Na-young (Jeon Do-yeon) works at a post office and is sick and tired of being around her shamefully unyielding mother and her pushover father who’s excessively nice. The only thing that she can look forward to is her trip abroad in a few days. But one day, her father leaves home without any notice. Her … [Read More]
People: Jeon Do-yeon
Korean Film Nights: Seoul on Screen
The Spring 2023 season of screenings at the KCC is a collaboration with the Korean Film Archive that brings a series of films, from the 1950s to this century, that feature South Korea’s capital as a setting. The full programme note setting the context for the season as a whole can be found on the … [Read More]
Beasts Clawing at Straws (지푸라기라도 잡고 싶은 짐승들, 2020) review: murder and mayhem in a droll game of cat and mouse
Intersecting stories of debt-ridden lives converge around a cash-filled bag, revealing an intricately structured, non-linear thriller. Beasts Clawing at Straws is a twisted cat and mouse tale of betrayal and mayhem with a genuinely droll tone throughout, virtually guaranteeing audience enjoyment and even (guilty) smiles in the face of murder. [Read More]
Birthday (생일, 2019) review: a moving tribute to the personal grief of the Sewol ferry disaster
Unashamedly a tear-inducing melodrama, Lee Jong-un’s intimate debut feature is a powerful film that ultimately stands as a tribute to each and every one of the innocent victims of the tragic Sewol ferry disaster and indeed those left in abject despair by their loss. [Read More]
Caught on the plane: Twenty and Memories of the Sword (with Alice in Earnestland)
I always look forward to long-haul flights as an opportunity to catch up on all the movies I should have been watching over the past year. And having just returned from an ultra-long-haul holiday, I can heartily recommend Singapore Airlines in-flight entertainment. My only complaint is that there was too much to watch: if the … [Read More]
Brief film review: The Contact (Jang Yoon-hyeon, 1997)
Synopsis: Dong-hyun (Han Suk-gyu), a radio DJ, has recently been dumped by his girlfriend. Lovelorn and scorned his mood is lifted when he receives a copy of a vinyl Velvet Underground LP thinking that it is a gift from his ex. Since it holds a special meaning for his demised relationship, he plays Pale Blue … [Read More]
Burberry Prorsum gets a celebrity upgrade
Last year at London Fashion Week, Burberry Prorsum fielded a few members of Girls’ Generation at their show. This year, at their September show, they get Jeon Do-yeon. Source: Joongang Daily, 18 September 2013 [Read More]
Year of the Four Actors – the schedule
After 2012’s Year of the 12 Directors, 2013 brings Year of the 4 Actors, with 24 films and three Q&As featuring Moon So-ri, Jeon Do-yeon, Choi Min-sik and Ha Jung-woo. Here’s the schedule: Date Title Director Moon Sori 17 January The President’s Barber Lim Chan-sang 31 January A Good Lawyer’s Wife Im Sang-soo 14 February … [Read More]
Lee Yoon-ki’s My Dear Enemy screens at the KCC
There are still seats available for Lee Yoon-ki’s My Dear Enemy (2008) this evening, which comes with LKL’s recommendation. And that’s not just because Cannes best actress winner Jeon Do-yeon is in it. My Dear Enemy (멋진 하루) Director: Lee Yoon-ki Running Time: 123 mins Screening Date: 7pm, 23 August, 2012 Theatre: Multi-Purpose Hall, KCCUK … [Read More]
On rewatching some favourite films: An Affair and Secret Sunshine
Last week, I re-watched two of my all-time favourite Korean films. Or at least, I thought they were. Film number one: E J-yong’s An Affair (1998), which was in the first dozen of Korean films I ever saw. I caught it at the 2001 London Korean Film Festival (yes, there have been Korean Film Festivals … [Read More]
A class apart: why Im Sang-soo loses to Kim Ki-young in the battle of The Housemaids
What really intrigued me about Kim Ki-young’s original Housemaid (1960) was when I read that the female audience were so incensed by the seducing housemaid’s character, that they stood up in cinema auditoriums and shouted: “Kill the wench!” I can’t help but think that a female watching Im Sang-soo’s 2010 remake would remark: “nice house.” … [Read More]
The Chosun Ilbo’s movie popularity poll
Heartened (and puzzled) to see Im Kown-taek as best director in the same poll which has Ha Ji-won most popular actress http://bit.ly/f6zVYN #. “Most popular” stars were Won Bin and Ha Ji-won while the “best” were Song Kang-ho and Jeon Do-yeon. [Read More]
Choi Min-sik season: Happy End screens at the KCC
The Choi Min-sik season continues at the KCC with Happy End this Thursday – a well-regarded film from 1999: 7pm, Thursday 9th December Director: Jung Ji-woon Cast: Choi Min-sik, Jeon Do-yeon Genre: Drama Certificate: 18 (South Korea) Running Time: 99 mins Venue: The Korean Cultural Centre UK Ground Floor, Grand Buildings 1-3 Strand, London WC2N … [Read More]
The Harmonium In My Memory (내 마음의 풍금, 1999) review: first love, music and long summers
Set in 1960s rural Korea, this coming-of-age romance explores a tender love triangle between a young teacher, his colleague and a schoolgirl discovering first love through her journal. At the same time sad, funny, moving and uplifting, The Harmonium In My Memory is what everyone’s first love should be. [Read More]
My Dear Enemy (멋진 하루, 2008) review: a subtle character study straddling the line between drama and rom-com
Initially appearing to be a quirky “road movie”, My Dear Enemy ultimately proves itself to be an uplifting and multi-layered character study. Contrasting material poverty with spiritual richness, and with subtle direction and believable chemistry between lead actors, this is an engaging and gently gripping film from beginning to end [Read More]
My Mother The Mermaid (인어공주, 2004) review: a lyrical dedication to motherhood
A reluctant daughter is transported to her parents’ past, where witnessing her mother’s youth reshapes long-held resentment into empathy. Featuring masterful dual performances by Jeon Do-yeon, My Mother The Mermaid is a simple story, beautifully conceived. Dedicated “To mother”, it, in fact, stands as a dedication to motherhood itself. [Read More]