2012.11.2 NOW Playing
Drama, Romance / 106 / Korean
Sang-hyun (Jo Seung-woo) and Dong-hyun (Ryu Deok-hwan) are a pair of conjoined twins with two heads sharing one body. Dong-hyun has full control of the shared body, except for his brother’s head which is attached to his back. For 30 years, these two were never able to look at each other. Despite sharing the same body, these two brothers have nothing in common. While Sang-hyun is patient and generous, Dong-hyun is always questioning something and extremely selfish. As time passes, Dong-hyun begins to hold a grudge against his brother, blaming him for his own unhappiness. While Dong-hyun lets his brother do whatever he wants, things change when his father brings home Seung-ah (Nam Sang-mi), a caring artist who wants to help Dong-hyun publish a children’s book, something he has always dreamed of.
Throughout the film, peaches are repeatedly shown. Before the twins were born, their parents used to meet near a peach tree, a place where the young twins see their mother for the last time before her death. Peaches represent the past, present and future of the brothers.
Even though actress-director Ku Hye-sun’s debut feature film “Magic” (2010) was not a commercial success, her second feature presents a compelling look into the lives of inseparable twins. The movie received rave reviews when it premiered at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival.
Drama / 101 / English
An autobiographical film based on the relationship director Ira Sachs shared with his former lover, literary agent Bill Clegg, “Keep the Light On” is a contemporary American gay film exploring a decade-long relationship between two divergently addictive personalities.
Set in New York, Danish filmmaker Erik Rothman (Thure Lindhardt) and closeted lawyer Paul Lucy (Zachary Booth) meet through a casual encounter.
Each suffers individual struggles. Erik has a strong sexual appetite, while Paul fights drug addiction. After their first sexual encounter, Paul warns Erik not to expect a follow-up. Yet, they continue to see each other with an inevitable love connection developing between them over time.
The long on-and-off relationship is defined by highs, lows and dysfunctional patterns. Erik battles to get over his compulsive sexual desire and Paul is confronted by his friends on his occasional disappearances for drug binges.
The pleasure of the movie also emerges from the aesthetic perspective. Sachs captures a portrait of contemporary New York and the physical intimacy of the two male bodies.
Dan Heching of NEXT Magazine praised the film, saying, “Forget ‘Brokeback Mountain’?; ‘Keep the Lights On’ is the grittiest and most heartbreaking gay love story of our times.”
Drama, Thriller / 120 / English
“The movie was fake. The mission was real.”
Based on true events that were kept secret from the public for decades, Ben Affleck directs and stars in this historical thriller.
On November 1979, Iranian revolutionary militants storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Yet, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to escape through the back door and find refuge in the Canadian ambassador’s home.
Meanwhile, CIA “exfiltration” specialist Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) plans a covert mission to get the hostages out of the country. He decides to make up a cover story that the escapees are part of a crew filming a Hollywood sci-fi movie called “Argo” in an exotic location. He relies on his connections with Hollywood producers to create a fake scenario and even holds a press conference with hired actors to completely fool the public and militants.
Posing as a producer, Mendez heads to the airport with his full cast and crew members, consisting of the director, executive producer, location manager, screenwriter, cameraman and a makeup artist. Time is running out, with the U.S. government having allowed 72 hours to complete the assignment.
Can Mendez safely complete his mission?
Action, Thriller / 131 / English
Trouble surfaces as the bonds among three friends are broken by a Mexican drug cartel.
Best friends Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Johnson) run a lucrative business growing and selling top quality marijuana. They also share another interest: the beautiful Ophelia, also known as O (Blake Lively).
Their life seems pretty peaceful in their Southern California town until the Mexican drug cartel moves in and offers a partnership deal. However, the two reject the offer made by the cartel.
Unaware of what has happened to Chon and Ben, Ophelia is kidnapped by several angry members of the cartel. Mafia leader Elena (Salma Hayek) notifies of the horrible living conditions in which Ophelia is kept and threatens to kill her unless the two men partner with the cartel. With a strong ensemble cast, “Savages” will surprise you with plenty of stylish action and violence.
The film is based a novel of the same name by Don Winslow.
Action, Sci-fi / 118 / English
Time travel is outlawed in the year 2074, while technology has made it virtually impossible to destroy evidence of crime. This doesn’t stop organized criminals from eliminating their targets.
The future mobs send the people they want killed back to 2044, where “loopers,” or hired assassins, await them.
The loopers have one rule: Never let your target escape - no matter what. If the mobs want to close the contract with the looper, they “close the loop” by sending him to the past to be eliminated by his younger self.
In Kansas, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a looper named Joe who holds a perfect record of killings. As a looper, he is highly paid and lives the rock star lifestyle of constant parties, drugs and women.
One day, Joe is faced with his new target - a 30-year-old Joe (Bruce Willis). Older Joe has traveled in time to locate and kill “Rainmaker,” his wife’s murderer. In a moment of shock as he discovers the truth, Joe misses his target. Knowing his life could be in danger if his boss were to be aware of his failed mission, Joe goes on a manhunt to kill his future self.
“Looper” is full of fast chases, explosions, gunbattles, bloodshed and suspense, wrapped with thought-provoking elements of ethics.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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