Choi Jung-yoon joins Kim Seung-woo in thriller

6 October 23, 2010October 23, 2010

by javabeans

Actress Choi Jung-yoon (Smile, Bad Couple, Attic Cat) is heading back to the big screen for the first time in four years, co-starring with IRIS’s Kim Seung-woo in the movie His Counterattack [놈의 역습], described as a “human thriller.”

The film unfolds as the main character, to be played by Sohn Byung-ho (Giant’s construction company president Hong), is falsely charged with murder by a corrupt detective, who will be played (brilliantly, I anticipate) by Kim Seung-woo. After clearing his name, Sohn faces that detective in a “desperate confrontation” that plays out themes of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Choi Jung-yoon plays the coordinator of organ transplants at a hospital, and said, “I’m happy to be acting with an excellent director and sunbaes Kim Seung-woo and Sohn Byung-ho. I think actors always have to be able to show transformations in their performances. I’ll put everything I have into this ‘Soo-kyung’ character, so I hope that you will watch with interest.”

The film comes from Jeon Man-bae, who is directing his first movie in eight years, since 2002’s The Romantic President (starring Choi Ji-woo and Ahn Sung-ki).

Frankly you don’t hear much about Choi Jung-yoon, which is too bad since I like her bubbly energy. Admittedly I think career trajectory is really about careful project selection, and she’s been hit or miss, but when she’s on, she can be wonderfully sensitive. I particularly loved her plucky-but-vulnerable turn as a gold-medalist archer in Taereung National Village, who was wrought with doubts of whether her time had passed.

As for this film, I expect Kim Seung-woo to kill it as the corrupt villain, which seems right up his alley. His Counterattack wrapped filming just this week, on October 22, and will be entering post-production work for an early 2011 release.

Kim Seung-woo