#Oh Kwang Rok

[cinematicjourney]

Return to Seoul (2022) | dir. Davy Chou

[n30n-ang3l]

Recently watched Retour à Séoul aka Return to Seoul and it’s amazing (Anybody is a fucking bop. I’ll gladly dance to it just like Freddie did). Knowing that Ji-Min Park danced to Bizarre Love Triangle made the scene even more iconic so I made this edit of the bar dance scene with Bizarre Love Triangle as the background song.

[genevieveetguy]

Return to Seoul (Retour à Séoul), Davy Chou (2022)

[randomrichards]

RETURN TO SEOUL:

A young French woman

Seeks birth parents in Seoul

A self left adrift

[filmap]

Retour à Séoul / Return to Seoul Davy Chou. 2022

Village 산10 Munyeodo-ri, Okdo-myeon, Gunsan-si, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea See in map

See in imdb

[moviemosaics]

Return to Seoul

directed by Davy Chou, 2022

[bob-the-movie-man-film-reviews]

Return to Seoul (12): Reading from the sheet music of life.

#onemannsmovies review of "Return to Seoul" (2023). #ReturnToSeoul. Intelligent script defines a lost girl in freefall. 3.5/5.

A One Mann’s Movies review of “Return to Seoul” (2023). Original title: Retour à Séoul I often comment how subtitled films tend to send a large proportion of cinema-goers stampeding for the exit. “Return to Seoul” will likely send them over the edge, since it is a vibrant mix of subtitled French, subtitled Korean and some spoken English! It’s a difficult film to categorise, and for me to rate.…

[rookie-critic]

Return to Seoul (2022, dir. Davy Chou) - review by Rookie-Critic

I was pretty excited for this one. I'd heard nothing but good things about it and the story seemed like a playground for great ideas; Freddie, a young woman who was born in Korea, but adopted as a baby and raised in France, comes back to Korea in search of her birth parents, mainly her mother. While there were a lot of things about the film that I really liked, there's one kind of glaring thing about it that I just couldn't shake: I didn't like Freddie at all.

I struggle with unlikable protagonists in films, it's probably the personal bias that I struggle the most with being objective about. That's not to say that I hate every story with an unlikable protagonist at its center, there are character studies that have absolute scumbags at their center (like Sean Baker's Red Rocket) that I really enjoyed. I'll probably never watch Red Rocket again, because it made me feel gross, but it was an objectively good movie for a lot of different reasons. I think therein lies my problem, Freddie is a selfish, mean character, which is sometimes needed in the moment, but more often than not she's just being cruel to people who don't deserve it. So much so that the one person she isn't awful to during the film leaves Freddie because she sees how horrible Freddie is being to everyone else. I empathize with Freddie's situation, but I absolutely cannot connect with her as a person, and that makes a lot of the film tough to sit through. After awhile it almost becomes an endurance test of waiting for the shoe to drop and for her to be terrible yet again.

Where I think the film works is in its depiction of someone on a journey to fill a void in their life. Freddie's goal, although not specifically stated by her or the film, is to find her parents, because that is the thing she thinks will make her happy, will make her whole. That's the thing that will fill this gap she has in her life that's preventing her from being truly happy. Anytime something gets in the way of this goal or things don't turn out how she wants, she turns to self destructive behavior, because that instant relief is easier than dealing with the pain of that void, or at least that was my interpretation. All of this is great and a high point of the film. Director Davy Chou even has these wonderful moments where the camera holds on Freddie for awhile, and in those moments you really get a sense of her, and those were the moments in the film that I came the closest to understanding her. However, even with these moments, it doesn't seem like there's ever any remorse for the people she's hurt, no growth from beyond that self destructive behavior, only lateral movements that almost always end her back up in the same exact, emotionally volatile state of mind, and the film takes place over a long enough period of time, with enough self-acknowledgement from Freddie of her self destructive tendencies, to where you would expect some kind of positive forward momentum. Also, and I'm not a doctor or a psychiatrist, but I really believe Freddie suffers from Bipolar disorder/manic depression, or at least a lot of her actions led me to believe that. However, the film doesn't seem interested in exploring that and never makes mention of it at all, which leads me to believe she wasn't written with that in mind, but all the signs are there. I feel like the story would have been more interesting had they explored this more, and might have given more context to why Freddie is the way she is.

I think the most frustrating thing about Return to Seoul is that it does so many things right, it has some great high points and the overarching story has all of the pieces in place for there to have been some kind of redeeming moment or, at the very least, slight character growth, but it never truly happens. One could argue that there is a light that illuminates some hope in the final scene, but I didn't read it that way. Return to Seoul is a good movie, as I've said multiple times, there are a ton of things to enjoy about it, but it stops itself from being great. I'm sure there are those out there that will connect with Freddie, clearly the film has been receiving widespread acclaim, but I couldn't find the in with her character, and it kept me from enjoying this the way I've heard others have.

Score: 7/10

Currently only in theaters.

[k-star-holic]

Park Ji-min: "The Frenchman's Son Wasn't Korean...It Melted" (Return to Seoul)

Source: k-star-holic.blogspot.com

[middleofrow]

Film Review: Return to Seoul

(more…) “”

[cristalconnors]

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Shortlisted: Georg Friedrich, Great Freedom / Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway / Oh Kwang-rok, Return to Seoul / Tim Roth, Resurrection / Ben Wishaw, Women Talking

THE NOMINEES ARE:

JON BERNTHAL, SHARP STICK

For his performance as “Josh”

BEN DANIELS, BENEDICTION

for his performance as “Dr. Rivers”

JUSTIN H. MIN, AFTER YANG

For his performance as “Yang”

MARK RYLANCE, BONES AND ALL

For his performance as “Sully”

AND THE CRISTAL GOES TO...

BARRY KEOGHAN, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

For his performance as “Dominic Kearney”

[consumeronionbulletin]

Healer (2014-15)

I completely enjoyed this show. The writers play with alot of tropes from both kdrama-land and comic books, but the show still kept my interest. Mainly because the writers made sure to ground everything in believable and interesting relationships. But most importantly—you get Kim Mi-kyung as a freakin hacker!!

She knits, she dispenses rough wisdom, makes lots of gimbap, and hacks just like the geeky guys in Hollywood! (That's to say, with lots of keyboard tapping and plot related antics that have no relation to reality!)

The OTP relationship between Ji Chang-wook's character and Park Min-young's character is the highlight, of course, but the show is packed with interesting character moments and relationships.

The American show this most reminds me of is Person of Interest which is amazing and I will always love. It's got the muscle, the grumpy hacker, and a ton of fun relationships that build over time.

The Performances

Ji Chang-wook as Seo Jung-hu (aka "Healer"). The show does a good job of setting up the badass fighter side of him. What makes the character interesting is the other roles he takes on as throughout the series. The writers pull a page from comics and give him a "Clark Kent" style alter-ego as Park Bong-soo. This could have been very silly, but Chang-wook makes it work and is just as entertaining when playing "Bong-soo" as he is as "Healer".

Park Min-young as Chae Young-shin. Min-young does an amazing job bringing this character to life. In a lesser show, the "plucky girlfriend" could feel stale and boring, but Young-shin is a character with many layers and a fair amount of trauma, and Park Min-young manages to do a good job with all of that, while still highlighting the fun and sunny side of the character. So good to watch in every scene.

Kim Mi-kyung as Hacker Ahjumma. I already love watching Kim Mi-kyung on screen. She makes every role she plays fun and interesting, but you could tell how much she enjoyed this role. We need more grumpy middle-aged women hackers in TV land!

Oh Kwang-rok as Ki Young-jae (aka fighter ahjusshi, aka "Healer 1.0"). He's not in every episode, but the character is so memorable you feel like he's there even when he's not. Another case where you could just tell the actor was having so much fun that he brings you along with him. Really fun to watch!

Everyone else. Look, they're pretty much all great. Even the big baddies are believable and interesting rather than being cartoon evvil. The tragic backstories are suitably sad. The colorful side characters are fun. Just watch it. Or don't, I'm not your ahjumma / ahjusshi.

TL; DR:

I liked this show alot and would recommend it to people who like Person of Interest or similar fun action / vigilante shows. The first two episodes are good, but fairly predictable for an action show. Episodes 3-4 are where you'll probably decide whether you're all in or not, but if you can stick with it, you'll enjoy the ride!

[notlevi1999-blog]

Best movies of 2023 so far

In the cinematic realm of 2023, a rich array of treasures has unfurled, beckoning audiences on a captivating odyssey through diverse landscapes and immersing their hearts in the allure of compelling tales. This extraordinary year has been characterized by a spectrum of emotions, spanning from the spine-tingling depths of thrillers to the heartwarming peaks of comedies, ensuring resonant experiences for every discerning viewer. As we contemplate the best movies of 2023 so far, let's explore a curated selection of the finest films that have indelibly marked the collective imagination.

Tar

IMDb: 7.4 Synopsis: Lydia Tár, a globally acclaimed conductor at the zenith of her career, teeters on the edge of a monumental achievement. As she readies herself to record the symphony that will carve her legacy into history, the mounting pressure and escalating spotlight unearth dark secrets from her past, jeopardizing everything she has diligently constructed. Cast: Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer, Julian Glover Director: Todd Field

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

IMDb: 8.2 Synopsis: Miles Morales swings back into action in the highly anticipated sequel to the Academy Award-winning “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” This time, the web-slinging hero is propelled across the expansive multiverse, encountering a team of Spider-People tasked with safeguarding its very existence. Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Vélez, Jake Johnson Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson

Oppenheimer (2023)

IMDb: 8.4 Synopsis: Amidst World War II, brilliant physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer spearheads the Manhattan Project, a covert initiative to construct the world's first atomic bomb. As the weight of responsibility and the moral implications of his creation bear down on him, Oppenheimer grapples with the consequences of unleashing such destructive power. Cast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh Director: Christopher Nolan

John Wick: Chapter 4

IMDb: 7.4 Synopsis: John Wick pursues his freedom in this action-packed sequel. Confronting a new adversary with formidable alliances, the legendary assassin discovers a path to defeating the High Table. Brace yourself for breathtaking visuals, exhilarating action sequences, and Keanu Reeves at his most relentless. Cast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane Director: Chad Stahelski

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

IMDb: 8.2 Synopsis: In the 1920s, the discovery of oil beneath Osage Nation land in Oklahoma triggers a wave of violence and corruption. Wealthy Osage members become targets in a series of mysterious murders, leading the fledgling FBI to launch a complex investigation. Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal Director: Martin Scorsese

Return to Seoul (2023)

IMDb: 7 Synopsis: In "Return to Seoul," 25-year-old Freddie, an adoptee from France, embarks on an unexpected journey to her birth country. Seeking her roots, she uncovers unforeseen connections, buried secrets, and a redefined sense of belonging, exploring themes of adoption, self-discovery, and the enduring power of human connection. Cast: Park Ji-Min, Oh Kwang-Rok, Guka Han, Cho Soo-Hyang, Kim Sun-Young Director: Davy Chou

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

IMDb: 7.9 Synopsis: Sandra, a celebrated writer, confronts murder accusations after her husband's shocking death. Their blind son, torn between truth and loyalty, holds the key. In a courtroom clash, lies unravel, love is tested, and facades crumble, delving into themes of betrayal, justice, and the blurred lines of truth in those we trust most. Cast: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis Director: Baltasar Kormákur

Past Lives (2023)

IMDb: 7.9 Synopsis: Nora and Hae Sung, childhood flames in Seoul, are separated by an ocean when Nora's family emigrates. Years later, fate reunites them in a different world, rekindling lost love. "Past Lives" explores second chances, choices made, and destinies forged, questioning whether one can truly escape the past. A poignant journey of memory, longing, and enduring bonds. Cast: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro, Christopher Abbott, Sung-Hee Lee, David Chen Director: Celine Song

[tctmp]

Return to Seoul: Directed by Davy Chou. With Park Ji-min, Oh Kwang-rok, Guka Han, Kim Sun-young. A twenty-five-year-old French woman returns to Korea, the country she was born in before being adopted by a French couple, for the very first time. She decides to track down her biological parents, but her journey takes a surprising turn.

[lamilanomagazine]

Pistoia: Cinema sotto le stelle, i film nel mese di agosto

Pistoia: Cinema sotto le stelle, i film nel mese di agosto. Il programma è a cura di Mabuse Cinema in collaborazione con il Comune di Pistoia. Gli spettacoli avranno inizio alle 21.20 al costo di 6 euro (biglietto intero) o 5 euro (ridotto per bambini da 3 a 14 anni, adulti sopra i 65 anni). E' possibile abbonarsi con 5 ingressi a 25 euro e 10 ingressi a 45 euro. Per quanto riguarda la sezione dei film "Cinema revolution" - CR (pellicole italiane ed europee) il biglietto costa 3,50 euro. Di seguito i film in programma dal 1° al 31 agosto. Martedì 1° agosto Guardiani della Galassia vol.3 (Usa, 2023; 150') di James Gunn, con Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista. Mercoledì 2 agosto Ritorno a Seoul (Francia-Cambogia, 2022; 117') di Davy Chou, con Ji-min Park, Kwang-rok Oh. Giovedì 3 agosto Il piacere è tutto mio (Gbr, 2022; 97') di Sophie Hyde, con Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack. Venerdì 4 agosto The Whale (Usa, 2022; 117') di Darren Aronofsky, con Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau. Sabato 5 agosto Le otto montagne (Italia-Francia-Belgio, 2022; 147') di Felix Van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch. con Luca Marinelli, Alessandro Borghi, Filippo Timi. Domenica 6 agosto La quattordicesima domenica del tempo ordinario (Italia, 2023; 98') di Pupi Avati, con Gabriele Lavia, Edwige Fenech, Massimo Lopez. Lunedì 7 agosto Emily (Gran Bretagna, 2022; 130') di Frances O'Connor, con Emma Mackey, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Fionn Whitehead. Martedì 8 agosto Spider-man – Across the Spider-Verse (Usa, 2023; 140') di Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson. Animazione Mercoledì 9 agosto Animali selvatici (Romania, 2022; 125') di Cristian Mungiu, con Marin Grigore, Judith State. Giovedì 10 agosto La stranezza (Italia, 2022; 103') di Roberto Andò, con Toni Servillo, Salvo Ficarra, Valentino Picone. Venerdì 11 agosto Everything everywhere all at once (Usa, 2022; 139') di Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, con Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan. Sabato 12 agosto Rapito (Italia, 2023; 134') di Marco Bellocchio, con Enea Sala, Leonardo Maltese, Paolo Pierobon. Domenica 13 agosto L'ultima notte di Amore (Italia, 2023; 120') di Andrea Di Stefano, con Pierfrancesco Favino, Linda Caridi, Antonio Gerardi, Francesco Di Leva. Lunedì 14 agosto I peggiori giorni (Italia, 2023; 116') di Massimiliano Bruno, Edoardo Leo, con Antonella Attili, Claudia Gerini, Edoardo Leo, Ricky Memphis. Martedì 15 agosto Indiana Jones e il Quadrante del Destino (Usa, 2023; 142') di James Mangold, con Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen. Mercoledì 16 agosto Una relazione passeggera (Francia, 2022; 100') di Emmanuel Mouret, con Sandrine Kiberlain, Vincent Macaigne. Giovedì 17 agosto Stranizza d'amuri (Italia, 2023; 134') di Giuseppe Fiorello, con Gabriele Pizzurro, Samuele Segreto, Fabrizia Sacchi. Venerdì 18 agosto Barbie (Usa, 2023; 114') di Greta Gerwig, con Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling. Sabato 19 agosto Last Film Show – anteprima (India-Francia, 2021; 110') di Pan Nalin, con Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali. Domenica 20 agosto Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Parte Uno (Usa, 2023; 163') di Christopher McQuarrie, con Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames. Lunedì 21 agosto Il corsetto dell'imperatrice (Austria-Francia, 2022; 105') di Marie Kreutzer, con Vicky Krieps, Florian Teichtmeister. Martedì 22 agosto Super Mario Bros (Usa, 2023; 92') di Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, con Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day. Mercoledì 23 agosto Forever Young (Francia-Italia, 2022; 126') di Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, con Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Sofiane Bennacer, Louis Garrel (vietato ai minori di 14 anni). Giovedì 24 agosto Le otto montagne (Italia-Francia-Belgio, 2022; 147') di Felix Van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch. con Luca Marinelli, Alessandro Borghi, Filippo Timi. Venerdì 25 agosto Jeanne du Barry – La favorita del re – anteprima (Francia, 2023; 116') di Maïwenn, con Maïwenn, Johnny Depp. Sabato 26 agosto Il Sol dell'Avvenire (Italia, 2023; 95') di Nanni Moretti, con Nanni Moretti, Margherita Buy, Silvio Orlando. Domenica 27 agosto Barbie (Usa, 2023; 114') di Greta Gerwig, con Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling. Lunedì 28 agosto Decision to leave (Corea del Sud, 2022; 138') di Park Chan-wook, con Hae-il Park, Wei Tang. Martedì 29 agosto La sirenetta (Usa, 2023; 135') di Rob Marshall. Animazione Mercoledì 30 agosto Delta (Italia, 2022; 105') di Michele Vannucci, con Alessandro Borghi, Luigi Lo Cascio. Giovedì 31 agosto Denti da squalo (Italia, 2023; 104') di Davide Gentile, con Tiziano Menichelli, Stefano Rossi Giordani, Virginia Raffaele, Edoardo Pesce.... #notizie #news #breakingnews #cronaca #politica #eventi #sport #moda Read the full article

[yoonkyungho]

A Model Family - Watched August 2022

What brought me to it: Park Hee-Soon

What I liked: I really enjoyed the relationships of the main Crime Guys (I can’t remember anyone’s names), I was really invested with where they were going. Also I didn’t even recognize Kim Sung-Oh!

What I didn’t like: I wasn’t really into anyone in the Model Family, that all felt a little dramatically overwrought and I couldn’t really bring myself to be interested in any of them (at least until Oh Kwang-Rok showed up, he was fun).

The standouts: Park Hee-Soon was obviously great (also Heo Sung-Tae had a great cameo), but I really loved Choi Moo-Sung and Kim Shin-Rok.

Who I would recommend it to: If you’re into crime dramas, or are a fan of any of the main cast, it’s probably worth the watch. 

Overall score: 6/10