Song Kang-ho and Im Shi-wan in The Attorney

16 December 23, 2013December 23, 2013

by girlfriday

And another Song Kang-ho film takes the box office. Here’s a peek at the new movie The Attorney that opened in first place with 1.7 million tickets sold this past weekend, about a tax lawyer who ends up taking on a human rights case when a student activist (played by Im Shi-wan) gets unfairly jailed and tortured. The feel-good human drama is being called the next Miracle in Cell No. 7, which can only mean good things.

The film is set in 1980 Busan, and Song Kang-ho stars as self-made man who becomes a lawyer with zero connections and prospects. While he’s poor and struggling, he frequents a small family-owned restaurant run by a mother (Kim Young-ae) and her son (Im Shi-wan). The son is especially kind to the ajusshi and lets him eat for free when he has no money, which he promises to repay someday. The lawyer eventually chooses to practice tax law because it’ll bring in the best income, and along with partner Oh Dal-soo, he creates a booming law practice.

One day that restaurant owner comes to him knowing that he’s a lawyer of some sort, and asks him to help with her son, a student activist who’s been unfairly arrested without cause. (This is around the time of the Gwangju Massacre, when political tensions are at their worst and student activists treated like enemies of the state.) He agrees to at least accompany her to the prison to visit the boy, but is horrified to find that he’s being tortured.

So the tax lawyer takes on a human rights case, and the movie follows the characters’ lives as well as the five trials it takes to fight the case in court. It sounds fantastic, so I’m on pins and needles. I’m all prepared with a fistpump of human triumph and tears of injustice should it all go south.

The Attorney is in theaters now.

Via Cine21

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Tags: Im Shi-wan, Song Kang-ho

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1 krystallis

December 23, 2013 at 2:25 PM

Wow this sounds excellent and heartwarming and I'd love to watch it!
But... Subtitles T__T

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eny

December 23, 2013 at 6:23 PM

myes interesting

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2 cv

December 23, 2013 at 2:34 PM

This looks good. I'll watch when it's subbed and out. ^^

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3 tebz10

December 23, 2013 at 2:58 PM

I keep forgetting that Im Siwan's an idol. He's quite a good actor.

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PollyRose

December 23, 2013 at 4:37 PM

I didn't realize he was an idol until I recently rewatched a Running Man episode with him in it and finally connected the dots that Im Shi-wan the actor was also Im Shi-wan the idol.

While I never finished Moon/Sun, I really enjoyed the child portion and he did a good job with his role. Never occurred to me that he was anything but an actor at the time.

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Rachel

December 24, 2013 at 2:19 AM

I watched him in Equator Man and he was pretty good in that.

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pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉

December 23, 2013 at 6:58 PM

I don't know anything about his group but the two members I have encountered in dramaland (him and Park Hyung-shik of Nine/Heirs) are pretty good actors, they definitely don't fit the (sometimes deserved) stereotype of 'crappy idol actor' at all.

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4 thursdaynexxt

December 23, 2013 at 3:09 PM

Yay!! love me a good underdog movie :)

But five trials?! phew, that's some marathon!! Looks like I'd better prepare the tissues, though...

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5 Elise

December 23, 2013 at 3:26 PM

Nah I dont want another Room #7, Lord knows my tears aint dried yet!

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6 outsider

December 23, 2013 at 5:43 PM

uh oh, another great tear-jerker in our midst. I have to get my tearducts ready then!

glad to see shiwan doing great with his acting career. His early works proved that he's capable of pursuing drama despite his idol background. and now wow, he's working with the Song Kangho. looking forward to his acting career growth!

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7 Allymo

December 23, 2013 at 5:47 PM

This really good and I am a fan of ZE:A and Siwan so I definitely want to see. I know though seeing him tortured or at least the aftermath of it is going to make me cry.

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8 cheekbones

December 23, 2013 at 9:17 PM

I'm keeping my eyes open for this.....

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9 weekwand

December 24, 2013 at 1:47 AM

now i know that 1980 hairstyle in SK is the same with my country's lol
i remember the old photos of my father and my teacher.

i guess it applies in asia..or the world ?!

seeing siwan in bruises is really different with his role in MoonSun or Standby.
maybe i can watch this movie next year since i have no plan to SK this month >,<

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10 tadpole

December 24, 2013 at 3:47 AM

I'm glad Siwan is doing well with his acting career. He's truly one of the better(if not one of the best) idol actors out there. It's nice that most people recognise him for being an actor rather than an idol.

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11 young29

December 24, 2013 at 5:43 AM

I saw this and it was very good. Song kangho was amazing and Shiwan did an excellent job. Definitely recommend the movie!
Note: this is based on a true story about SK ex-president Roh Moohyun.