The black comedy Driving With My Wife's Lover , a Japanese-Korean co-production directed by Kim Tae-sik [김태식], promises to offer a refreshing change of pace from Chungmuro's surfeit of gangster films, melodramas and comedies and this summer's onslaught of mediocre horror films. A cuckolded husband travels to Seoul to confront the taxi driver who slept with his wife, hiring the cab for a long, tension-filled ride back to his hometown. Along the way, as the cabbie and the husband become involved in a frank discussion of the opposite sex, the latter's resolve appears to falter and the viewer is left to ponder whether he will fulfill his vengeful deed. Filled with dark humor, elegantly shot and graced with impeccable performances, Driving With My Wife's Lover is a meticulously crafted examination of human behavior. The film's gestation was beset by difficulties. In an interview with Filmmaker Magazine coinciding with the film's screening at Sundance, director Kim Tae-sik spoke openly about the obstacles involved in the making of the film. KOFIC had promised to provide half the funding with a Japanese firm putting up the remainder, but during shooting, the Japanese producer, strapped for cash, halved its contribution, completely disrupting Kim's schedule and sinking the director heavily into debt. During editing of the film, because of insufficient scenes and logistical problems during filming, post-production was chaotic. While this is Kim's directorial debut, he is hardly a new kid on the block. Kim studied film at the Seoul Institute of the Arts and finished his courses at the Japan Academy of Moving Images in 1986. He proceeded to produce commercials and TV programs in Japan, Australia and Hong Kong before debuting as assistant director in Park Chul-soo's Kazoku Cinema (1998). His short film, 32nd Dec.: Where is Mr. President? (2002), screened at the 53rd Berlin International Film Festival. Driving With My Wife's Lover has screened at a number of international film festivals: in October of last year in the "New Currents" category at the 11th Pusan International Film Festival, in the "World Cinema Competition: Dramatic Section" at the Sundance Film Festival (2007), and in the "Films of the Future" section at the Rotterdam festival. It is also a candidate for the Nat Film Festival in Denmark, and will be invited to the 9th Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival and the 14th Budapest International Film Festival. Driving With My Wife's Lover opens in local theatres April 26.
Cast: Park Gwang-Jeong [박광정] (Iron Palm, A Petal), Jeong Bosuk [정보석] (Everybody Has Secrets), Jo Eun-Ji [조은지] (The President's Last Bang), Kim Seong-Mi [김성미], Yu Yeon-Su [유연수], Oh Dal-Su [오달수]
Composer: Jeong Yong-jin [정용진]
Script: Kim Tae-Shik [김태식], Kim Jeon-Han [김전한]
Review (Variety)
Posters, Photos, Production Shots
[Source: KOFIC, KBS World, Koreanfilm.org, Filmmaker magazine]