[Movie] Concrete Utopia, 콘크리트 유토피아 - Lee Byung Hun, Park Seo Joon, Park Bo Young

[peonie]

August 12, 2023

 

"Concrete Utopia"   

 

                                                  Poster at the Cinema 

 

Although the movie “Concrete Utopia” officially opens in Hong Kong on August 17, I was able to buy a ticket for the show today.

 

The movie is very well made.  The cinematography was spectacular and the disaster scenes were well excecuted and realistic!

 

Lee Byung Hun was awesome.  His acting is beyond brillance.  Once again, he showed us a complex character that can exude humour despite the movie's  very dark and sad theme.  His leadership in protecting the residents was firm yet subtle.

 

All the other main actors and actresses also acted very well.

[peonie]

August 13, 2023

 

REVIEW 'Concrete Utopia' is a gripping, 130-minute extravaganza

 

Production still from "Concrete Utopia / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

 

By Yoo Su-kyung

 

What would you do to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where everything has been reduced to ruins save for a single apartment building? "Concrete Utopia" is a film that lays bare some of the more uncomfortable truths about the dark side of human nature under extreme circumstances.

 

The film begins with a group of survivors gathering to seek shelter at an apartment building in Seoul, the only structure left standing in the city after it is destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake. Based on the popular webtoon "Amusing Neighbor," director Um Tae-hwa has added another film to his impressive resume that includes "Forest," for which he won the Best Film Award at the 11th Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival, and "Vanishing Time" which netted him an award for Best New Director Award at the 54th Golden Bell Awards.

 

With a running time that clocks in at 130 minutes, "Concrete Utopia" is not short, but it is such an engrossing experience that some viewers may feel the end comes too quickly when the credits start rolling. The production team deserves a lot of credit here for portraying such an unlikely setting and scenario in a way that feels so close to home.

 

A massive, three-story-tall film set was constructed for the shooting, and the ruins of a city in the dead of winter was very realistically depicted, aided by the clever use of lighting to create a chilling, ominous atmosphere. The makeup and the attention to detail in creating the dust clouds from the earthquake are particularly impressive. Director Uhm said the visuals of the film were inspired by Pablo Picasso's oil painting "Guernica," which he showed to his production staff for reference.

 

"Concrete Utopia" is scheduled for release on Aug. 9. Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

The actors also deserve praise for filming the movie in the punishing heat while dressed in heavy winter clothes. Lee Byung-hun plays the lead role as Young-tak, the head representative of the apartment residents who is determined to do whatever it takes to protect their property from outsiders. Lee once again shows the versatility of his acting talent, showing audiences why he remains one of the most-sought-after leading men in Korean cinema.

 

Actor Park Seo-joon plays Min-sung, a man who is also committed to protecting the apartment and his family, and actress Park Bo-young plays his wife Myeong-hwa whose character is layered in subtleties. They both succeed in connecting with the audience with their range of emotional expressions, telling a story of adversity and a family's unbreakable bond.

 

Kim Seon-young provides the much-needed comic relief in the film as Geum-ae, the head of the women's association at the apartment. Other supporting roles are filled by actors Park Ji-hoo, Kim Do-yoon and others who all deliver outstanding performances to create an incredible synergy among the cast.

 

"Concrete Utopia," as Lee Byung-hun put it, is about ordinary people who are neither heroes nor villains, forced to make morally ambiguous choices under the most extreme circumstances. It will leave viewers wondering what they would have done in the same situation long after the film has ended. "Concrete Utopia" is scheduled to be released in cinemas across Korea on Aug. 9.

 

Source:  https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/08/398_356203.html

 

 

 

[peonie]

August 13, 2023

 

Actor Lee Byung-hun captivated by morally complex characters in 'Concrete Utopia'

 

Actor Lee Byung-hun of Korea disaster thriller "Concrete Utopia" / Courtesy of BH Entertainment 

 

Actor Lee Byung-hun of the upcoming Korean disaster thriller "Concrete Utopia" said Tuesday he was intrigued by its compelling story portraying the coexistence of good and evil in ordinary people.

 

Directed by Um Tae-hwa, the movie revolves around an apartment complex that miraculously becomes the only surviving building after a massive earthquake that devastates Seoul.

 

As survivors from outside flock to the apartment, seeking refuge from hunger and the freezing weather, the residents unite around their new leader, Yeong-tak (played by Lee), to drive them out and try to find their own ways to survive.

 

"It's a story about ordinary people who neither embody absolute evil nor absolute goodness but have both sides in them within the boundary of common sense," Lee said during a group media interview at a Seoul cafe. "Since it's an extreme situation, conflicts between people are inevitable. I chose to be a part of this film because I enjoy portraying such conflicts."

 

Lee said he was actively involved in building his character.

 

"I constantly conversed with the director from the beginning to the end to make the character look more realistic and multi-dimensional, and to identify points that would make the situations he faces intriguing," he said.

 

Initially portrayed as a timid person who couldn't assert himself in front of others, Yeong-tak gradually transforms from a distant figure to a cruel leader who does everything to protect his apartment and neighbors from external intruders.

 

His newfound desire for power is further fueled after realizing in the conflict with outsiders that he is now even more powerful as the leader of the insiders than a lawmaker coming from outside.

 

"He undergoes some changes in his state of mind when Geum-ae says the world has been reset due to the disaster, even in the midst of a desperate and gloomy situation where he has lost everything and can't even feel the reason for his own existence," Lee said of his character, referring to the name of the chief of the women's society of the apartment community.

 

"After being appointed as leader, Yeong-tak initially makes up his mind to do something for the community with responsibility. But he gradually becomes intoxicated by the taste of wielding power, without knowing this himself," the actor explained.

 

Lee said his favorite sequence is the one where he sings Yoon Soo-il's 1998 hit song "Apartment" during a feast.

 

"I like the part where Yeong-tak's life stories from the past are shown to the audience while he sings."

 

Although he is a veteran actor with more than 30 years of experience, he said he still feels nervous ahead of the releases of his films.

 

"I remember receiving the same question 15 years ago," he said when asked if he feels any pressure about presenting good acting in a new film.

 

"Back then, I naturally felt burdened. I vaguely wondered when that pressure would disappear when I received such questions. Even though I worked with some confidence, I always become nervous before my films are shown to the audience."

 

The film opens in local theaters on Aug. 9. (Yonhap)

 

Source:  https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/08/398_356157.html

[Ephoenix]

August 13, 2023 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA D-2 WEEKEND STAGE GREETINGS HIGHLIGHTS 

 

 

Our Con Uzz.... promoting strong despite the heat! 

 

Earlier, LBH made news when it was released that he was going to do stage greetings even during National Liberation Day of Korea on August 15, along with Dir. UTH and Actor Kim Do Yoon.

From Sunshiner's perspective, this feels emotional and proud. Good job, Eugene Choi…… our Con Uz!! 

 

Source: Here

(The headline is so funny. “‘Eurachacha! Even on National Liberation Day?” Haha 

(Note: Eurachacha: A encouraging cheering shout Young tak used to lift his chosen one’s spirit before they go for hunting) 

 

Stage greetings full video: 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA BOX OFFICE D-5 

 

#1 Overall movies for 5 consecutive days. 

 

Audiences today - 427,692 viewers 

Accumulated: 1,546,195 audiences. 

2M Tomorrow!! 

 

 

Comparatively, weekend numbers altogether are surprisingly low than other times of the year despite rave reviews. I wonder if its because it's summer or because of the genre of the movie, which isn't everyone's cup of tea. C'mon people!!! 

 

Stage Greetings today. 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv4gdaArZli/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cv4s5UhNkfo/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cv4po90BaMM/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[Ephoenix]

August 13, 2023

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA: Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-joon, Park Bo-young and Director Uhm Tae Hwa confirmed to attend 48th Toronto International Film Festival next month. 

 

 

 

"Concrete Utopia" surpassed 1.54 million in its first week of release.an overwhelming first place for five consecutive days. 

 

View Source

 

Not only did it melt the post-disaster story into extreme reality, but the movie "Concrete Utopia" (director Um Tae-hwa), which is well-received for its solid narratives, actors' acting synergy, and heavy messages, is gaining momentum.

 

"Concrete Utopia," which has topped the box office with overwhelming numbers since its first day of release, has surpassed 1 million viewers on the fourth day of its release due to explosive box office success, and continues to run unrivaledly as time passes by attracting audiences with hotter heat.

 

In particular, "Concrete Utopia" is considered a "movie that must be seen in theaters" as it has made headlines for its explosive passionate performance and high-quality work of actors right after its release.As a result, "Concrete Utopia," which has been at the center of attention not only in theaters but also online, is adding momentum to the reservation rate even in the second week of its release, so the box office will continue to rise on the occasion of the Liberation Day holiday.

 

"Concrete Utopia," which has been praised as a new world of disaster films for its colorful attractions of original worldviews, realistic human groups, and actors' enthusiastic performances that perfectly express them, is being screened at theaters nationwide this summer.

 

Source: Here 

[Ephoenix]

August 14, 2023 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA BOX OFFICE D-6 

 

#1 In Overall movies for 6 consecutive days 

 

Audiences - 287, 096 people today 

Accumulated - 1,833,356 people 

 

National Liberation Day holiday tomorrow. So hopefully 2M on a special day. Concrete Utopia has been trending for days now in Korean Twitter. This morning more than 4k tweets. Not that it helps in the chart but the word of mouth is going strong, with interpretations and reviews pouring in. 

 

Please continue the buzz and good rumors going like our Bunyeo Huijang Geum Ae asked for, and go watch as much as possible.  

 

 

 

[Ephoenix]

August 15, 2023

CONGRATULATIONS, TEAM CONCRETE UTOPIA!!! 

 

"Concrete Utopia" surpassed 2 million on Liberation Day...The box office is getting hotter. 

 

View Source

 

The movie "Concrete Utopia" surpassed 2 million viewers on its seventh day of release.

According to Lotte Entertainment on the 15th, director Um Tae-hwa's film "Concrete Utopia" surpassed 2 million viewers at 11:36 a.m. on the seventh day of its release.

"Concrete Utopia" is a disaster drama about Seoul, which was devastated by a major earthquake, and it is the only remaining palace apartment that begins with survivors gathering.Not only has the story after the disaster been melted into an extreme reality, but it is also continuing its box office success with solid narratives, actors' acting synergy, and heavy messages.

Thanks to word of mouth, both reservations and seat occupancy remain high; Concrete Utopia' is dominating summer theaters with tireless box office fever.Since the release date of 230,000 viewers on the 9th, it has been on the rise over time, recording 280,000 viewers even though it is Monday on the 14th, the second week of its release.As a result, it has surpassed 1 million viewers on the fourth day of its release and 2 million viewers on the seventh day of its release, showing a strong box office performance.

The actors' overwhelming acting, development that raises the sense of immersion, and structured production are creating new interpretations, which is expected to be a long-term success.

 

source: here 

[Ephoenix]

August 15, 2023 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA 2ND WEEK STAGE GREETINGS HIGHLIGHTS 

 

LBH and Lotte IG update. 

LBH caption: With Minsung (Young tak’s chosen one! )

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv9YHirOsrE/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv9bHhdrnwU/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv9lx1OreK-/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[Ephoenix]

 

August 15, 2023 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA BOX OFFICE D-7 

 

#1 Domestic movies

#2 Overall movies 

 

Attendance - 303,103 people today. 

Accumulated - 2,136,502 people 

 

 

 

 

3 new releases (2 Domestic +1 International) on the same  day. Jung WooSung's Guardian and Yoo Hae jin's Honey Sweet. And Oppenheimer. Phew!

[Ephoenix]

August 15, 2023

 

Initially, I thought of posting this translation a bit later, but my bookmarks has been a mess with all the traffic of updates. So, I thought its best to just get it over with before I lose my coordination. We can always come back to this anyway. I have translated what OP wrote in her dictation thread except for the part where Director Park Chan Wook talks about LBH and his character Young tak. That I needed word for word, which wasn’t in the thread all together. So, I added mostly from the main interview video itself. Besides that, I have skipped parts that I thought aren’t necessary. If you guys are interested, you can continue on the thread of OP. I will share the link here. Here we go! 

 

Original thread : Here 

 

This Interview contains major spoilers! 

 

[Eng]Concrete Utopia special GV with Director Uhm Tae Hwa and Director Park Chan Wook 

 

 

Q: What is the relationship between the two directors?

 

Uhm: In 2004, I was the youngest member in the Director department of Dir. PCW’s movie, ‘Three Extremes.’ I worked as an assistant director up to ‘Lady Vengence.’, and I also acted as an assistant director for Dir. Park Chan Kyung’s movie ‘Night Fishing’, as well as a storyboard artist. It was the storyboard I wrote when I was the youngest member during ‘Lady Vengeance’, about 18 years ago. It was when Dir. PCW was around my age. (Takes out the clapperboard he took from the set of ‘Lady Vengeance.) 

Park: Are you allowed to take things away? 

Uhm: You are not, but I am not good at throwing things away. I still have the rubber band that LBH sunbaenim wore in three monsters at my house. Its all hardened, so I don’t think I can use it anymore. (PCW bursting into laughter) 

 

Q: Director park said he has seen Concrete Utopia twice. What are your impressions? 

 

Park:The first thing I saw was a rough edit, so there was a long way to go before the completion. The CG were also almost empty, so its all blue screen, same with music and other things. But, since I have read the scenario before, I know what the story is about. But even though I knew it, it was funny during comic scenes and intense when it was supposed to be. It’s not easy to immerse yourself in a sloppy version. As a director, you can imagine how it will be competed in your head, but people seeing it for the first time cant do that. Even through difficulties, I was able to immerse myself. I watched all those things and later saw the finished version. So even though I knew everything, there was nothing obvious. I will tell you later but it was like a classic…made with a very standard attitude. That’s why it was fun to watch it again. Since there were no tricks at all, I can say that it is a movie made with pure and simple attitude. 

 

Q: You returned to feature film 7 years after The vanishing Time. You filmed it during the period of COVID. At that time, I believe you had not imagined a conversation with the audience. How is your feeling now? 

 

Uhm: I didn’t know at that time that I’d be taking a break for this long. After I finished the first episode, I wrote the scenario for 2 years and it didn’t work out. I grabbed the item again and again and made it after using it for about 3 years. In fact, it should’ve been released last year, but it was postponed because of covid, and it somehow became 7 years. So I once told Dir. Park about my concerns in the middle, and he said, “Do not do one thing at a time, do several things together.” So now I am working hard on several works. After Concrete Utopia is over, I am working hard so I can do it without a break. 

 

Emcee was mentioning previous works of Dir. Uhm that he enjoyed and such, and at that time Dir. Park asked him where he watched those works of his, inducing emcee  to mention the name of the channel and OTT as an indirect promotion of his disciples’ work. Aww supportive master.) 

 

Q: I think there might be people who got to know Director Uhm Tae Hwa through Concrete Utopia. It is a work that could be viewed from various angles. What are the scenes that come to your mind first? 

 

Park: I really liked the scene where Kim Young tak, played by Lee Byung hun, grumbles as he dies, saying, “Why did he enter someone else’s house wearing shoes?”Moreover, it was so very korean, don’t you think? It really was. Initially, I thought it was very foolish not to choose this movie for Cannes, but on the other hand, it kind of make sense. I doubt they would be able to understand the korean sentiment of this insult of coming into someone’s house wearing shoes. This whole Imperial Palace Apartment and its surroundings represent Korean Society. However, I think this is the moment where it peaks as a customized disaster movie that is very specialized to Korean society. And you can evaluate the character Young tak in many ways, from his wish to buy a house, wanting to peacefully live at home with his family, all this is so natural. I think it’s a piece of work that everyone can relate to and that brings us back to the beginning of the tragedy where this person had no choice but to become the devil and feel that solidarity. 

 

Q: Please tell us the behind the scene. (questions include details of the scene including use of OST like Christmas)

 

Uhm: As many of the audiences here could probably feel, the most impatient scene when watching a foreign movie or a drama is the scene where they enter the house and put their shoes on the bed. Anyway, I tried to show Korean people’s unique Ondol floor culture (floor heating system) at the end. When Young tak entered Hye won’s house asking why she entered her house with her shoes on, of course she is a young kid who might not care for all of this, but through that scene I wanted to show what kind of straight forward person Young tak was, and wondered if putting that line at the end would convey the message to show Korean’s obsession with their homes. While saying that line as he grumbled, he was looking at family photos, and the music of ‘My Happy Home’ played on it, creating a warm atmosphere like the Christmas emcee mentioned earlier. I asked the music director to play the piano as if it was being practiced next door, and not to play too well. I wanted him to die in a familial feel and in a form without it being too grand. 

 

Q: If Young tak was wearing white socks, you could have seen the scruffy soles in the scene. But I felt thankful to director for keeping Young tak’s dignity by giving him black socks. I’d have cried if it was white. Going back to the beginning of the scene, it explains why Young tak was so obsessed with the fire hose and how important the space was to him. 

Young tak is actor Lee Byung hun, who had appeared in both director’s films in common. He is an actor who has appeared in works almost every year for about 20 years since JSA(2000). Dir. Park, what did you think after seeing his face for 20 years? 

 

Park: Among the audiences here, there must be a generation that has not seen JSA, but when interviewing with reporters about that movie, they asked for the reason for casting LBH in the movie. At that time, I honestly answered that I liked how ordinary looking guy he was. I remember the expression of the reporters, especially female reporters who had, “What is he talking about?”expression on their face. At that time, I didn’t realize LBH looked so handsome. We became close while filming the movie, so whenever I did a new project, LBH would ask me why I am no longer casting him in my movies. At that time, I said, ‘ Your skin is too tight. I am not fond of that kind of skin, come back when you grow a bit older.’ So while watching him in Concrete Utopia, I was reminded of that moment because Young tak is such an ordinary person. 

 

Lee Byung Hun is a human adornment. In A Bittersweet Life, he looked cool like Alain Delon in his prime, and in this movie, he is an ordinary person who isn’t like that at all. It was said as a joke, but when I told him ‘Let’s meet when you are old’, I meant rather than young, I wanted to see the inner aspect of a person who has experienced and learned a lot of bitter taste of the world and life, and I think he finally showed everything in this movie. After watching this movie, the first thing I said to him when I met him was, ‘ You didn’t need to perform so well, did you? Isn’t it done overly well?’ This Young tak isn’t a very likable character after all. Of course, by the end of the movie, if you know his history, and watch the reason for his downfall, you’ll feel pity for him, but, while he was at the top, growing in his power, I just hated to even look at him. And since LBH performed it so perfectly, I hated him even more. So, I told him that I know this movie is a high budget movie, an obvious blockbuster already, so why did he have to work so hard? 

 

I can really say that it opened a new chapter in the history of Lee Byung hun’s acting. It’s not just Lee Byung Hun’s acting, it really wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that a new chapter has opened in the history of male actors’ acting in the Korean film industry. Every time I watched the whole process of downfall, knowing his relationship with all these different emotions, before and after the revelation of his true identity, and what his real family went through, I thought he managed to express those reasonable changes so dramatically. He never did this and that in a distracting way. I know he is clearly one person, yet he shows so many different sides. I couldn’t help but marvel that Lee Byung hun still surprises me so much, even though he’d been my friend for so long. 

 

Q: CU is based on the webtoon, but after watching the movie, it is difficult to imagine that it is based on a webtoon. I think it can be said that Dir. Uhm and actor recreated the character Young tak so that it seems to be a friendly person as Dir. Park said. What did you put while creating this Young tak character?

 

Uhm: In fact, the character representing the residents in the original work appears as a villain from the beginning. So, this person is a soldier or something like that which will be revealed later, but he is a overall a person who manages to hide his true feelings. When I first wrote the scenario, I also wrote it in that direction, and even when this person turns off the lights or acts like this, you’ll feel like there is something wrong. I wrote it as a character that feels like a fiery fox. In that state, I gave it to actor Lee Byung hun, and sunbaenim saw it and thought that it would be better to make it a character with a little more arc instead of making him look like a total villain from the beginning. However, since the scenario was already completed, I couldn’t increase the amount of footage, but to seek for the opportunity to change. So, as for the added scene, I added a scene in the middle of the filming with screenplay saying, “After the disaster scene, Young tak looks outside and looks at the apartment as if he has decided on something.” But before filming, I was worried that the character would be explained with this one. But since Lee Byung hun sunbaenim is more experienced he said he would at least try even if it could give away, and I said okay and filmed the scene. But the moment I filmed the scene, I was convinced. Seeing that this person completely changed Young tak’s values here and now, I remember thinking that was a truly cinematic moment. 

 

Spoiler

 

Q: I think CU is a well-made film because it manages to impress the audience with a single scene rather than a dialogue. And although you talked about actor Lee Byung hun, it seemed that all actors in the movie did more than their share. Dir. Park, are there any other actors whose acting left a deep impression on you? 

 

Park: Due to the nature of this work, it’s a work that can be completed only when everything is done well, right? That’s why the casting must be done with the same amount of effort, to make sure everyone did well without anyone falling behind. The two actors, Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young seemed so believable and plausible. 

 

Actor Park Bo-young as Myeong-hwa can be seen by the audience as a frustrating character, especially until just before the end of the movie, right? “If you keep saying what is morally correct, what are you supposed to do?” Although Park Seo-joon’s character Min Sung tells that story, but when you look at the end, it becomes clear that forces called Cockroaches invade, fight, and you cannot live safely in an Imperial Palace Apartment forever. That’s how it turns out that Myeong-Hwa’s claim is ultimately practical. She did a great job playing a character that was so frustrating to watch, and as a result, when she got to the ‘Utopia’ where people lived in peace, she has that clean look on her face when she said, “They were ordinary people.” I thought that was a precious moment and it was a face that we couldn’t have seen without Park Bo-young. For the sake of that one moment, I endured the frustration and watched it. 

 

Park Seo Joon’s character Min sung has the same life as us. He has no choice but to rationalize by continuously asking himself questions on what he should do. He is worried, but in the end, he has no choice but to follow the trend, he has no choice but to pursue the immediate benefit, and make an inevitable choice for his family. Min sung is the kind of person who adheres closely to this movie while representing the position of us ordinary people, that we must live, no matter what. I think Park Seo-joon was wise when he said he would play this character, even though he is not a person who takes the lead in a dramatic action like Young tak. He performed his part very well. 

 

And Actor Kim Sun-young always does the best acting. Since she always performs well, I keep wondering the extent of her excellent performance in her work. As expected, she surprised me indeed. When her (Geum-ae) high schooler son died, if it is actor Kim Sun young, you’d think she would do it differently because you’ve seen too many howling scenes, but should I call it a straightforward method acting? She showed the kinds of screams and struggles that the real Korean mothers would do. I didn’t think it was a cliché. When you reach this level, it’s a residential performance, its out of ordinary. 

 

Q: If we point out one more actor, Uhm Tae goo, Director Uhm’s younger brother, appears twice in a very powerful role. It’s also a role that evokes the movie, and its an acting that I haven’t seen before for Uhm Tae Goo. How did you convince him to do that? 

 

Uhm: When I first gave him the scenario, he said, “Another Homeless role?” He has played a role of homeless a lot. But this character is like the one who appears in the middle of a musical or a play and explains the situation. We had only just immersed ourselves in the residents, inside of that apartment, but I wanted someone from the outside who could objectively explain the situation and the residents. Of course, its good to follow certain characters all the way, but I wanted to emphasize that this is the story of the people in this apartment. At the same time, I wanted to seek something that adds the tension rather than being just functional. So I talked about allusion. At first you see 4 homeless people, but later they are gone and you see him eating something by himself.(Is he implying he ate his homeless mates here? Because that definitely looked like a bone from legs. What? ) it was around the time at the end, when he meets Min Sung and Myeong Hwa, and I thought of creating some tense energy in the scene. For that, I wanted someone with a certain weight as an actor and an impactful voice. So I made a suggestion to him and he accepted it. And all the actors appearing there are members who were with him in movie “Intogi” So I think they had a good time meeting each other after a long time. 

 

Spoiler Alert: This blog contains special GV interview with Concrete Utopia Director and the cast. Moderator and the audiences directly ask the casts about the specific scenes from the movie and their thoughts. This would be interesting to watch after you are done with the movie.

 

https://m.blog.naver.com/hangeok/223179678890

[Ephoenix]

August 16, 2023 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA BOX OFFICE D-8 

 

#1 Domestic movies 

#2 Overall movies 

 

Today's attendance - 93,540 viewers 

Accumulated - 2,230, 068 viewers

 

 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TIFF2023 SCHEDULE 

 

Sept 9 + Sept 15- Press & Industry 

Sept 10 - Premium Screening

Sept 11 - In Conversation with Lee Byung Hun and Park Seo Joon (6pm KST) 

Sept 11, 15 & 16 - Regular Screening 

 

 

Source: tiff2023

[Ephoenix]

August 16, 2023

 

LOTTE ent released a preview clip of LBH as Youngtak singing "Apartment". I got goosbumps, no kidding. Imagine watching it in the theater as the story unfolds. The control in his voice and that smooth groove of uncle dance. Amazing!! Can we expect a studio version anytime soon? 

 

 

REVIEW 

[Film Critic Oh Dongjin's All about Movies] What's not in "Concrete Utopia" and what's in it?

 

View Source

 

There is actually no utopia in the movie 'Concrete Utopia'. Instead, there is a dystopia. It is the title of the irony. There is not much concrete either. Because there is only one apartment building left. Many critics say that the movie contains a desire for Korea's unique real estate. That's true. The desire is there. However, there is no social structural approach to where such material greed originated. No, it looks like it was intentionally taken out. Then the baby becomes too complicated and academic. However, the movie would have been a icing on the cake if it had been mentioned once or twice about the nature of economic desire, whether it was structural or human, whether it was hierarchical or Freudian (psychological).

The basic narrative structure of "Concrete Utopia" feels like the same context as "City of the Blind" written by Jose Saramagu. Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles once made a movie in 2008, featuring Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo and Gael Garcia Bernal. People get an unknown disease and everyone loses sight. The government's power quarantines them in mental wards, and soon the ward is in chaos, with bullies taking the right to distribute food and controlling the blind. Kill men and rape women in groups.

 

Humans suppress and exploit people with different thoughts and classes under the guise of survival if they are blinded by power and cannot see ahead. Soon, it creates a new self-centered class and freezes the community or the space to live together. The movie "City of the Blind" and "Concrete Utopia" are different, but they are talking about the same thing. It shows that director Um Tae-hwa, who created "Concrete Utopia," suffers from depression at the end of the century, not the end of the century, and is full of worries and concerns about the world we live in now.

It's here and there. Back to the debate, this film has such anguish and reason for the times. Unfortunately, however, there is no Shinpa, emotion, or resonance. That's right for the work itself and that's better.  There is a possibility that it will be negative in terms of movie success and popularity.Because it's dark. This is because the future world where the movie tries to move through the reality is darker than the reality that the movie depicts.
 

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For example, it is like the latter part of the drama of Min-sung and Myung-hwa couple, played by Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young. This movie is a movie where the characters of the two actors are alive enough to be said to be rediscovered by Park Seo-joon and reconfirmed by Park Bo-young. Perhaps the two are Alter-ego, who projected director Um Tae-hwa himself. The two are people who watch the "situation" in the apartment and do not separate intervention, neutrality, and critical eyes. Min-sung (Park Seo-joon) becomes loyal to Young-tak (Lee Bung-heon), who is in power, but Myeong-hwa (Park Bo-young) eventually reveals his lies and hypocrisy. It preaches the truth of the paradox that abnormal power, the power that eventually turns dictatorship, also creates it on its own, but again, the person who revolutionizes it also comes from within such a public. The characters of Park Bo-young and Park Seo-joon are therefore much more important and more essential than the characters of Lee Byung-hun, who plays the powerful.

If the latter half of the two had drawn more tears from the audience, the movie would have been much more successful in the public eye .Audiences are bound to shed tears at the sacrifices, love and dedication portrayed by the characters in the movie, no matter how unrealistic it is and fantasy. "Concrete Utopia" is touching, but there are no tears, and it was thoroughly intended by director Um Tae-hwa. That has somewhat weakened the film's public volatility. The director's attitude is not a matter of right or wrong. It's just a matter of choice. In fact, it is a matter for critics to worry about, not a matter for nothing. It is unnecessary interference and nosy.

"Concrete Utopia" shows that the potential and durability of Korean films are formidable. Above all, I like subtexts. The performances of Kim Sun-young as CEO Dong and Lee Seo-hwan as apartment manager are still good. Park Ji-hoo of "The Hummingbird" is also working hard. Kang Ae-shim of the independent film "The Bathroom" also appears like a hide-and-seek, but it shows that there is a hidden actor in the film. Um Tae-gu and Kim Joon-bae's homeless performance is excellent. The movie flutters and shows that it's alive. In the summer movie market, which is in the atmosphere of collapse as if on Earth's Last Day, "Concrete Utopia" feels like the only surviving movie like an apartment in the movie. Is this something to be happy about or sad about?

 

Source: here 

[Ephoenix]

August 17, 2023 

CONCRETE UTOPIA OFFICIALLY SELECTED AS KOREA’S ENTRY FOR INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM CATEGORY AT THE 96TH ACADEMY AWARDS 

The movie "Concrete Utopia" has been selected as an entry for the U.S. Academy Film Awards International Feature Film Awards to be held next year.

The Film Promotion Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Youngjin Committee) announced on the 17th that it has selected "Concrete Utopia" (director Um Tae-hwa) as an entry for Korean films in the 96th Academy Awards international feature film category.

Regarding the reason for the selection, the Youngjin Committee said, "We wanted to select a movie that is Korean, aims for global standards, balances artistry and popularity well, and can appeal to the Academy Awards, which is called somewhat conservative."

 

"It is the director's second feature, and actor Lee Byung-hun has excellent recognition at home and abroad," he added. "All judges are required to implement a bold promotion strategy for the successful Oscar campaign."

The judges explained, "The direction of the selection of the seven judges' works has been narrowed down to 'spider house' and 'concrete utopia,' and "spider house' has production company credibility, director awareness, world star Song Kang-ho, and universal themes, but the prevailing opinion was that public preference could be polarized."

On the other hand, "Concrete Utopia" has emerged as a little disappointing directing capabilities, but it has revealed various desires in the character group, and an original work has been created in which the main character Lee Byung-hun leads the story.

In addition, "Concrete Utopia" deals with class topics found in "Parasite" that impressed the academy today, and the ending is also valuable," he said. "Concrete Utopia was unanimously selected as it will appeal to North America in line with the K-movie trend."

Released on the 9th, "Concrete Utopia" is a disaster drama about Seoul, which was devastated by a major earthquake, and the only remaining palace apartment that begins with survivors gathering.As of the 16th, it has surpassed 2.23 million viewers and is cruising at the box office.

 

source: here

 

It has been selected among the 13 candidates who had applied for this category. 

Spoiler

I am super excited for Concrete Utopia, and I hope Lotte Entertainment spare no effort to come up with the best possible strategy and find the best distributors in USA to promote the movie in North America. I wish them all the luck and best wishes for the entire team. It’s a bit sad, or should I say disappointing to learn their reasons for choosing though. No offense to Parasite and Squid game but they need to stop treating them like the standard for Korean content and stop obsessing over it, and compare and judge everything through that lenses. It’s really demotivating honestly. 

[Ephoenix]

August 17, 2023 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA BOX OFFICE D-9 

 

#1 Domestic movies 

#2 Overall movies 

 

Attendance - 80, 209 viewers 

Accumulated - 2,310,265 viewers 

Reservation rate - 43.2% (80,964 people) 

 

 

Lotte released new breathtaking individual character posters in HD of the casts. Are we heading to the full fledged promotion overseas now? 

 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA RELAY GV

 

Director Uhm Tae Hwa, Park Bo-young, Park Ji-hoo,and Director Kim Bo-ra of the movie "The House of Hummingbird", which was a breakthrough debut movie of Park Ji hu will meet to hold the third week of relay GV.

 

Spoiler

View Sour

[Ephoenix]

August 18, 2023 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA ASIA PRESS JUNKET INTERVIEW WITH MALAYSIAN MEDIA 

 

 

Kudos to those two interviewers for conducting almost 95% of the interview in Korean. I was so surprised. Even our ConUzz looked like they enjoyed. I recently got to know the lady apparently is a fan of LBH since All In. I just had no idea she could speak Korean so well. Really inspiring me to work harder to sharpen my Korean skills. 

 

Q: Describe the movie in 3 words. 

Dir. UTH: CONCRETE AND UTOPIA!!

 

JUST PERFECT, SIR! These two brothers are so effortlessly funny and charming. 

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwEviLEhe5Y/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Spoiler

 

 

[Ephoenix]

August 18, 2023 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA BOX OFFICE D-10 

 

#1 -Domestic movies #2 -Overall movies 

 

Attendance today - 96,990 ppl 

Accumulated - 2,406,258 audiences 

Ticket reservation rate overall - 15.8% (100,368 people) 

 

Weekend stage greetings starts tomorrow on 19. All the best, Concrete Utopia! 

 

 

 

[Ephoenix]

August 19, 2023 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA 2ND WEEKEND STAGE GREETINGS 

 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA 2ND SPECIAL GV 

With Director Uhm Tae Hwa  and Director Han Joon Hee from Netflix drama, “D.P.”, which was also one of the productions of Climax studio. I still have to watch this one though. 

https://youtu.be/v_IAgfTUfSI

Also, This art review contains spoilers but I just can't help share here because the work is just brilliant. 

 

https://youtu.be/scoXfcltohU

 

Spoiler

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwH2VDRL39D/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwH25bKLBUX/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwH98dghcyY/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA BOX OFFICE D-11

 

Attendance today - 207, 072 people

Accumulated - 2,613,440 people 

 

[Ephoenix]

August 20, 2023 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA: KBS NEWS 9 INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR UHM TAE HWA TODAY 

 

video source: here

 

Anchor: Summer is a time to realize that we are living in an era where disasters have become commonplace. Just in time, a movie dealing with 'disaster' is resonating with many people. It is a work that is mentioned not only as a box office hit, but also as the possibility of winning overseas awards. Director Eom Tae-hwa, who directed <Concrete Utopia>, is invited. welcome. It was invited to the Toronto International Film Festival, and was also selected as a Korean entry for the American Academy's 'International Feature Film Division'. There are people who expect that it will become the second parasite, how is it? 

Dir. Uhm: First of all, I am really honored and grateful. The Academy Race is called the Oscar Race, so I heard that it is a very long and tough process, but for now, we will do our best to finish it well. 

Q: Wasn't the release postponed due to COVID- 19 ? It was released in two years, and it was pre-sold in 152 countries, and the domestic box office is also good. Where do you see the popularity factor? 

A: More than anything, I think that the audience liked that part because it contained the unseen appearances of Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-joon, and Park Bo-young in the movie. And the realistic Korean features of this movie. I think that the kind of images that can be immersed, or are easily immersed are viewed by audience even more in a better way. 

Q: Normally, when you watch a disaster movie, it shows the situation before the disaster and then shoots the climax when the disaster erupts, but 'Concrete Utopia' is a little different. From the beginning of the movie, it depicts the situation 'behind' the disaster. What was the intention? 

A: I approached this film thinking that it is a 'post-apocalyptic' story, that is, a story dealing with post-apocalypse, rather than a disaster film in terms of genre. It is a work made with a focus on what kind of situation would unfold in Korea if a disaster like this really happened tonight, so there are several human groups in that situation, what choices the characters make and what kind of situation unfolds. Because it's their story. 

Q: An apartment appears as the main background. Why did you choose an apartment? 

A: This is based on a webtoon called 'Pleasant Bullying'. The second part of the webtoon is a webtoon called 'Pleasant Neighbor', and the setting was that an apartment building was left in a situation where the background was all destroyed by an earthquake. That is why Koreans know that when it comes to apartments, since about 50 to 60 % of them live in apartments, and I am also a generation born and raised in apartments, and yet it is a residential area with many joys and sorrows. I thought that part would be the background that the audience would be more immersed in and feel closer to, so I set it as an apartment. 

Q:It seems that the social image of the era where the neighborhood and apartment you live in has become like a 'class', but did I get it right? 

A: It's a bit extreme situation in terms of setting, but I think it came naturally as I projected a lot of Korean elements and showed it realistically. 

Q: Let's talk about the characters. The main character, 'Young Tak', played by Lee Byung-Hun. Good or evil, he’s a very ambiguous character. He suddenly seized 'power'... What message did you want to send through this character? 

A: I wanted to express how a really ordinary person can end up like this. It deals with ordinary people rather than people with such an evil appearance like a psychopath, but when the selfishness of such ordinary people gathers, in some way it becomes evil and I wanted to focus on that story, ostracizing others, so this character was chosen. The goal was to show a three-dimensional image that you can perceive this character both as god-like, or as a complete evil. 

 

Q: The role played by Park Bo-young is a typical person who tries to help the weak, but unexpectedly, there are many comments that say that this character is a little uncomfortable and frustrating. However, from my point of view, she still seems like a person who tried to protect a certain human dignity and morality until the end, but has it become an era where such efforts are difficult to be properly accepted? 

A: I think the ending and the emotions you feel at the ending feel a bit different depending on which character you're watching the movie with. Looking at it that way, I think the character Myeong-hwa can be accepted that way, but I didn't intend to make it that frustrating. Somehow, I thought that in this era, there is something between humans and there is a sense of tension, and those things are shown as a little projected. 

Q: Lastly, as a director, what is the most important scene you see and the message contained in it? 

A: There is a scene in which actor Lee Byung-hun sings Mr. Yoon Soo-il's song 'Apartment'. It was a scene where I wanted to keep the elements of a black comedy in a way that Koreans would not stop singing and dancing even if a disaster like this really happened in Korea. (Lol, true) Even so, that scene is a really important inflection point in this film. I think actor Lee Byung-hun really expressed the irony well. That’s why audiences also loved it very much. 

Anchor: I think it was the most famous scene from my subjective point of view. I hope the overseas judges can 'understand' the scene. Looking forward to good news, I will send you director Eom Tae-hwa. Thank you for coming out today.

 

Dir. Uhm: Thank you for having me. 

[Ephoenix]

August 20, 2023

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA 2ND WEEKEND STAGE GREETINGS HIGHLIGHTS 

 

LBH was not present today for ending the 2nd weekend stage greetings. If it was for his BH family, I am sure they'd bring his life sized stand to every stage greetings. I thought our ConUzz would too... hehe 

 

It was fun nontheless. Poor Uhm Tae Goo was going around the theater introducing himself like, "Hello, I am Uhm Tae goo, who plays Homeless man 1 in Concrete Utopia. And I am here because of my blood relations with the person over there." (Pointing to his older brother.)

The fact that the scene stealer of CU who made news for his appearance recently didn’t even have a name. ㅠ And later on, Minsung and Myung-hwa couple were also copying him and introducing the audiences that they are blood related. Too bad I couldn't find any clips of Dir UTH reacting to it. 

 

Anyway, 2nd week stage greetings has ended successfully and fans were asking Lotte if they would also add the 3rd week stage greeting schedule considering the movie is maintaining its momentum in the theater. But of course, it always comes to their schedules. PSJ is wrapping up his drama so he's busy. I think PBY too. Lotte hasn't posted anything yet, but hopefully they will add another week. Its a great boost for attracting audiences at the theater. Let's see. 

 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA BOX OFFICE D-12 

#1 Domestic movies 

#2 Overall movies 

Attendance: 177,198 people 

Accumulated: 2,790,888 people

Overall ticket reservation rate - 10% (22,707 people) 

 

I hope we will reach 3M by Tuesday or Wednesday. We still have a long way to go to 3.8M, so I hope Lotte and casts push harder for the 3rd week promotion too. It definitely will boost to some extent for sure.

Concrete Utopia, Fighting!! 

 

 

Spoiler

[Ephoenix]

August 21, 2023 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA EUROPEAN PREMIERE 

 

Concrete Utopia will have its European premiere in L'étrange Festival in France next month. It's also one of the 12 movies that will compete for a Public prize. 

 

Sessions: September 12 and September 16

 

Source: Here 

 

 

CONCRETE UTOPIA BOX OFFICE D-13 

 

Maintaining 

#1 Domestic movies 

#2 Overall movies 

Attendance: 58,225 audiences 

Accumulated: 2,850,015 people. 

 

So, I guess 3M by Wednesday just as media predicted. Numbers are relatively low. Promotions have also been taken down in some locations. I hope they continue to keep this momentum in rank though. Concrete Utopia, fighting! 

 

Lotte seems to have moved on from Dir. PCW's child Dir. Uhm Tae-hwa to Dir. BJH's child Dir. Yoo Jae sun with their full promotion for his debut movie "Sleep" already. Still no news of 3rd week stage greetings. Sigh. 

 

 

Concrete Utopia 3rd Relay GV with Dir. Uhm Tae-hwa, Park Bo-young, Park Ji-hoo and Dir. Kim Bo ra (The House or Hummingbird) as a Moderator.) 

 

Video contains spoilers.