanced by the mention of “Othello” in his conversation with Park Yong-gak and the reference to Iago. Was this a particular reference point for you while writing the character?

 

Yes, I definitely reference Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” when I was creating the character of Kim because he is always thinking, always torn and agonising and has a hard time making decisions as well, decisions which end up leading him to a very tragic end.

 

What was your research process for this movie, apart from the source novel?

This event is so famous that almost everyone in Korea knows about it from history, of course, but also from (the movie) “The President’s Last Bang” by Im Sang-soo and there’s also a K-Drama series on the same subject televised on MBC, one of the largest Korean TV channels. In terms of filmic style, like I mentioned before, I was influenced by Bertolucci’s “The Conformist” and Jean-Pierre Melville films.

 

You filmed both in Paris and Washington DC. I imagine it was quite a challenge to get commission to film in those locations and I wondered how you went about making sure you could film there.

As you already assume, it was very difficult to get permission to shoot at both the places, the Memorial Park in Washington and the Place Vendome in Paris. First of all, I think that the huge interest in Korean cinema played a part and in addition, these historical events actually happened at those places so they were curious about it too. So that’s how we were able to get permission. One thing I want to mention is that as far as Place Vendome is concerned, they haven’t allowed any film to shoot there. This film is the first one to shoot there. Not even French productions have been given permission to shoot there. 

 

The single tracking shot following the climactic dinner scene was excellent, adding to the franticness of the events. How did you come up with the idea to shoot it as such and what were your instructions to cinematographer Go Nak-sun regarding it?

The final assassination was one-scene, one-take. I wanted the audience to feel like they were at that location at that moment in history to personally experience those events as an onlooker. That kind of effect was what I was going for and that is why I decided not to cut the scene and to do a one-cut scene. We actually shot this five times and used CG to make it look like one-take. So the cinematographer and I worked together to make this effect in the best way possible.

 

This is your second film with Lee Byung-hun and his performances in both your films, for me, are among his best. Can you tell us a bit about your working relationship with him?

 

I want to thank you for saying that you found his performances in my two films excellent. Since it is my second film with him,  I felt more comfortable being with him and we were able to be more honest on set and were able to talk a lot. Lee Byung-hun is an actor who has a very strong character, personality and style. So what I focused on was changing his look in both my films. Starting with his hairstyle, I wanted to choose something he hadn’t done before. Instead of him being Lee Byung-hun the actor, I want him to look like the character. Lee Byung-hun told me that whenever he works with me, he is always nervous and curious at the same time about what kind of new hairstyle I am going to make him do. This might be the case for other directors as well, but I think I have a compulsion to change the hairstyle of my actors and give a change to them that ways. I would never allow an actor to have the same hairstyle they had in another film (laughs).

 

 

You said “The Man Standing Next” is the end of a loose trilogy starting with “Inside Men” and “The Drug King”. Would you like to elaborate a bit more on why you think it is a trilogy?

Actually, I wasn’t the one who called it a trilogy. Some reporters said that, so I don’t know if I can say that it’s a trilogy. It is possible that I might deal with this kind of a theme again or I might not; I don’t know yet. But I am always interested in themes like desires and power and how people end up ruined in the end because of them. So I want to dig even deeper into into those themes.

 

When I was researching the film, I noticed that Kim’s family are trying to get the case reopened at the present time. What is your take on that and what do you think they are trying to achieve, given the fact that these events did happen and he did commit the crime?

I also heard the news. In any case, historically he is actually a loser, not a winner. For a long time, he has been considered as the antagonist. But with the passing of generations, he has been given a new kind of evaluation and people have a new view of him so I think it’s actually a good thing that this is happening. History, for me, highlights those who win and that’s who you remember but this time I wanted to shine the light on the losing team.

 

We heard recently that the Korean people, in some way, support President Park as a historical figure, saying he did very good for the people and that they still like him. Is that correct?

Even now, it is true that there are supporters of President Park. I don’t know the exact percentage, but the reason that there are split views of him is because what he did for the country is pretty clear, both the rights and the wrongs. So that’s why some people support him and some do not.

 

In making this film, did you come closer to understanding Kim and making the decision yourself about why he did what he did or is it still a mystery to you?

This is a great question. I’ve done many interviews and actually this question was asked many times before as well, but I have not yet given a clear answer to date for the sole reason that I wanted it to be left as a mystery.

 

 

 

[Ephoenix]

August 26, 2020 

 

 

THE MAN STANDING NEXT has been nominated in 9 categories in 2020 Buil Film Awards, which is going to be held on October, 8, without an audience and with only Winners and Presenters. 
 

The Man Standing Next Nominations: 

• Best Picture 
• Best Director 
• Best Actor for Lee Byung-hun 
• Best Supporting Actor for Lee Hee-joon 
• Best Supporting Actress for Kim So-jin 
• Best Screenplay 
• Best Cinematography 
• Best Music
• Best Art/Technology         
  
  GOOD LUCK TO OUR TEAM!!!

Source: Here

 

Spoiler

 

[peonie]

September 9, 2020

 

Lee Byung Hun nominated as  Best Actor by the 14th Asian Film Awards. 

 

 

 

Lee Byung Hun has just been nominated as Best Actor for his performance in "The Man Standing Next" by the 14th Asian Film Awards to be held on 6th October, 2020 in Busan, Korea.  

 

Congratulations Byung Hun-ssi!  

 

[Ephoenix]

September 28, 2020

 

The Man Standing Next has applied for the selection of South Korean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at The 93rd Academy Awards. 
 

Here are the list of 13 applicants:

• Penninsula 
• The Man Standing Next 
• Bring me home 
• Moving on 
• Beasts that cling to the straw 
• Paper Flower 
• Night of the Undead 
• An Old Lady 
• Sangjin group English TOEIC class 
• Confession 
• Life is beautiful 
• Steel Rain-2 Summit 
• Deliver us from Evil 

 

GOOD LUCK FOR THE MAN STANDING NEXT. HOPE IT GETS SELECTED AND ALSO GETS NOMINATED! *PRAYING*** 
 

source: KoBiz

[peonie]

October 21, 2020

 

"The Man Standing Next" has been been chosen to represent South Korea in the 93rd Academy Awards for the Best International Film.  

 

 

The Korean Film Committee who made the final decision hesitated between two entries:

"The Man Standing Next" and "Moving On".  Ultimately the former was chosen because the Committee found the film fascinating. 

 

[Ephoenix]

October 21, 2020 

 

South Korea submits ‘The Man Standing Next’ for 2021 Oscars

BY JEAN NOH

 

Source: [1]

 

Woo Min-ho’s The Man Standing Next will be South Korea’s submission to the 93rd Academy Awards’ best international feature film category, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) has confirmed.

 

 

SOURCE: SHOWBOX

‘THE MAN STANDING NEXT’

The submission follows the sweep of this year’s Oscars by Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite for best picture, director, original screenplay and international feature film.

 

The Man Standing Next is set in the 1970s when South Korea’s authoritarian regime controlled the country utilising political terror tactics carried out by the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA). When the status quo is disrupted by Koreagate – a scandal involving the KCIA, members of the US Congress and South Korean politicians – former and current KCIA operatives and their satellites manoeuvre to gain control.

The film stars Lee Byung-hun who, in addition to starring in Woo’s previous film Inside Men, is also known for turns in Hollywood films such as Red 2 and GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra.

The Man Standing Next also features Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North) and Kwak Do-won (The Wailing), as well as Lee Hee-jun and Kim So-jin – both from Woo’s previous film The Drug King.

Released locally on January 22, The Man Standing Next clocked up 4.75 million admissions and $36.4m for Showbox, according to KOFIC. It is currently the top box-office hit of this pandemic-afflicted year in South Korea.

 

 

Selection process

Korea’s Oscar submission was decided by a five-person committee of film professionals appointed by KOFIC who would not have any conflict of interest. Led by critic and former Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) programmer Kim Bongseok, the committee also included producer Hanna Lee (Secret Sunshine), director Hong Ji-young (Will You Be There?), cinematographer Choi Young-hwan (Veteran) and former Jeonju International Film Festival programmer Lee Sang-yong. 

The committee considered 13 films – including Yoon Dan-bi’s drama Moving On, Yeon Sang-ho’s zombie thriller Peninsula, Kim Seung-woo’s thriller Bring Me Home and Yang Woo-suk’s Steel Rain 2: Summit – before selecting The Man Standing Next. 

“It is a fascinating film in that it squarely shows the somewhat dark history of South Korea, which made rapid leaps in post-war economic development and is now leading cultural trends,” said the committee in a statement which also lauded Lee Byung-hun’s performance.

The star is nominated for best actor at the upcoming Asian Film Awards (to be held October 28 during the Busan International Film Festival) for his performance in The Man Standing Next.

“Although there was a strong perception that the Academy Awards were US film awards, with Parasite’s winning [this year], they have shown themselves to be a festival of films where works from around the world, including Asia, compete,” noted the committee.

They also commented on the heightened interest in Korean films after the Parasite win and said the committee took that into account in picking a film they felt could appeal to the broadest cross-section of the Academy’s international membership.

 

[Ephoenix]

October 2020 

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ACTOR LEE BYUNG HUN AND LEE HEE JUN FOR WINNING BEST ACTOR AWARD AND BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR AWARD RESPECTIVELY AT THE  2020 BUIL FILM AWARDS TODAY! 

 

 

[Ephoenix]

October 26, 2020 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ACTOR LEE BYUNG HUN AND MOVIE “THE MAN STANDING NEXT” FOR WINNING BEST ACTOR AND BEST FILM AT THE 40th YOUNGPYEONG AWARD BY KOREAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION!!!
 

 

Source: Naver

The winner of the 40th Youngpyeong Award by the Korean Film Critics Association, which is recognized for its tradition and authority, has been decided.

The honor of the best picture award went to director Woo Min-ho's "The Man Standing Next." The best actor award is given to Lee Byung-hun, who performed passionately in "The Man Standing Next." Jeong Yu-mi of "Kim Ji-young Born in 1982" won the Best Actress Award, while Kim Mi-kyung of "Kim Ji-young Born in 1982" won the Best Supporting Actress Award.
 

Meanwhile, the 40th Yeongpyeong Award Ceremony will be held on November 11 at 6:30 p.m. with actors Choi Jung-won and Kim Ha-na as announcers.
 

Also, CONGRATULATIONS for being selected as one of the Top 10 movies by the Korean Film Critics Association! 
 

[peonie]

October 26, 2020.

 

Winners Of 40th Korean Association Of Film Critics Awards

FILM

Oct 26, 2020

by M. Kang

 

The Korean Association of Film Critics has announced the 40th batch of winners!

The honor of the Best Film award went to director Woo Min Ho’s “The Man Standing Next,” with starring actor Lee Byung Hun winning Best Actor. Jung Yu Mi of “Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982” won the Best Actress award, while Kim Mi Kyung of the same movie won the Best Supporting Actress award.

Meanwhile, the physical ceremony for the 40th Korean Association Of Film Critics Awards will be held on November 11 at 6:30 p.m. KST and hosted by actors Choi Jung Won and Kim Ha Na.

Check out the full list of winners below!

Best Film: “The Man Standing Next”

Lifetime Achievement in Film Award: Film Critic Kim Jong Won

Best Director: Im Dae Hyung (“Moonlit Winter”)

Best Actress: Jung Yu Mi (“Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982”)

Best Actor: Lee Byung Hun (“The Man Standing Next”)

Best Supporting Actress: Kim Mi Kyung (“Kim Ji-Young: Born 1982”)

Best Supporting Actor: Park Jung Min (“Deliver Us from Evil”)

Best New Director: Yoon Dan Bi (“Moving On”)

Best New Actress: Kang Mal Geum (“Lucky Chan-Sil”)

Best New Actor: Kwak Min Gyu (“Move the Grave”)

Technical Award: Special effects (“Peninsula”)

Best Screenplay: Im Dae Hyung (“Moonlit Winter”)

FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Award, Korean branch: Hong Sang Su (“The Woman Who Ran”)

Best Cinematography: Lee Hyung Duk and one other (“Peninsula”)

Best Soundtrack: Kim Hae Won (“Moonlit Winter”)

Best Independent Film: Han Ga Ram/Kim Mi Rae

Korean Association of Film Critics Awards Top 10 (not ranked): “Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982,” “Moving On,” “The Man Standing Next,” “Deliver Us from Evil,” “The Woman Who Ran,” “Ashfall,” “Moonlit Winter,” “Beasts that Cling to the Straw,” “Lucky Chan-Sil,” “A French Woman”

Congratulations to all the winners!

 

Source:  Soompi

 

[rubie]

October 28, 2020

 

Winners Of 14th Asian Film Awards

Source: Soompi by J. K

 

“Parasite” dominated at the 14th Asian Film Awards, grabbing four trophies in total!

 

The annual ceremony was organized by the Asian Film Awards Academy (AFAA), which was founded through a collaboration between the Busan, Tokyo, and Hong Kong film festivals. While it was planned to be hosted in Busan, this year’s event was held online on October 28 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was broadcast on the AFAA and Busan Film Festival’s official websites and YouTube channels.

 

“Parasite” took home the trophies for Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Production Design. Lee Byung Hun received the Best Actor award for his performance in “The Man Standing Next,” four years after winning the same award for his work in “Inside Men.”

 

See the list of winners below!

 

Best Film: “Parasite” (Korea)
Best Director: Wang Xiaoshuai (“So Long, My Son,” China)
Best New Director: Hikari (“37 Seconds,” Japan)
Best Actor: Lee Byung Hun (“The Man Standing Next,” Korea)
Best Actress: Zhou Dong Yu (“Better Days,” Hong Kong, China)
Best Supporting Actor: Kase Ryo (“To the Ends of the Earth,” Japan, Uzbekistan, Qatar)
Best Supporting Actress: Samantha Ko (Ko Shu Chin) (“A Sun,” Taiwan)
Best Newcomer: Jackson Yee (“Better Days,” Hong Kong, China)
Best Screenplay: Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won (“Parasite,” Korea)
Best Editing: Yang Jin Mo (“Parasite,” Korea)
Best Cinematography: Dong Jin Song (“The Wild Goose Lake,” China, France)
Best Original Music: Karsh Kale and The Salvage Audio Collective (“Gully Boy,” India)
Best Costume Design: Pacharin Surawatanapongs (“Happy Old Year,” Thailand)
Best Production Design: Lee Ha Jun (“Parasite,” Korea)
Best Visual Effects: Tomi Kuo and Renovatio Pictures (“Detention,” Taiwan)
Best Sound: Kureishi Yoshifumi (“Listen to the Universe,” Japan)

 

Congratulations to all the winners!

 

 

 

Source (1) (2)

[Ephoenix]

November 10, 2020 

 

 

The Man Standing Next has been nominated in 10 categories (11 candidates) including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Staff Award at the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards. 

 

The 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards will be held on December 11 (Friday) at 9 p.m. in Incheon. It will be broadcasted live on SBS. 

 

The nominations are: 

▪Best Picture

▪Best Director -Woo Min Ho 

▪Best Actor- Lee Byung Hun 

▪Best Supporting Actor

-Lee Sung Min 

-Lee Hee Jun 

▪Best Screenplay

▪Best Cinematography 

▪Best Editing 

▪Best Music

▪Best Art Direction

▪Best Technical Achievement Award 

 

 

Nominees Announced For 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards

Nov 10, 2020

by C. Hong

 

The nominations are in for the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards!

There will be a total of 18 awards presented at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, although only 15 categories have announced nominations. The other three categories are the Popularity Award, Best Short Film, and Most viewed Picture. The nominations were selected through a survey of film industry experts and ordinary moviegoers about Korean films that were released between October 11, 2019, and October 29, 2020.

 

The 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards are scheduled to take place this year on December 11 in Paradise City, Incheon.

“The Man Standing Next,” starring Lee Byung Hun, received a total of 11 nominations across 10 different categories. “Deliver Us From Evil” received nine nominations across eight categories, “Moonlit Winter” received seven nominations, and “Kim Ji Young, Born 1982” received six nominations.

 

Here is the full list of nominees:

Best Picture:

 

• “Moving On”
• “The Man Standing Next”
• “Voice of Silence”
• “Moonlit Winter”
• “Kim Ji Young, Born 1982”

Best Director:

• Yang Woo Seok (“Steel Rain 2: Summit”)
• Yeon Sang Ho (“Peninsula”)
• Woo Min Ho (“The Man Standing Next”)
• Im Dae Hyung (“Moonlit Winter”)
• Hong Won Chan (“Deliver Us From Evil”)

Best Actor:

• Yoo Ah In (“Voice of Silence”)
• Lee Byung Hun (“The Man Standing Next”)
• Lee Jung Jae (“Deliver Us From Evil”)
• Jung Woo Sung (“Steel Rain 2: Summit”)
• Hwang Jung Min (“Deliver Us From Evil”)

Best Actress:

• Kim Hee Ae (“Moonlit Winter”)
• Ra Mi Ran (“Honest Candidate”)
• Shin Min Ah (“Diva”)
• Jeon Do Yeon (“Beasts Clawing at Straws”)
• Jung Yu Mi (“Kim Ji Young, Born 1982”)

Best Supporting Actor:

• Park Jung Min (“Deliver Us From Evil”)
• Shin Jung Geun (“Steel Rain 2: Summit”)
• Yoo Yeon Seok (“Steel Rain 2: Summit”)
• Lee Sung Min (“The Man Standing Next”)
• Lee Hee Joon (“The Man Standing Next”)

Best Supporting Actress:

• Kim Mi Kyung (“Kim Mi Young, Born 1982”)
• Park Hye Soo (“Samjin Company English Class”)
• Bae Jong Ok (“Innocence”)
• Lee Re (“Peninsula”)
• Esom (“Samjin Company English Class”)

Best New Director:

• Kim Do Young (“Kim Ji Young, Born 1982”)
• Kim Cho Hee (“Lucky Chan-Sil”)
• Yoon Dan Bi (“Moving On”)
• Jung Jin Young (“Me and Me”)
• Hong Eui Jung (“Voice of Silence”)

Best New Actor:

• Woo Do Hwan (“The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful”)
• Yoo Tae Oh (“Vertigo”)
• Lee Bong Geun (“The Singer”)
• Lee Hak Joo (“Welcome to the Guesthouse”)
• Hong Kyung (“Innocence”)

Best New Actress:

• Kang Mal Geum (“Lucky Chan-Sil”)
• Kim So Hye (“Moonlit Winter”)
• Shin Hyun Bin (“Beasts Clawing at Straws”)
• Shin Hye Sun (“Innocence”)
• Lee Joo Young (“Baseball Girl”)

Best Screenplay:

• “Moving On”
• “The Man Standing Next”
• “Voice of Silence”
• “Moonlit Winter”
• “Kim Ji Young, Born 1982”

Best Cinematography and Lighting:

• “Steel Rain 2: Summit”
• “The Man Standing Next”
• “Deliver Us From Evil”
• “Diva”
• “Peninsula”

Best Editing:

• “The Man Standing Next”
• “Deliver Us From Evil”
• “Moonlit Winter”
• “Beasts Clawing at Straws”
• “Kim Ji Young, Born 1982”

Best Music:

• “The Man Standing Next”
• “Deliver Us From Evil”
• “Samjin Company English Class”
• “Moonlit Winter”
• “Forbidden Dream”

Best Art Direction:

• “The Man Standing Next”
• “Deliver Us From Evil”
• “Peninsula”
• “Samjin Company English Class”
• “Forbidden Dream”

Best Technical Achievement:

• “The Man Standing Next” (makeup)
• “Deliver Us From Evil” (martial arts)
• “Peninsula” (visual effects)
• “Ashfall” (visual effects)
• “Samjin Company English Class” (costuming)

[Ephoenix]

November 12, 2020

 

Actor Lee Byung Hun and Director Woo Min Ho at the 40th Korean Association of Film Critics Award ceremony to receive their award for Best Actor and Best Picture respectively. 

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS.

 

[peonie]

December 11, 2020.

 

“The Man Standing Next”   a representative work of Lee Byung Hun who murdered the President 

( A translation)

 

 

The new film  “The Man Standing Next” was released in South Korea in the beginning of the year. Lee Byung Hun, the main actor successively claimed the Best Actor Award from the Chunsa Film Arts Awards,  the Buil Film Awards , the Asian Film Awards and the Korean Association Of Film Critics Awards.  If he were the win the Best Actor from the Blue Dragon Film Awards originally scheduled to be held today, he would have swept almost all the best actor awards  from this year’s most important film awards. Unfortunately, the local epidemic situation has become severe and the award ceremony has been postponed until next year.  I am really curious as to why local film distributors (in Hong Kong ) have not bought the copyrights of this movie even though the movie has been released for almost one year, having won numerous awards, plus Lee Byung Hun’s fame  and the fact the movie was released in Taiwan as early as March.  I searched and found the film “The Main Standing Next" on the iTunes rental service. But the price is almost the same as that of the main movie.

 

Adapted from a novel, alluding to historical figures

"The Man Standing Next”, based on the novel, tells the story of the 40 days before President Park's assassination in the 1970s.   Lee Byung Hun played Kim Gyu Pyung, regarded as the country's second-in-command, is the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, headquartered in Nanshan.   He joined the army and fought along the President in the army.  Former CIA director Park Yong Gak, (played by Kwak Do Won,) attended a hearing in the United States, and testified that President Park had abused his power and was preparing to publish a book. Kim Gyu Pyung was ordered to the United States to stop his publication of the book and to settle the incident.

 

 

Kim Gyu Pyung and  Park Yong Gak  were originally good friends. The latter accused President Park of having an overseas account to amass wealth which was dealt by a mysterious person nicknamed "Iago". Kim was not entirely convinced, but at the same time, he managed to persuade Park Yong Gak to stop the publication of the explosive book. 

 

When Kim returned home, he found that Kwak Sang Chun, the president's security chief, was becoming increasingly outrageous, not only using tanks at will, but also roughing up members of Congress. When the opposition party chairman’s  Kim Yong San was stripped of his parliamentary qualifications, it aroused public anger.  There were protests in Busan and other places.  Kwak advocated martial law to suppress crackdown, and accused Kim of failing to do things properly.  Park Yong Gak was lured from the United States to France at this time, originally wanted to find the local South Korean ambassador to talk about his past and collude with Kwak’s men. Kim Gyu Pyung sent people to the local area and finally killed Park Yong Gak. 

 

 

Originally taking this action as a demonstration of loyalty, it was unexpected that President Park accused Kim Gyu Pyung  of "killing even his friends," and even deliberately alienated him.  Kim, who had reached his tipping point, finally killed President Park and Chief Kwak during a dinner. He got on his feet with his blood on his hands to pick up his car.  He was going to return to Nanshan, but Jang Sheng hao, the chief of staff next to him, advised him to go to the Army headquarters.  At the end scene, overlooking the mirror, Kim Gyu Pyung’s car was seen turning around  around in the dark night.

 

Real vocal cords .  Assassination is not usurpation.

All the characters in the film are real people, but their names have been changed. Lee Byung Hun’s is Kim Jae-Gyu who was later sentenced to death; President Park is Park Geun Hye’s father, Park Chung Hee.   The black and white news of the year appeared at the end of the film. The pictures include the scene of the President's murder, as well as photos of Kim Jae Gyu during the trial and the soundtrack of his defense. The verdict alleged that Kim believed that the President preferred the head of his security guard, did not trust him, and accumulated dissatisfaction, especially after the turmoil in Busan and Masan.  He heard rumors that he he would be dismissed; so he was uneasy, and delusional to become the president, eventually killing people for the purpose of civil unrest.  However, in reality, Kim Jae Gyu’s  self-defense was not the case. The last part of the film was also broadcasted. "Speaking of the purpose of the revolution on October 26, it was to restore liberal democracy and prevent more sacrifices by our citizens. My revolution started from never to be president. I am a soldier and a revolutionary. I am definitely not making a final statement to beg for my life. In short, I ask the judge to follow my conviction and sentence." As a result, Kim Jae-gyu was sentenced to hanging.

 

It is said that in order to avoid controversy, the characters changed their names in "The Man Standing Next". For example, in the film, the former CIA chief, Park Yong Gak disappeared in France, and was killed by a member of the team Kim Gyu Pyung sent. In reality, Kim Hyong Uk was indeed missing, but people kept looking for him. He did not return, and the death was confirmed many years later. In the film, Kim Gyu Pyung was described as being loyal to the President and caring for the people. He believes that the president is far from the right track and will use slanderers to kill him.

 

 

The interpretation of the role is clearly layered

Kim Jae Gyu (Kim Gyu Pyung) was a soldier and was in charge of the intelligence agency. Over the years, he has eliminated many dissidents for the dictator Park Chung Hee,  and he could not be good.  However, Lee Byung Hun  has been able to portray this repressed character in a distinctly hierarchical manner, from his initial calmness to his denunciation of Kwak’s incompetence,  to his later feelings of resentment and betrayal by the president. The muscles on his face throbbed slightly. Reflected in constantly fiddle with gestures that touched his neatly arranged hair, these carefully choreographed movements alone can be considered Lee’s representative work since his debut.

 

Twenty years ago, when the Korean Wave was still in its infancy in Asia, Lee Byung Hun  was one of the protagonists of Park Chan-wook’s famous work “Joint Security Area". The others were Lee Young Ae, Song Kang Ho and Shin Ha Kyun.  Facing the powerful "North Korean sergeant" Song Kang Ho , Lee Byung hun, who plays the role of South Korean military commander, completely matched his acting skills, just as he lost his mind when he stepped on a landmine by mistake. After the baptism of several Hollywood films and then rising from his scandal, Lee Byung Hun received Best Actor awards, one after another, this is neither luck or incidental. 

 

 

Source:  https://news.mingpao.com/pns/娛樂/article/20201211/s00016/1607624904700/【開箱】《南山的部長們》謀殺總統的死囚-李秉憲代表作

 

[Ephoenix]

December 13, 2020 

 

Top 10 Korean movies of 2020: Virus cuts 'Parasite' triumph short

 

By Kwak Yeon-soo

The year 2020 started off strong for Korean cinema with "Parasite" making history by winning four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Director and the International Feature Film category.

Shortly after the historic moment, however, the Korean movie industry experienced a drastic pandemic-driven decline, with theaters around the country closing indefinitely and studios moving most of their big releases to 2021.

Leading multiplex operators raised ticket prices as part of their attempts to survive the pandemic. Highly anticipated big budget films like "Seobok," "Mogadishu" and "Hero" have pushed back their releases to next year. "Space Sweepers," starring Song Joong-ki and Kim Tae-ri, is taking the safe route by premiering on Netflix in 2021.

But a slew of good local films still made it onto screens during this exhausting year. Below are the 10 Korean films that caught the eyes of both domestic and international audiences.
 

A scene from "The Man Standing Next" / Courtesy of Showbox

 

1. The Man Standing Next

A political thriller chronicling the 40-day power struggle among former President Park Chung-hee's top aides before one of them assassinated him in 1979 has been selected as a national contender for the 93rd Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category.
Directed by Woo Min-ho, "The Man Standing Next" unfolds a hidden story of political maneuvering by the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) in the 1970s, a time of military dictatorship under Park.
Park is one of the most controversial figures in Korean's modern history, suppressing the country's supposed democracy while generating phenomenal economic development.
Actor Lee Byung-hun, who plays the role of the KCIA chief who assassinated the president, won best actor awards at this year's Asian Film Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards, Buil Film Awards, Chunsa Film Arts Awards and Korean Association of Film Critics' Awards.

 

For the rest of the lists: Here