Koo Hye-sun's Movie Picks

Published on 2010/07/06 | Source

Actress Koo Hye-sun [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

"I had to pay attention to everything, take responsibility for everything, and I was able to show the pictures, music and story I like all at once, but what was most important was that I wasn't doing it alone. Drawing or writing you may do alone a lot but you need many people to make a movie. Eighty people coming together to produce a single product -- I think that is what's most attractive about movies. I could have never done it alone. I was able to get a better outcome than I had expected to because I did it with them".

Honestly, there was a time I considered half of Koo Hye-sun's numerous activities, such as holding a gallery exhibition or publishing her novel "Tango", an expression of her overly strong sense of identity. The illustrations, composed of lines free of command, were interesting and some of the phrases in her novel were strikingly moving but it is true that they were regarded as childish and impulsive moves made by a young actress. No, that is how I may have been trying to see her. That is why it was worrisome seeing her approach the public this time as the director for film "Magic - 2010". A film, furthermore a feature, may be too large of an endeavor for Koo to take on with her artistic sense of identity. But she responded that the charm of working on a movie comes from cooperating with the numerous members of the crew -- that a film can only be produced through cooperation.

Koo, who added, "I may have fought with the lighting or arts team but I reflected their opinions into the movie too which is why pictures that go beyond my realm of thought were able to be produced", made her seem like a young woman doing the best with opportunity she has been given, rather than the genius she is so often portrayed as in the media or a stubborn and pretentious actress. Hence, her recommendations for her favorite selection of films starring Julia Roberts may provide a better idea to understanding this actress.

1. "Pretty Woman"
1990 | Garry Marshall
"I think 'Pretty Woman' is a film which satisfied female fantasies, especially of those who are in their teens. Even more so than KBS TV series 'Boys over Flowers' that I was in. (laugh) Her character Vivian does not let go of her pride in front of Edward (played by Richard Gere) even though she's a prostitute. I think that is what's attractive about Julia Roberts. She's feminine but never seems weak. I think her charm to win against a strong-willed and self-righteous man through her warm heart makes this Cinderella story more hopeful".

The movie which placed Julia Roberts onto stardom and the formula to all the Cinderella stories made in Hollywood. Vivian may be from the streets but she is the prototype to the never-before-seen nothing-can-bring-me-down woman who fails to cower to money and the arrogance of the upper class while millionaire "corporate raider" Edward is the prototype to the numerous rich and ruthless businessmen. The structure of this movie in which these two fall in love and wraps up with the man making a wonderful proposal may seem cliche but the stories which work are always cliche.

2. My Best Friend's Wedding
1997 | P.J. Hogan
"I like the sound of Julia Robert's laugh. It's so hopeful, even just the sound and sight of it. She's a beauty but I like how she is far from a femme fatale and instead has a unique unaffected vibe about her, and I think this side to her is shown well in romantic comedies like 'My Best Friend's Wedding' or 'Notting Hill'. Of them, 'My Best Friend's Wedding' is my favorite. I sobbed in the end when she is standing as a bridesmaid at her friend's wedding and says, 'I like you and I love you'. It made me think that love isn't just about having something but also about letting go".

A romantic comedy starring actresses Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz who both have wide smiles. Main character Julianne loves Michael (played by Dermot Mulroney) whom she has remained friends with, but when he falls in love with another woman and prepares to get married to her, she decides to sabotage the wedding. The movie could have easily ended up being about a love triangle or a forced commotion but just like the likeable images the actresses exude, the two reach a heartwarming conclusion where they accept each other. Cameron Diaz in particular shows an energy which fails to diminish in front of Julia Roberts despite her having been a new actress at the time.

3. "Erin Brockovich"
2000 | Steven Soderbergh
"I think this must be the first movie in which Julia Roberts played a dynamic character. And I think there were aspects of that dynamicness that she was able to pull off because she was a female. Maybe the determination of a middle-aged woman? I don't know if it's because I like her but I think she's good at choosing movies that women would enjoy watching. (laugh) She'll be a Cinderella one day and then the assistant of a lawyer who changes the world by standing by the weak another day. Of course, it is the unique power that Julia Roberts has as an actress which makes the audience become immersed in the story".

The movie which proved that Julia Roberts is not just a star but a mega-star with her 20 million dollar paycheck. Her character Erin Brockovich, based on a real-life character, is far from being an accomplished person yet she has a mind sharp enough to disclose the truth from the smallest piece of evidence and a will strong enough to argue for what she believes in. Her acting, which exquisitely fuses together a widow's instinct for survival as a mother of three and her personality which remains upright in front of a large company, was enough to lead the entire story and the Oscar's responded to her with a best actress award.

4. "Closer"
2004 | Mike Nichols
"I think this was probably the driest movie Julia Roberts starred in. And I may be jumping to conclusions but it seemed like she chose this movie because she wanted to show a more realistic movie to the audience rather than a more dramatic movie containing a Cinderella story or a romantic comedy. The movie itself was really good but I think I was drawn to it even more because of the fact that she chose it. And I think that's also why I became more absorbed with the movie, wondering whether one should love or not".

The romantic comedies that Julia Roberts stars in, no, most love stories, either end with the love coming true or not. The reason "Closer" is stunning is because it talks about how there is no conclusion to love. Two men and two women, including Anna (played by Julia Roberts), feel love but break up after, then meet again and break up again. What is proven through this process is that one cannot fix their emotions in a state of being in love by just saying so. That is why this movie is both about love but also the lack of it. That is why it is stunning.

5. "Mona Lisa Smile"
2003 | Mike Newell
"In terms of time, this film came out before 'Closer' but I personally think this helped me to overcome the brittle feeling I got from 'Closer'. Julia Roberts plays the role of the forward-looking and free-spirited teacher Katherine who appears in times when education for women is aimed at teaching them to become good wives. It may be a form of feminism but it's ultimately about learning how to love yourself. And in a way, I think that showed something beyond the emptiness shown in 'Closer'. That's why I got goosebumps watching how her students chased after her on their bikes when she was leaving the school".

There was such a time in the west too -- a time when the goal of a pretty, smart and well-raised woman was to get married to a good household. That is why "Mona Lisa Smile", about a teacher who embeds new values into her students, is a predictable yet good movie. We were able to fully predict this story because it is from the past -- there is a university which believes the best virtues to teach its students are about household chores and elegant etiquette, Katherine (played by Julia Roberts) expresses hostility toward this, and the students eventually open up to Katherine and work toward finding their own lives. But one cannot denounce this movie because the courage these women sum up to overcome those times is valuable even till today.