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▲ This photo, provided by Plus M Entertainment, shows poster of upcoming film 'Dream.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Director Lee Byung-hun greets at a press conference of the movie 'Dream' held at Megabox COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, April. 18 (Yonhap) -- Is this a comedy or a sports drama.
Director Lee Byung-hun's new film "Dream" can be somewhat disappointing if the audience expects Lee Byung-hun's comedy.
It is completely different from his previous work, "Extreme Job" (2019), which made people laugh for two hours with his lines. Rather, it is more like a sports drama such as “Take Off” (2009), which poured out in the late 2000s that touched the emotions of the audience.
The setting based on the true story of homeless people participating in the Homeless World Cup is also similar to the "movie of the time" in which disorderly players gather and become a team.
The person who leads the team in "Dream" is Hongdae (Park Seo-jun), a former professional soccer player. Documentary director Somin (IU) films him coaching amateur players and taking them to the World Cup.
The two have no interest in winning. Hongdae is desperate for money, and Somin is desperate for box office success, so they join the project. Perhaps that's why Hongdae follows Somin without hesitation even if she sets up a team with people with plausible story rather than their skills.
However, because the stories are obvious, it is not touching. The head of a family who was drunk and abandoned his wife and children when he was young and cannot go back because he failed in business, the middle-aged man who guaranteed his friend and got divorced, and the intellectually disabled man who has been searching for his missing first love for years.... It's all people we’ve seen somewhere.
For those who have spent most of their lives in despair, participating in the World Cup becomes a dream. Hongdae and Somin also slowly begin to assimilate into their passion. In particular, Hongdae flies to Hungary, where the World Cup is held, even giving up the opportunity that came to him.
As the latter half of the movie shows the game, it reveals a more explicitly touching code. Overseas supporters who fell in love with the determination of homeless people from Korea shout "Dae Han Min Guk," and a pounding original soundtrack is also played. Unfortunately, however, the emotion does not come naturally.
Some scenes and lines make audience smirk and laugh in the middle. It is also fun to see the sly acting of Park Seo-joon and IU. However, for a movie with a comedy genre, it seems it’s not enough especially for director Lee Byung-hun’s film.
Director Lee said at a press conference after the premiere on Monday, "The Homeless World Cup needed comedy because it could be prejudiced and boring, but the biggest task was to coordinate it because it could not be approached too comically as it deals with the underprivileged."
He explained, "The homeless people who participated in the Homeless World Cup for the first time in Korea in 2010 are lonely, but it is a must-see," adding, "We have made it into a popular movie for many people to see."
The movie is to be released on the 26th.
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Yunhee Cho.)
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