Actor Shin Sae-kyeong's face has once again been touched by the light of the screen. Even between the weighty two men Zo In-sung and Park Jeongmin, her presence shines more distinctly.
'Humint' (director Ryu Seung-wan, presented/distributed by NEW, produced by Ouyunaegang) is an espionage action film set against the cold backdrop of Vladivostok, where characters with different objectives collide. Shin Sae-kyeong plays Chae Seon-hwa, a North Korean restaurant worker who becomes a humint to survive. At first glance Chae Seon-hwa may appear like a "hostage" placed in the middle of a massive intelligence war, but Chae Seon-hwa is by no means a passive character.
She is precarious. But she is not weak. She is lonely. But she does not break easily. In the film, Chae Seon-hwa is not someone who simply waits to be rescued; she also seeks escape on her own and acts to save those trapped with her. Returning to the screen after 12 years, Shin Sae-kyeong captures this complex grain without exaggeration.
Even between Zo In-sung's weighty physicality and Park Jeongmin's restrained emotional acting, Chae Seon-hwa does not lose her center. Rather, she functions as the emotional driving force that moves the two men. This is proof that she is not merely the object of a melodrama but an axis of the narrative.
In particular, the romance narrative with Park Geon, played by Park Jeongmin, is not explained in detail within the film. The setting that they were once lovers who nearly became engaged remains only implied. Even so, the reason audiences can easily follow the emotional line between the two is that the eyes persuade before the explanations do. Short breaths, hesitant glances, subtly trembling expressions. Shin Sae-kyeong's acting has the power to fill in the blanks.
Above all, Shin Sae-kyeong's visuals on the big screen are another viewing point. She was already beautiful, but 'Humint' captures that face in the most enchanting way. Her mournful beauty contrasting with the cold snowy plain, and the resolute glint that brushes her eyes are even clearer on the theater screen. The fact that viewers can fully enjoy the face of an actress returning to the screen after a long time is also a joy this film offers.
This winter at the box office, a film that once again carves the name Shin Sae-kyeong onto the screen. 'Humint' is currently showing in theaters nationwide.<
[Photo] Presented by NEW
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