Ha Jung-woo's Movie Picks

Ha Jung-woo has eyes full of compassion. In “The Unforgiven”, which took him to the red carpet in Cannes, [Jung’s character] army sergeant Tae-jung beats up a rookie soldier. In “The Fox Family”, he was a fox who ate human liver. Even in those scenes, he clearly had compassionate eyes. The same could be said in the case of “The Chaser”, when he played a psychopath one might fear running into at night. Inside the empty eyes of the killer, who was looking at a woman soaked in blood and shaking in fear, one could see the sympathetic confusion that seemed to say, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’ This actor makes the audience look for his characters, even when from a standpoint of good and evil, his roles are clearly a notch closer to evil. It is needless to say he does the same thing again when playing Byeong-woon, a crafty character in “My Dear Enemy” who borrows money from women, and a male gigolo in “The Moonlight of Seoul” who steals money from a girlfriend and buys shoes at duty free shop.

This is all because Ha Jung-woo has no academic or standardized body language even though he majored in drama in college and was in theater for a long time. “When I did theater, people often pointed out that I looked uneasy or that I wasn’t doing theater acting. But at one point, I started thinking about what I do well, such as my strengths, the reaction from the audience and which kind of roles I empathized best with. I think that was how I was able to be free of bad acting styles or habits even though I was in theater for eight years.” He is the kind of actor that is hard to dislike, even when he is playing a serial killer. It is because he does not make calculated moves when acting, such as deciding when to give a stare or when to drop a tear from his left eye. In every moment, he is simply Ha Jung-woo. And here, the actor himself introduces a list of movies that stars his favorite actors, while trying his "best to avoid the typical movies or ones other people have already mentioned," he says.

1. “Donnie Brasco” (1998, directed by Mike Newell)

“Johnny Depp was incredible, and needless to say, Al Pacino too. Johnny Depp seems to have his own clear belief in choosing films. He will make a fool of himself appearing in a movie like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” but will also be strong in traditional dramas like “Donnie Brasco.” And I think his true personality also shows well in “Chocolate”. He plays a free-spirited gypsy, and that is Johnny Depp, someone who is free and knows what he believes in.”

Mafia middleman Lefty, played by Al Pacino, and undercover FBI agent Donnie accidentally befriend each other, acting like father and son. They fix cars together, share Christmas dinners and experience friendship, an unlikely emotion, at cutthroat criminal sites where one has to mortgage his own life. And that is where all the tragedy begins. Lefty, who is stronger than anyone on the streets, wears sweat suits and watched animal documentaries. True, he is a criminal but one who makes us feel compassion for him.

2. “Love Affair” (1994, directed by Glenn Gordon Caron)

“Warren Beatty and Annette Bening were a fantastic ensemble. It’s an incredibly well-made movie. It was impressive how Warren Beatty portrayed a classy womanizer with restrained acting. As their romance begins, the movies starts diffusing this pure romantic energy toward one woman, and wow, seriously! I'm a big fan of melodramas and Warren Beatty has the power to make any role he plays adorable and lovable.”

The third remake of the 1939 and 1957 version of the film. Thanks to the mellow music by Ennio Morricone and the perfect chemistry between the two stars, “Love Affair” is considered one the best amongst the remakes. Mike (played by Warren Beatty) and Terry (played by Annette Bening), both in a relationship, become destined to fall in love when their plane makes an emergency landing. Their love in romantic settings -- a plane, a ship and Tahiti Island -- make us feel more than just romance; it makes us cry to the end. The movie stars Beatty and Bening, who got married in real-life, Katharine Hepburn as Mike’s wise aunt and Pierce Brosnan.

3. “How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days” (2003, directed by Donald Petrie)

"Matthew McConaughey is really adorable and cool in this film. And Kate Hudson is charming, of course. Their chemistry makes the viewers feel good too. To the ending the dramatic tempo is upbeat and all the little episodes within the movie are very cute and lovable. It’s a commercial film but it leaves a lasting feeling instead of feeling you simply consumed it. It’s the kind of movie that makes you feel better after watching."

Andy, played by Kate Hudson, plays a fun romantic game to write an article about being dumped by a boyfriend in ten days, and Benjamin, played by Matthew McConaughey, has to make a woman fall in love with him in ten days. Whether it be screaming in theaters, showing complete disregard for food cooked by your partner, showing up unannounced and causing a raucous at a friends’ get-together, whatever the fuss, the always-lovely Kate Hudson looks as fresh as California sunshine in the film.

4. “Simone, S1m0ne” (2002, directed by Andrew Niccol)

“I think the vibe of the [then] near-sixty-year-old Al Pacino clicked well with the [character] solitary director. Robert De Niro did a lot of light and upbeat movies during his 50s and 60 but Al Pacino still carries the intense emotions and feelings from his younger days. And it was expressed well in “Simone”. When you think of Al Pacino, films like “Godfather”, “Scarface” and “Carlito’s Way” come to mind, but it’s been introduced so many times that you're probably sick of hearing it. I want people to know that he was great even in a movie like 'Simone'". (laugh)

A misfortunate director with the perfect director-esque name, Viktor Taransky (played by Al Pacino) is has a hard time dealing with a tough production crew and a spoiled, uncontrollable actress. Believing that an actor is just an accessory to help realize his artistic visions, Viktor creates cyber actress ‘Simone’ with a computer program he received from a fan. A movie starring Simone becomes a massive hit, but Viktor falls into despair as Simone's popularity increases and people pay less attention to his movies.

5. “Chaplin” (1992, directed by Richard Attenborough)

“’Chaplin’ is one of the top five films of my life. I am a huge fan of Chaplin. So much that I decided to become an actor after watching Chaplin’s movies when I was young. And Robert Downey Jr. played Chaplin with perfection, from the slapstick comedy to Chaplin’s human side. It is impossible to imagine anyone else playing the role other than him. You can see experience both Chaplin and the actor Robert Downey Jr. in this film."

A film that verified Robert Downey Jr.'s skills as an actor again after he had been in and out of rehabilitation as much as Lindsay Lohan. The movie starts with a 70-year-old Charlie Chaplin reflecting back upon his life. Robert Downey Jr. wholly brings Chaplin back to life, portraying his love, the Second World War and his creative activities as a comic actor and director. Downey was nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards for this film in 1993.

Reporter : Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr