Predictably, the Korean media is going ga-ga over Jeon Do-hyun after she won the best actress award at Cannes for her portrayal of grieving mother in the movie "Secret Sunshine."
I'm not going to add to the hyperbole (especially since I haven't seen the movie), but suffice to say she's far and away the best Korean actress working now. She has been for some time, in my opinion.
Watch her throw it down in "Happy End" as an unhappy housewife or as an innocent schoolgirl in "Harmonium in My Memory." She was the only reason to watch "My Mother, the Mermaid."
She's made some clunkers, including the sappy (and inanely titled) "You Are My Sunshine," the overrated "Untold Scandal," and the immature "Contact." But she's a standout even in those movies.
Not blessed with the classic Korean beauty, she and her abilities make you wonder why Korean directors can't harness more from her acting contemporaries. Good actors are out there in Korea. You just can't find many of them in movies.
Oh...now that I'm a dad, I don't think I can bear to watch "Secret Sunshine." I'll settle for reading the glowing reviews trickling out of international media.
- Roger in DC
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