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Guest Airine Pratama

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Guest kdramafanusa

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Arirang Showbiz Extra - Cinema Spotlight

M

cin(45).gif

The forgotten memories of your first love will be revived. Korea's renowned film director Lee Myung-se and top actor Kang Dong-won have teamed up once again to open a new horizon for Korean cinema.

Now, let us learn more about their new movie "M."

Min-woo is a talented novelist who has risen to stardom in the literary world with his good looks and his debut fiction which has become a best seller.

However, hallucinations and nightmares torment this up-and-coming writer every night. Because of insomnia, Min-woo, can no longer concentrate on his new work, the much-anticipated follow-up to his first successful novel. And he starts to feel that someone is stalking him.

Haunted by strange visions and nightmares, he starts to feel uneasy about his poor state of mind. While having a dream, he visits a bar named "Lupin." There he meets a mysterious woman, "Mi-mi."

Min-woo confides his worries and creative impasse on the book to Mi-mi who has suddenly appeared in his life.

Mi-mi, however, vanishes as if cigarette smoke disappears. He becomes confused about this strange encounter. Was it a daydream or imagination? Did the meeting actually take place?

Min-woo's fiancee Eun-hye becomes worried about her lover's strange behaviour. She cannot shake off her uneasy feeling that Min-woo is hiding something from her.

Eun-hye starts to suspect that Min-soo is having an affair with someone named "Mi-mi." All of a sudden, recollections sparkle in the darkness of Min-woo's mind as if illuminated by flashbulbs. He realizes that Mi-mi was his first love 11 years ago.

Min-woo recovers the forgotten memories about Mi-mi. Min-woo's first love Mi-mi keeps staying around Min-woo. Eun-hye becomes afraid of losing her lover Min-woo.

The three people are lost at the crossroads of love. When will Min-woo be able to stop dreaming his recurring nightmares?

Why don't you take a little trip to the world of mystery fantasy in the film "M"? You may recover your long lost cherished memories about your lovers or your precious friends. "M" is now open in theaters nationwide.

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Guest kdramafanusa

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The Korea Times 11-01-2007 15:08

'M' Showcases Style Over Substance

By Lee Hyo-won

Staff Reporter

071101_p10_m(1).jpg

A scene from director Lee Myung-se's "M,'' which stars model-turned-actor Gang Dong-won.

In the highly stylistic psychodrama "M,'' director Lee Myung-se explores a classic theme sought time after time by (particularly male) filmmakers here ― the haunting imprint of first love, romanticized in all its glory. Lee showcases one stunning mise-en-scene after another, but "M'' proves to be a rather anticlimactic audiovisual experience.

It shows that throwing in all the visually pleasing ingredients available does not necessarily cook up a great movie.

Min-wu (Gang Dong-won) seems to have it all ― on top of being a best-selling author, he is blessed with good looks and a rich and beautiful fiancee (Gong Hyo-jin). But beneath it all, the poor guy is suffering from a serious case of writer's block and a family debt to take care of.

To make matters worse, Min-wu is seriously convinced someone is watching him and is plagued with daunting daydreams and hallucinations. But the writer manages to piece together fragments of the puzzle, which leads to something deeply buried in his heart: his first love Mi-mi (Lee Yeon-hi) who died 11 years before.

"M'' is novel in its attempt to deconstruct the inner workings of Min-wu's mind. It depicts his spiraling mentality from both an observer's point of view and through direct enactment's of his delusions. He is literally chasing after mementos of his past in obscure alleyways, and his fiancee, like the viewer, finds his strange demeanor rather creepy, and you see recurring daydreams involving his obese publicist and obnoxious future father-in-law.

Sure, it's understandable that this guy is stressed out ― he's on the brink of tying the knot and is pressed by the looming deadline for his novel. But the film loses its climactic edge as it stuffs in too much, and it eats well into the first half of the movie.

The film takes viewers on a surreal journey where dreams become more compelling than reality and the past becomes infused with the present. Yet, as much as the fantastic quality of "M'' is captivating, it's also causes its downfall, for the movie fails to provide a gripping tale to back up the fancy camerawork.

So concentrate hard and long enough and you might catch up.

Another regretful part of the movie is that it highlights a modern yuppie couple enjoying a high-end lifestyle rather than going deeper into the drowning relationship. And yet, the storyline (or lack thereof) melts in beautifully with the mellow music score, in particular its theme song "Mist'' (angae). There is also a spectacular scene where Min-wu's hysterical state of mind is highlighted by erratic typing and Mozart's Symphony No. 25. "M's'' stunning music video-like audiovisuals exceed the stylish cinematography of Lee's previous works "Nowhere to Hide'' and "Duelist.''

Gang Dong-won gives life to a charming character and isn't too terrible in embodying a sweet young high school student to an intellectual artist. Gong Hyo-jin is also intriguing while Lee Yeon-hee is the quintessential "first love,'' sweet, shy and innocent. But other characters are more like chic characters, such as an Aresene Lupin look-alike harbinger of death or a shady bartender. They just add a stylish touch to the movie, but nothing more.

The film created a stir in Busan earlier and had long been the talk the town, especially since its male lead Gang makes an appearance for the first time in about a year. The sensation followed through with a crowded press preview in Seoul recently and the early released music video featuring the movie's theme song by international pop star BoA.

Lee deserves much credit for experimenting with new ideas in "M,'' which makes you expect something with more substance next time to match his sixth sense for style.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2.../141_12954.html

VarietyAsiaOnline.com

Local films show strength at Korean box office

Written by Darcy Paquet

Wednesday, 31 October 2007

SEOUL -- Local films sit atop the Korean box office this week, led by CJ Entertainment comedy "Going by the Book." Pic, by debut director Ra Hee-chan, has taken $8.4 million in 10 days, dropping only 8% in its second weekend.

Screenplay by filmmaker/playwright Jang Jin focuses on a mild-mannered cop who takes a bank robbery drill a little too seriously.

At No. 2 for the second week, femme-centered period mystery "Shadows in the Palace" has taken $7.4 million for distributor Cinema Service. Pic, by debut director Kim Mee-jeung, premiered in competition at the San Sebastian Intl. Film Festival in September.

Veteran director Lee Myung-Se had less success with "M," taking just under $2 million in its opening weekend on a wide 451 screen release. Stylish head-scratcher has had polarized reviews, but distributor Chungeorahm/M&FC were hoping to ride widespread media attention and the presence of young star Kang Dong-won to a higher opening.

Another veteran helmer, Hur Jin-ho, has had more success with his fourth film, "Happiness." Pic, which like "M" preemed in Toronto, has taken north of $9 million in four weeks for distributor Showbox.

Meanwhile, Sundance 2007 Audience Award winner "Once" from Ireland has earned more than $750,000 earned since its Sept. 20 release, a new record for a specialty release

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Guest Rositas

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woah i really want to see this!!! when im going up to see it......

so sad........

i like this phrase;

The forgotten memories of your first love will be revived.......

And Love is Mistery and Sad....

cant wait to see this!! :):):)

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Guest syille

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a friend of mine send me this : (hopely i'm not repost)

Joong Ang Daily

Actor and model Kang Dong-won, 26, is no longer just a pretty boy. In Lee Myung-se’s recent psychodrama “M,” Kang plays a writer named Min-woo who journeys back and forth between reality and fantasy in search of his first love Mi-mi, played by Lee Yeon-hee.

Compared to Kang’s previous work, films such as “Temptation of Wolves” (2004) and “Duelist” (2005), M seems less naturalistic in tone. The actor’s pretty face is hidden behind black-rimmed spectacles and his hair is shaped like the letter M. The story’s blurry visual effects create an atmosphere that reflects Kang’s psychological quest.

“Playing the part of Min-woo was very challenging,” Kang said. The film focuses on Min-woo’s entire life, so Kang had to reach deep to find the necessary romance and the drama of his character. The director specifically asked Kang to play up his facial expressions as much as possible to convey the required depth of emotions. After all, the film was image-oriented rather than story-oriented.

“Lee uses the actors like tools,” Kang said. “Working with this director allowed me to give full flight to my acting range.”

M marks Kang’s second collaboration with Lee Myung-se. The first was “Duelist,” with a script that greatly interested Kang.

“This film proves that Lee is a great director,” Kang said. Though the film wasn’t a hit at the box office, Kang still admires the story.

M was the same. The first time he read the script Kang knew the film had great potential. He was also sure that the complexity of the plot would challenge movie-goers. In his latest movie, Kang reveals growing self-confidence.

“In the past, I was more concerned about what people, particular those in the movie industry, thought about me,” he said. But when filming M, Kang decided that he would enjoy himself to the fullest when shooting began. He got into character straight -away.

“From the start of the shoot, I made myself out to be just as crazy as Min-woo,” Kang said. He had to portray three different personas ― the ordinary, obsessed and young Min-woo. Kang said a recent conflict with his agent allowed him to act more hysterical in the movie.

“I adopt this grotesque facial expression whenever things don’t turn out the way I want,” Kang said. “That expression turns up again and again in this movie.”

For some of Kang’s fans, it’s hard to imagine him playing such serious cinematic roles.

In “Don’t Believe in Her,” Kang was a country pharmacist. In “Our Happy Time,” he was a condemned criminal. In “Voice of a Murderer,” he contributed his voice as a kidnapper.

“I choose scripts that interest me most at that very moment,” he said.

He said he signed up for Our Happy Time to prove that he could act. At that time, the public was mainly interested in Kang’s looks and many doubted he had the acting chops to make it on the big screen.

Kang revealed the depth and range of his voice work in Voice of the Murderer. In Duelist, he showed off his martial arts skills. In this film, Kang said, he reckons he did everything an actor can do with his body. Surprisingly, Kang didn’t dream of becoming an actor. He started out as a model. But when he took some acting classes, he realized what he had been missing. The revelation meant a change of career.

“I felt incredibly refreshed,” he said, adding the world blazed with energy whenever he expressed intense emotions as an actor.

“Acting is what I’ve been looking for my entire life,” he said.

Kang, now regarded more as an actor than a model, wants to pursue what he thinks is best. He refuses to compromise and wants to continue to defy public expectation.

“I want to forge a new direction,” he said. “Other actors are my competitors. I want to make full use of my strengths and weaknesses to be the best that I can be.”

By Yang Sung-hee JoongAng Ilbo [estyle@joongang.co.kr]

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Guest Rositas

Guest Rositas

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does anyone know where i can get the song by boa?

its like 안개 or something

i have the song of boa if you want just tell me where do you want me to send it ok? :):):)

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Guest plumangel3

Guest plumangel3

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haha i love him.

i cried in every movie he was in . AHHA.

i love him too! he`s such a great actor. when there`s a sad scene i usually end up crying too. especially in Maundy Thursday. at then end i cried my heart out.

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