(Korean Movies) V.I.P., 2016

Breathtaking tension, unpredictable story
<New World> Director Park Hoon-jung's new ambitious film!
A VIP from North Korea is designated as a suspect in a serial murder case by the NIS and the CIA. <VIP> is a crime film about the story of four men who have different goals, one who wants to hide it, one who wants to catch it, one who wants to get revenge. <VIP>, an ambitious work by director Park Hoon-jung, who wrote the screenplay for <Unfair Transactions> and directed <The New World>, deals with the conflict between national institutions that has grown bigger than the previous films.

If <Unfair Trade> dealt with politics between the police, prosecutors, and the construction mafia, and <New World> was a story about gangsters wearing ties and politics, <VIP> expanded its version further and moved toward politics based on the interests of countries. You could call it a movie. In particular, utilizing the characteristics of a divided country, the conflict over 'planned defectors' between the CIA and the National Intelligence Service, police investigations, transactions with prosecutors, and North Korea's political situation topography were added to create a powerful story. In particular, <VIP> has a different texture from other films because there are no gangsters or gangsters who often appear in crime movies.

Offering a breathtaking tension and unpredictable story throughout the film, <VIP> is a sequel to National Intelligence Service agent Park Jae-hyeok (Jang Dong-gun), National Police Agency detective Chae I-do (Kim Myung-min), security agent Lee Dae-beom (Park Hee-soon) and CIA agent Paul. (Peter Stormare) fights tenaciously over one VIP Kim Kwang-il (Lee Jong-suk). This was backed by a clear and meticulous script by director Park Hoon-jung. In <VIP>, you can't miss every line of a character because they are more than just characters, they represent national institutions. Their lines contain the reasons why VIP Kim Kwang-il should be covered up, why they should be captured, and why they should get revenge. Here, VIP Kim Kwang-il, acting as he pleases as if ridiculing these national institutions, arouses the outrage of the audience.

<VIP>, a movie where you can feel the fun of turning the chapters of a well-crafted novel book one by one, announces the perfect comeback as a storyteller, Park Hoon-Jung's greatest talent in <The New World>.

Jang Dong-gun, Kim Myung-min, Park Hee-soon and Lee Jong-seok
Explosive chemistry of Chungmuro VIP actors
In <VIP>, all the actors who are good at acting who represent Korea are united. Jang Dong-gun, Kim Myung-min, Park Hee-soon, and Lee Jong-suk are expected to overwhelm the audience with their most intense performances in their filmography so far. Director Park Hoon-jung said, "I struggled to cast actors who did not feel like 'acting' when casting. Even if they came to the scene and spoke as if they were breathing, they were actors who would feel like the characters in the scenario.”

First, Jang Dong-gun, who plays the role of Park Jae-hyuk, an agent of the National Intelligence Service, stimulates the audience's sympathy with the appearance of an ordinary office worker struggling to survive in a conservative organization. Jang Dong-gun's effort to look ordinary, a handsome actor representing Korea, was an important point in this acting transformation. Kim Myung-min, who plays the role of Detective Chae-do of the National Police Agency, is full of obsessiveness that doesn't mind any method to catch the criminal. Kim Myung-min's crazy eyes that you see for the first time are the same as Chae-do's character, who is immersed in the case. Park Hee-soon, a security agent who was demoted because of VIP Kim Kwang-il, overwhelms the crowd with eyes like an abandoned hunting dog. The charismatic acting that could not have been digested without Park Hee-soon stands out. Here, Lee Jong-suk foretells the most intense transformation among Korean male actors in their 20s. Lee Jong-suk, who plays the role of Kim Gwang-il, a VIP who neither state nor law can control, has performed variously from North Korean dialect to English acting. The filmography of Lee Jong-suk, who perfectly digested the villain Kim Gwang-il, which he has never seen before, will be divided into before and after <VIP>.

In the movie <VIP>, where each actor's individual charm is integrated with the character, the actors' breathing is also a point of observation that cannot be missed. Due to the nature of the story, all four actors rarely appear in one scene, but the tight tension and strange homogeneity connecting each other shows a new type of breathing. In addition, Lee Jong-suk, who was the youngest actor on the set, did his job perfectly without being pushed by the charisma of his senior actors, thereby enhancing the perfection of <VIP>.

The movie <VIP>, where you can meet the different sides of the four actors we knew, will capture the hearts of the audience on August 24th.

Who is the VIP from North Korea created by the NIS and the CIA?
Dealing with Korea's first 'planned defectors'!
<VIP> is the first film in the history of Korean cinema to deal with 'planned defectors' on the water. The word 'planned defection' is unfamiliar to the people living in Korea, the only divided country in the world. There were quite a few 'planned defectors' until the early 80's and 90's during the Cold War, but it is known that most of the public 'planned defectors' have disappeared recently.

VIP Kim Kwang-il is a person who defected through a joint venture between the US CIA and the Republic of Korea National Intelligence Service, and is treated as a distinguished guest in Korea. The political situation in North Korea during the life of Jang Sung-taek, vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, became the background for the creation of the character. Kim Gwang-il is Jang Song-taek's right-hand man and the son of Kim Mo-sul, a party secretary in Pyongan Province, and is the so-called royal family of North Korea. He is a person who has never bowed down to anyone other than a person with a higher party rank than his father. In addition, Kim Kwang-il, who enjoyed wealth, fame, and the opportunity to study abroad, proves his splendid birth with his dignified appearance and fluent English.

Kim Kwang-il does not show his emotions well and always has a cool or sad expression on his face. Even if he is pointed out as a strong suspect in a serial murder case, the reason no one can touch him is that he is a 'planned defector' who entered South Korea for the needs of the National Intelligence Service and the CIA. Despite ample evidence to arrest Kim Kwang-il as the prime suspect in the murder, the way organizations that value North Korea's high-level information that he knows are what drives the audience to outrage. In addition, VIP Kim Kwang-il, who knows this situation better than anyone else and uses it freely for his own safety, reveals the special situation of the Republic of Korea.

In particular, even the changing actual political topography of North Korea had a profound influence on Kim Kwang-il's character in the film. As such, 'planned defection', introduced for the first time through <VIP>, will give everyone's attention as it provides the fun of changing the version every moment.

Well-made production that adds tension and reality!
Participation of veteran producers representing Korea!
For <VIP>, all the outstanding producers of Chungmuro came together. The site of <VIP> was a site where the collaboration between the staff from <New World> and the new staff was exquisitely done. The main goal of the entire production staff of <VIP> was 'work rooted in reality'.

First of all, cinematographer Kim Young-ho made every effort not to follow the look of existing Korean films. Instead of following the format of a recent flood of crime films, I tried a dry and achromatic look to preserve the reality that <VIP> aims for. A dry and calm angle was more important than a flashy angle because it had to draw a sharp political battle between state institutions.

Background in the movie Among South Korea, North Korea, and Hong Kong, filming in North Korea was a difficult task for the production team. Art director Hwa Seong tried to erase the image of North Korea, which was educated and indoctrinated from an early age. In particular, the space where Kim Kwang-il was located had to be the mother of North Korean high-ranking children, so I completed the space by imagining character warriors that are not shown in the scenario. The art team thought, 'It could be Kim Kwang-il's house, not a villa, a space that looks like his hideout, but there are no traces of him'. Even in the case of a village in Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, or a family home where a murder occurs, art work was needed to support the power of a story that people can relate to rather than a visual shock. Through these works, a space for ordinary people who could be anywhere in North Korea was created.

Director Kwon Soo-kyung chose glasses that could look as ordinary as possible because Agent Park Jae-hyuk, played by Dong-gun Jang, is an office worker-like agent. Kim Myung-min wore little makeup to give off the image of Chae-do, who is obsessed with obsession. Park Hee-soon tried to make a scar on her face to express the power of Lee Dae-beom, who was involved in security. It is safe to say that Lee Jong-suk turned Lee Jong-suk into Kim Kwang-il. He tried to preserve the white and aristocratic atmosphere while leaving the external conditions he had such as tall height, long limbs, and white skin as much as possible. The materials of the royal family abroad were also a good reference.

The unique style of <VIP>, which is based on a reality that is different from the visuals of the overflowing crime films, will be a film that will show director Hoon-Jung Park's clear direction once again after <The New World>.

[ PRODUCTION NOTE ]

1. A crime drama that becomes tense due to the intense emotional clash of the characters
The breathtaking confrontation between the National Intelligence Service, the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Security, and the CIA!
The events of <VIP> are grim, but the characters show a hot emotional clash. Starting from the question, 'What if the VIP from the North is actually a monster?', the dilemma of the characters who believed that they could control them, but in fact, cannot control anything, gives viewers a strong sense of immersion. In particular, the sharp confrontation between a VIP from North Korea, who is designated as a suspect in a serial murder case, and the South Korean National Intelligence Service and the police, North Korean security, and the US CIA creates tension. Director Park Hoon-jung said, "The dynamics of power between national institutions are projected into the characters as they are, and the work was brought out by balancing it."

2. Directing that comes alive with reality
Realization of natural space-time created by the harmony of photography-lighting-art!
The part that director Park Hoon-jung emphasized the most was the 'realism of the story'. All the staff made an effort to put a 'story that could be in reality' on the screen. Cinematographer Kim Young-ho composed a shot that could effectively convey the story rather than an exaggerated screen effect. Instead of controlling the color of the screen while maintaining a cool and dry atmosphere, I focused on the expression of darkness and shadows. Lighting director Hwang Soon-wook emphasized the individuality of each character, so Jang Dong-gun, who conceals the existence of the VIP, is cold, Kim Myung-min and Park Hee-soon, who are chasing the VIP, are rough, and Lee Jong-seok, who is in charge of the VIP, is bright. revealed the difference. Here, art director Harmony Seong completed a natural direction with a space composition faithful to the basics that can reveal the relationships and positions of the characters in the movie. In particular, North Korea is the starting point of all incidents and a space that can show the character of VIP Kim Kwang-il.

3. Fashion with characters alive
Costumes and makeup that give the character's personality and realism!
In <VIP>, fictional characters appear, but as much as characters belonging to real organizations are drawn, there is an effort to preserve reality in costumes and makeup. Costume director Jo Sang-kyung and makeup director Kwon Soo-kyung took on the concept of makeup and costumes that actively utilized the strengths of appearance for Jang Dong-gun, Kim Myung-min, and Park Hee-soon, while Lee Jong-suk hid their original appearance. For Jang Dong-gun, hiding his appearance was the key. He wore iron-rimmed glasses and a neutral-colored suit that did not reveal the lines], and Kim Myung-min, who played the role of Chae Yi-do, wore a large jumper, a checkered shirt, barely combed hair, and a rough skin tone, a fashion that emphasized comfort rather than style. The reality of a detective who only thinks about arresting criminals is maximized. At the same time, Park Hee-soon shows a contrasting charm between the North Korean military uniform, which looks like an operative from the North Korean Ministry of Security, and the everyday clothes that she was reclusive after being demoted. Kim Kwang-il, played by Lee Jong-suk, is a North Korean high-ranking person who mainly worked abroad, and his identity as a North Korean is ambiguous. In North Korea, a high-ranking person who holds both power and wealth with an old-fashioned style such as a light-toned suit and neatly combed hair is exuded. In Korea, he wears plain clothes such as a turtleneck T-shirt or a jumper to reveal the figure of Kim Kwang-il who has melted into Korea.

4. Structured Chapters
Provides cinematic fun as if watching the aftermath of the incident!
<VIP> divides the movie into five chapters, giving you the fun of watching the aftermath of the incident. <VIP> is a movie inspired by incidents and accidents related to North Korea in South Korea. In addition, since the temporal and spatial background of <VIP> is divided into several branches and numerous members appear, it is a work that requires a lot of information to be conveyed. At this time, according to the change of time and space, the chapter is divided to distinguish the change in time and space, and the information of the story is delivered effectively. In particular, by illuminating the characters with their own stories and personalities, such as National Intelligence Service agent Park Jae-hyuk, National Police Agency detective Chae-do, Security Agency agent Lee Dae-beom, and North Korean VIP Kim Kwang-il, by chapter, the character's explanation and four-sided confrontation are highlighted.

5. Optimal Casting
Director Park Hoon-jung's choice to present a new acting style for the actors!
<VIP> will be a movie where you can discover new faces of outstanding actors such as Jang Dong-gun, Kim Myung-min, Park Hee-soon, and Lee Jong-suk. Director Park Hoon-jung said, "I didn't have to act something other than myself, I cast actors who can naturally take out what they are and use them as they are." Here, Lee Jong-suk said, "Director Park Hoon-jung gave me the direction to take a lot of energy, and the key was to tune in from what I calculated at the beginning." Director Park Hoon-jung discovered the cool-headed office worker in the splendid appearance of Jang Dong-gun, Korea's representative star. Chae-do, a police officer with tenacity, with powerful energy and acting skills added to the style of Kim Myung-min, radiates power that seems to be sharper than the existing police characters. In addition, Lee Dae-beom, a security agent who speaks with his eyes rather than words, was played by Park Hee-soon, who has a heavy charisma, so the charm of the character could be maximized. In particular, for Lee Jong-suk, who became the first villain in his life through <VIP>, director Park Hoon-jung ordered a dull reaction and a languid expression to everything that happened before his eyes, not exaggerated acting. By actively utilizing the appearance of a nobleman, he created a new type of villain that is attractive but unknown.

6. Meeting of acting VIPs
Special friendship appearance and passionate performances of supporting actors without acting holes!
In addition to Jang Dong-gun, Kim Myung-min, Park Hee-soon, and Lee Jong-suk, all of the acting VIPs representing Chungmuro appeared in <VIP>. As much as it depicts the conflict of interest of each national institution, the supporting actors you can trust and see fill the scenes, adding to the weight of the film. In particular, Park Seong-woong, who created the all-time character 'Lee Jung-goo' in director Park Hoon-jung's previous work <The New World>, appears in <VIP> as a special point to watch the movie. Park Seong-woong, who director Park Hoon-jung said, “I met you through a special friendship appearance” left a short but strong impression by playing the role of an officer of the National Intelligence Service who became the fuse of the incident by planning the defection of VIP Kim Kwang-il with the CIA in <VIP>. Next, Jo Woo-jin, who has been active in <Inside Men> and <The King>, takes on the role of a prosecutor at the prosecutor's office who helps police Chae-do, and Yoo Jae-myung, who has shown strong charisma in the recently talked about drama [Secret Forest], takes on the role of an executive of the North Korean Ministry of Security. It has a strong supporting line. In addition, even Hollywood actor Peter Stormare willingly appeared in the movie, showing unrivaled charisma, and completed the best VIP performance.