(Korean Movies) The Phone, 2015

“There has never been a movie like this in Korea!”
A dazzling combination of fresh materials and a classic scenario in Chungmuro!
The movie <The Phone> is a chase thriller about a man who receives a phone call from his wife who was murdered a year ago and fights for a single day to save her by undoing the past. The difference between the existing chase thriller and <The Phone> lies in the fresh setting of 'If you connect with your ex-wife on the phone, you can save her'. With the development of technology, the subject of communication that transcends time and space has been used occasionally as an element to add fun to the story, but the interesting subject matter of <The Phone>, which has not been a movie on the subject in Korea, stimulates the curiosity of the audience. There is more anticipation. Such an attempt by <The Phone> seems to be a new pioneering point in the Korean thriller genre, where the subject matter has been repeated to the extent that there is a self-voicing voice saying that it may have fallen into mannerism.

On the other hand, the background of discovering such a fresh material was possible because of the spirit of the new director, backed by solid skills. The thriller genre has produced director Na Hong-jin of <The Chaser>, director Heo Jung of <Hide and Seek>, and director Kim Byeong-woo of <The Terror Live>, so it can be said that it is the entrance to new directors who stand out for their witty directing. Director Kim Bong-joo drew attention in Chungmuro for his detailed expressive power and brilliant setting based on his long field experience. Above all, by using mobile phones as a medium that connects the past and the present, it leads to fun and empathy for all generations by adding ingenious imagination to the background of the present era when the number of mobile phone subscribers exceeds 50 million.

Director Kim Bong-ju said, “I thought that we should not miss the reality of the case beyond the unique subject matter. Only by providing a sense of reality can the audience be immersed in it. We had dozens of meetings with the production team about this,” he said. <The Phone>, which was completed by a solid production team joining the ambitious direction of a new director, foretells an immersive thriller by combining unprecedented materials with realistic expressions. This fall, a chase thriller you've never seen before is born.

[ THE CHOICE ]

“Even if you go back to a year ago, I would choose <The Phone>!”
<Hide and Seek> <Chronicles of Evil> Best box office king Son Hyun-joo,
Trusted and seen actors Uhm Ji-won and Bae Seong-woo
The reason they had no choice but to choose this movie is revealed!
In October, in the chase thriller <The Phone>, which will captivate the Republic of Korea, actors who believe in and watch the best box office king Son Hyeon-joo, Korea's representative actress Uhm Ji-won, and Bae Seong-woo, who is showing the best performances in 2015, will show off their passionate performances.

First, Son Hyeon-joo, who succeeded in hitting the box office with <Hide and Seek> and <Chronicles of Evil>, will go on a streak at the box office. He selected <The Phone> as his next screen project, who gave a deep impression with his deep emotional acting and uncompromising passion for each work. Regarding this, Son Hyun-joo said, "The criteria for selecting a work is entirely the scenario. I read the script of <The Phone> with fresh material and a tense development and decided to appear without hesitation." In addition, "If I had gone back a year ago, I would have chosen <The Phone>," he said. add anticipation

Here, Uhm Ji-won, an actress representing Korea, and Seong-woo Bae, who emerged as a popular actor, joined, completing the strongest casting in Chungmuro. Um Ji-won, who has spread a wide acting spectrum across various genres such as <Theatre> and <Wish>, will show off a fantastic breath with Son Hyun-joo as 'Jo Yeon-soo', the wife of 'Ko Dong-ho' who was killed by a mysterious man. In particular, Uhm Ji-won, who threw out her whole body in the movie, has completed a work that will focus on her filmography as an actress. Uhm Ji-won said, "The screenplay for <The Phone> was very fresh and fun. I don't think there's ever been a story like this in Korea," and left a special impression that "it was more fun because I haven't done a lot of body acting so far," raising expectations for her performance.

And Bae Seong-woo, who is having the busiest year, leads a suspenseful variation in the role of 'Do Jae-hyun', an unidentified suspect. Regarding the reason for choosing <The Phone>, Bae Seong-woo said, "Even though he is a villain, he is an interesting person who has a story that anyone can relate to, so I had fun filming it." Also, he said, "The actors Son Hyeon-joo and Uhm Ji-won received action performances well, so wonderful scenes were born."

Son Hyeon-joo, Uhm Ji-won, and Bae Seong-woo, the movie <The Phone>, which adds texture to the work only by choosing the actors who trust and watch it, will finally be released on October 22nd.

[ THE MISSON ]

“I was thrilled with the passionate performances of the three actors!”
Son Hyeon-joo, a 'husband who has to undo the past' and Um Ji-won, 'wives murdered a year ago',
'Unidentified Suspect' Bae Seong-woo! The three people's sparkly hot performances!
<The Phone> is a film in which the acting combination of three actors, one of the best actors in Chungmuro, stands out. All the actors give a strong sense of immersion to the characters, and the greatest mission ever given to each character captivates the audience with unbelievable tension from start to finish.

Son Hyeon-joo's 'Go Dong-ho', a year after his wife's murder, receives a call from his wife's number and fights for life to save her. Son Hyun-joo, who was portrayed as the representative of the head of the Republic of Korea, captured the desperate feelings with his unrelenting pursuit, action acting and highly immersive acting skills. Director Kim Bong-joo showed deep trust by emphasizing, "The reality of actor Son Hyun-joo has the power to give a sense of reality to any story."

Uhm Ji-won takes on the role of 'Jo Yeon-su', the wife of 'Go Dong-ho', who was murdered a year ago, and a strong woman who throws her body away to protect her family. Through the phone that connects the past and the present, she puts all of her energy into delivering to her husband the decisive evidence that will solve all the cases. In response, Uhm Ji-won is ready to captivate the audience with a different charm that has never been shown before by challenging the daring action acting for the first time in her acting career.

Lastly, 'Do Jae-hyun', played by Bae Seong-woo, is an unknown suspect, a powerful character who puts pressure on the main characters in the past and present and drives them into extreme situations. Bae Seong-woo's weighty vocalizations and his distinctive deep eyes, completed based on rich theater stage experience, catch the eye at once.

As such, <The Phone> unfolds a sense of urgency that is completed by the sum of attractive characters. The passionate performances of the actors who made use of the characters with their different charms are added, heralding the birth of the best chase thriller that will captivate Korea this fall.

[ THE CASTING ]

“Colorful performances by supporting actors that add texture to the film!”
Hwang Seok-jeong, Jo Dal-hwan, and Hwang Bo-ra, actors whose names were engraved in Chungmuro with their overflowing personality!
Even the bold child actor Noh Jeong-eui, the outstanding supporting actors make an outstanding performance!
In <The Phone>, not only Son Hyun-joo, Uhm Ji-won, and Bae Seong-woo, but also individual actors who captivated Chungmuro with their unrivaled charm appeared in large numbers to bring out the texture of acting.

Jo Dal-hwan, who recently caught the audience's attention with his unique charms from <Pirates: Bandits to the Sea>, <The Chamberlain>, <The Technicians>, and <Beauty Inside>, appeared in <The Phone> as Dong-ho's close junior, 'Gyu-su'. ' took on the role. He maintains a close relationship with 'Dong-ho' and is like an uncle who is friendly to his daughter 'Kyung-rim', and has transformed into a reliable person who even takes on the role of a protector in a crisis situation.

Hwang Bo-ra, who takes on the role of 'Hye-jin', a direct junior of 'Dong-ho', shows off the charm of a reversal by playing an easy-going character unlike the roles he has shown so far. In particular, in the scene of the lantern parade, it is expected that Hyejin, a confident female lawyer who works with Son Hyun-joo and is trusted by the shooter, will perform.

Noh Jeong-eui, a child actor who played 'Kyung-rim', the daughter of the 'Go Dong-ho' couple, dominates the screen with a bold performance that is not age-appropriate. Noh Jeong-eui, who has been attracting attention for her resemblance to Park Shin-hye by taking on the child role of Park Shin-hye in SBS [Pinocchio], which aired on the popular SBS [Pinocchio] last year, perfectly digested the role of 'Kyung-rim' in <The Phone>, who does not lose her dignified appearance even in crisis. It is said that he surprised the scene by showing excellent emotional acting that made tears shed in a short time.

Lastly, actor Hwang Seok-jeong gives laughter in the right place as 'Kwang-hyeon', a hometown friend who often helps 'Dong-ho' by running an office that develops various novelties in <The Phone>. Hwang Seok-jeong, who has been performing in many films regardless of genre, has become an irreplaceable actress who captivated screens and CRTs at once by robbing viewers of attention with just a brief appearance in the popular tvN drama [Misaeng].

The in-depth acting of the supporting actors full of personality in the movie <The Phone> will make the movie more enjoyable and captivate the audience's attention.

[ THE CITY ]

“For the first time in the history of filming in Korea! Controlling the lantern festival in downtown Seoul”
30,000 spectators, 200 auxiliary performers, 4 months of preparation period!
A real urban chase thriller that crosses Gwanghwamun-Cheonggyecheon-Euljiro!
Most of the scenes in <The Phone> were filmed in the middle of downtown Seoul, completing a more realistic and thrilling chase. From the subway that we use every day, to Gwanghwamun, Cheonggyecheon, Gangnam-daero, and other everyday spaces that we have seen often around, in an instant, it is completely transformed into the background of a thriller full of tension.

In particular, the scene of the lantern parade, which the actors and producers of <The Phone> agrees to consider as the best scene, is the highlight of the movie and a point to watch that should not be missed. The crowds that filled downtown Seoul and the colorful lights of the lotus lantern procession make the screen full of spectacle. The scene of 'Go Dong-ho (Son Hyun-joo)' chasing a suspect against a suspect leads to a world of explosive tension. Cinematographer Kim Young-min said that the focus was on realizing real live action, and that the camera's goal was to follow the main character fiercely through extreme crisis situations with tenacity and speed.

In addition, martial arts director Huh Myung-haeng, who designed the action in <The Phone>, said that he made a meticulous effort to complete the chase scene in the city center connecting Gwanghwamun, Cheonggyecheon, and Euljiro. And the scene where actor Son Hyeon-joo flew under the Cheonggyecheon Bridge on a wire was one of the most unforgettable scenes. In addition, about Son Hyun-joo's action acting, he said, "The biggest advantage is that you can see the action with acting skills because the immersion in the situation is high and the ability to learn action acting is fast." do.

[ PRODUCTION NOTE ]

A thrilling chase action through the city!
The best 3 urban scenes not to be missed, going back and forth between Gangnam and Gangbuk
It is the realistic space-time background that gives persuasiveness and realism to the unique setting of <The Phone>, which depicts a man's struggle to save his wife who was murdered a year ago through a phone connected to the past. By filming most of the main scenes in the middle of the city, going to and from Gangbuk and Gangnam, a more realistic and vivid chase thriller was born.

A large-scale scene with a large water cannon and dozens of vehicles: Gangnam Bangbang Intersection
For the chase scene of Uhm Ji-won, where the dramatic tension is at its peak while it rains all night and desperately moves between the endless queues of taxis, the production team completely controlled the Gangnam Bangbang Intersection and mobilized a large-scale water truck. The rain pouring down like torrential rain and the taxi procession filling the street to the point where you can't see the end visually captures the despair of 'Jo Yeon-soo', adding to the dramatic tension.

Climax of a breathtaking chase: Gangbuk Gwanghwamun – Cheonggyecheon – Jongno
The production team chose downtown Seoul, with an average daily floating population of about 1.5 million, as the background of the battle for the life of 'Dong-Ho Ko'. Such a choice makes the appearance of an ordinary head of the household more convincing and increases the audience's immersion. In order to realize a realistic chase scene with a sense of authenticity, the production team devised innovative methods in various ways. For example, in a narrow alley where the vehicle could not run at speed, Son Hyun-joo rode a bicycle with him using an electric vehicle with good mobility. In the scene of a chase with the round-trip lanes of Cheonggyecheon in between, the screen maximized dynamism was completed by realizing horizontal movement lines and angles with a wire cam. When following Son Hyun-joo, who was sprinting barefoot, the staff pulled the cart with the camera and ran on both feet.

The birthplace of thrilling real chase action: Euljiro Tool Alley, a large multi-story set
The actors of <The Phone> completed the action scene through several rehearsals, matching the movements according to the detailed design of the martial arts team. The action scene of Son Hyun-joo and Bae Seong-woo, filmed in Euljiro Tool Alley, is a scene in which the tension of the movie explodes. In addition, 'Dongho Ko''s house, where the action of the highlight scene unfolds, is a large set with two floors, and by implementing various camera angles and movement lines, dynamic actions can be captured vividly.

Only one shooting opportunity given after a lot of hard work!
A behind-the-scenes story of the lotus procession scene completed with a blow of conversion!
It took four months of hard work by the production team for the filming team to be put into the Lotus Lantern Parade on Buddha's Birthday for the chasing scene of 'Ko Dong-ho', which was held in the midst of a spectacular crowd of 30,000 spectators and colorful lights that filled downtown Seoul. . In order to film in downtown Seoul, including Cheonggyecheon and Gwanghwamun, we met and persuaded Seoul officials related to the location permit several times before we were able to start filming. In fact, an official said that there is no case of filming for a long time since filming was permitted in downtown Seoul, suggesting the spectacular scenery captured in <The Phone>.
In particular, five cameras were put in to quickly finish filming amidst the large crowd of lantern parades, and a total of five teams were operated at the same time, performing the greatest mission ever. In fact, the filming took about 40 minutes, which is not enough to fully capture the pursuit of 'Dong-Ho Ko', so the production team meticulously calculated the movement after several pre-excursions. Despite such thorough preparations and rehearsals, the conditions for shooting a night scene were only 15 minutes in an unexpected situation where the sun did not set during the season. Accordingly, the actors and crew of <The Phone> finished filming with great concentration in a crowded situation that made it difficult to communicate with each other.

The scene of the lotus lantern procession, which was completed after twists and turns, provides an explosive tension and thrill with a great harmony of crowds, colorful lanterns, and the struggle of main actor Son Hyun-joo who does not spare himself. Director Kim Bong-joo also left a humble impression, saying, "From the actors to the youngest staff, they all moved as promised according to their roles, and as a result, I was able to capture the desired pictures as much as possible within the short period of time."