Summary
I Can Speak is a 2017 South Korean comedy-drama film based on a true story of comfort women directed by Kim Hyun-seok and distributed by Lotte Entertainment.[2] The genre of the film are both comedy and drama. The film depicts the story of the resolution of conviction for “comfort women” (HR121) of the Japanese military in 2007. Though the film is a comedy, the genre serves as a vehicle to discuss the deeper topic of Korean comfort women.[citation needed] The way that film illustrated Na Ok-Bun's enterprising attitude of her life and her courageously testifying in front of the whole world were applauded. The film stars Na Moon-hee as Na Ok-Bun, with Lee Je-hoon as Park Min-Jae. The scene of Na Ok-Bun's testimony to the United States Congress was filmed at the Capitol Building of Virginia, in the city of Richmond.
| I Can Speak | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 아이 캔 스피크 |
| Revised Romanization | Ai Kaen Seupikeu |
| Directed by | Kim Hyun-seok |
| Written by | Yoo Seung-hee |
| Produced by | Lee Ha-young |
| Starring | Na Moon-hee Lee Je-hoon |
| Cinematography | You Yok |
| Edited by | Kim Sang-bum Kim Jae-bum |
| Music by | Lee Dong-joon |
Production companies | Myung Films See Sun |
| Distributed by | Lotte Entertainment Little Big Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 119 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Languages | Korean English |
| Box office | US$23.3 million[1] |
Plot edit
Nah Ok-Bun is an elderly woman who is notorious for filing citizen's complaint at her district office and is nicknamed "Goblin Granny". When Ok-Bun meets Park Min Jae, a young man who has recently been appointed as a junior civil service officer, she is dissatisfied with his attitude of not caring about her complaints and only trying to do the jobs that are assigned to him.
But there is an opportunity for these two as Ok-Bun wants to learn English. The senior class run by the local resident center does not fit her level, and the class at the English academy is too fast-paced and so she is eventually kicked out of the class. Ok-Bun sees Min Jae speaking English very fluently with a native speaker in the academy. Forgetting all the troubles she had with Min Jae, Ok-Bun asks Min Jae to teach her English. Min Jae refuses Ok-Bun's request because he does not want to take on the troublesome role. When Min Jae sees Ok-Bun taking care of his younger brother, Young Jae, he is moved by her warmth and agrees to become her English teacher. Min Jae teaches Ok-Bun and Ok-Bun's English improves.
Min Jae learns that Ok-Bun wishes to learn English to continue her friend Jeong-Shim's dream of testifying at the comfort women public hearing in Washington D.C. Ok-Bun and Jeong-Shim were both victims of the Japanese Military during World War II. Although Ok-Bun has prepared what to say in the public hearing, she can hardly speak as she is overwhelmed by the pressure she feels in the unfamiliar surroundings. When people start to question Ok-Bun's behavior, she hears and sees Min Jae in the audience which gives her the courage to testify against the atrocities of the Japanese Military.
Cast edit
Main edit
- Na Moon-hee as Na Ok-Bun
- Choi Soo-in as young Na Ok-Bun
- A frequent trouble making visitor at the local public government office who has filed over 8,000 civil complaints.[3]
- Lee Je-hoon as Park Min-jae
- A ninth-level civil servant who befriends Na Ok-Bun and teaches her English
Supporting edit
- Yeom Hye-ran as Woman from Jinju
- Lee Sang-hee as Hye-jung
- Son Sook as Jung-sim
- Lee Jae-in as young Jung-sim
- Kim So-jin as Geum-joo
- Park Chul-min as Team leader Yang
- Jung Yeon-joo as A-young
- Lee Ji-hoon as Jong-hyun
- Lee Dae-yeon as Borough chief
- Sung Yu-bin as Park Young-jae
- Woo Ji-hyun as Public service employee
Reception edit
I Can Speak was released in theaters in Korea on September 21, 2017. On its opening weekend it topped the local box office, grossing US$5.2 million from 727,000 admissions over four days.[4][5] By September 29, 2017, the film had surpassed the 1 million viewer mark and collected a total of US$8.1 million in ticket sales.[6] During the Korean Chuseok holiday weekend, the movie attracted 462,939 viewers,[7] increasing the total number of ticket sale to 2.86 million.[8] According to the Korean Film Council, just twenty days after its release, I Can Speak had attracted 3 million viewers.[9]
The film has won the prize for the “Comfort Women” victim scenario project which was sponsored by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. It was selected through a competition rate of 75: 1. The film was praised for its lively approach to the issue of comfort women which is based on anger and sadness. It was also selected for family film production support of Korean Film Council.
Awards and nominations edit
| Award ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st The Seoul Awards | Best Actress | Na Moon-hee | Won | [10][11] |
| Best New Actress | Lee Sang-hee | Nominated | ||
| 11th Asia Pacific Screen Awards | Best Actress | Na Moon-hee | Nominated | [12] |
| 37th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Best Actress | Won | [13][14] | |
| Top 10 Films of the Year | I Can Speak | Won | ||
| 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Director | Kim Hyun-seok | Won | [15] |
| Best Leading Actress | Na Moon-hee | Won | ||
| Popular Star Award | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Yeom Hye-ran | Nominated | ||
| 17th Director's Cut Awards | Films of the Year | I Can Speak | Won | [16] |
| Best Actress | Na Moon-hee | Won | ||
| 4th Korean Film Producers Association Awards | Won | |||
| 18th Women in Film Korea Awards | Woman in Film of the Year | Won | ||
| Cine 21 Awards | Best Director | Kim Hyun-seok | Won | |
| Best Actress | Na Moon-hee | Won | ||
| 9th KOFRA Film Awards | Won | [17] | ||
| 54th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actress | Won | [18][19] | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Yeom Hye-ran | Nominated | ||
| 23rd Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Screenplay | Yoo Seung-hee | Nominated | [20] |
| Best Actress | Na Moon-hee | Nominated | ||
| 27th Buil Film Awards | Nominated | [21] | ||
| Best Screenplay | Yoo Seung-hee | Nominated | ||
| 55th Grand Bell Awards | Nominated | [22] | ||
| Best Actress | Na Moon-hee | Won | ||
| 1st Resistance Film Festival in Korea | Best Actor | Lee Je-hoon | Won | [23] |
References edit
- ^ "I Can Speak (2017)". koreanfilm.or.kr. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "'아이 캔 스피크' 할머니 트럼프가 다가가서 포옹". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2018-12-10.
- ^ Ji Min-kyung (August 9, 2017). "[Oh!쎈 컷] '아이캔스피크' 이제훈, 9급공무원 변신 "따뜻한 행복 드리고파"". OSEN (in Korean). Retrieved 2017-08-14.
- ^ "Korea Box Office: 'I Can Speak' Leads Weekend". Variety. September 25, 2017.
- ^ "Korean comedy-drama 'I Can Speak' rules weekend box office". Yonhap News Agency. September 25, 2017.
- ^ Jung Sun Park (September 29, 2017). "[박스오피스IS] '킹스맨2' 압도적 1위..'아이캔스피크' 110만 돌파 '선전'". JTBC (in Korean).
- ^ Shim Sun-ah (October 9, 2017). "'The Fortress' narrowly wins Chuseok weekend box office over 'The Outlaws'". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
- ^ Kim Jae-heun (October 9, 2017). "'Outlaws' breaks through to top Korean box office". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
- ^ "Comedy-drama 'I Can Speak' hurtles past 3 mln attendance mark". Yonhap News Agency. October 11, 2017. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
- ^ Jung Da-hoon (28 September 2017). "'제1회 더 서울어워즈' 노미네이트 공개, 이보영 지성 김희선 조승우 등 화려한 라인업 공개". SE Daily (in Korean).
- ^ "'서울어워즈' 송강호·나문희·지성·박보영 주연상…·'박열'·'비숲' 대상[종합]". TV Report (in Korean). October 27, 2017.
- ^ M. H. Lee (16 October 2017). "Comfort Woman Movie 'I Can Speak' Receives Award Nomination". Korea Bizwire. Retrieved 2017-10-17.
- ^ "설경구X나문희 영평상 남녀주연상…작품상 '남한산성' 4관왕[공식]" (in Korean). 26 October 2017. Retrieved 2017-10-26.
- ^ "THE FORTRESS Dominates 37th Korean Film Critics Association Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone. 30 October 2017.
- ^ "[공식입장] '제38회 청룡영화상' 후보 공개, '불한당'vs'택시' 대격돌" (in Korean). Sports Chosun. 2017-11-06.
- ^ "[공식]봉준호·설경구·나문희, 디렉터스컷 어워즈 선정 '올해의 감독·배우상'". Chosun (in Korean). 20 July 2020.
- ^ "'1987' chosen by film reporters as the best film of 2017". Yonhap News Agency. January 30, 2018.
- ^ "제54회 백상예술대상, TV·영화 각 부문별 수상 후보자 공개". JTBC (in Korean). April 6, 2018.
- ^ "[2018 백상예술대상 종합] tvN '비밀의 숲'·영화 '1987' 대상 영예+3·4관왕". Osen (in Korean). May 4, 2018.
- ^ "제23회 춘사영화제 5월18일 개최..홍상수·김민희 참석하나". Newsen (in Korean). May 3, 2018.
- ^ "[23회 부산국제영화제] 부일영화상". Busan Ilbo (in Korean). 20 September 2018.
- ^ "제55회 대종상, 각 부문 후보 공개…'공작' 12개 최다부문 노미네이트". Seoul Sports (in Korean). 21 September 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
- ^ "이제훈·최희서 등 2018레지스탕스영화제 수상". Naver (in Korean). 4 September 2018.
External links edit
- I Can Speak at HanCinema
- I Can Speak at IMDb
- I Can Speak at the Korean Movie Database
- I Can Speak Review on YBMW
