Man on High Heels (Korean: 하이힐; RR: Hai hil; lit. "High Heel") is a 2014 South Korean neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by Jang Jin,[2] starring Cha Seung-won as a transgender homicide detective.[3][4][5][6][7]
| Man on High Heels | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jang Jin |
| Written by | Jang Jin |
| Produced by | Jang Jin |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Lee Seong-jae |
| Edited by | Jang Jin Yang Dong-yeop |
| Music by | Kim Jung-woo |
Production company | Jangcha & Co. |
| Distributed by | Lotte Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 124 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$2.5 million[1] |
Plot edit
Yoon Ji-wook is a hard-as-nails homicide detective known for his undisputed ability to nab violent criminals. He is revered as a legend in the police force and at the same time feared among the mafia for his brutality in cracking down on crime. Yet, beneath his cool, macho appearance lies a secret that he must hide from the world he lives in. Ji-wook was born male, and he has wanted to live his life as a woman since his teenage years. He tries to suppress this inner desire, but in vain. Ji-wook finally reaches the point where he can no longer hide who he truly is, and decides to take the plunge and get a gender affirmation operation. However, before he has a chance to do so, unexpected crises arise and interfere with his plans. A gang that suffered from the cold, hard steel of Ji-wook's handcuffs is dead set on getting their revenge against him. Ji-wook resigns and tries to go about making his dream a reality, but people close to him gets sucked into the revenge plot he finds himself at the center of. When some of those people get killed and a girl named Jang-mi falls into danger, he realizes that he can't stand idly by any longer.[8][9]
Cast edit
- Cha Seung-won as Yoon Ji-wook
- Oh Jung-se as Heo Gon
- Esom as Jang-mi
- Song Young-chang as Heo Bul
- Kim Eung-soo as Squad leader Park
- Ahn Gil-kang as Master Park
- Go Kyung-pyo as Kim Jin-woo
- Lee Yong-nyeo as Bada
- Lee El as Do Do
- Kim Min-kyo as Man 1
- Min Jun-ho as accountant
- Kim Ye-won as Jung Yoo-ri
- Lee Eon-jeong as Joo-yeon
- Oh Ji-ho as Lee Seok
- Park Sung-woong as Prosecutor Hong
- Yoon Son-ha as Jung Yoo-jung
- Lee Moon-soo as taxi driver
- Kim Byeong-ok as Dr. Jin
- Lee Hae-young as immigration staff member
- Kim Won-hae as elevator resident
- Lee Dong Gil as young Jiwook
Box office edit
Man on High Heels was released in South Korea on June 4, 2014. Despite its star director and actor, the film underperformed at the box office against Hollywood blockbusters X-Men: Days of Future Past and Edge of Tomorrow. It opened at sixth place on the box office, drawing 338,663 admissions.[10][11]
Awards edit
| Award | Year | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8th Festival International Du Film Policier Du Beaune | 2016 | Grand Prix | Man on High Heels | Won |
References edit
- ^ "High Heel (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
- ^ Jin, Eun-soo (2 June 2014). "Gender focus of noir film". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
- ^ Lee, Cory (6 March 2013). "Cha Seung-won to Turn Detective in New Movie". TenAsia. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
- ^ Lee, Sun-min (7 March 2013). "Cha Seung-won to return to theaters in High Heels". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
- ^ Kim, Hee-eun (18 April 2014). "King of rom-com abandons image". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
- ^ Lee, So-dam (12 May 2014). "Cha Seung Won Shares on Competing with Jang Dong Gun's Movie with Highheel". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
- ^ Chung, Joo-won (29 May 2014). "Still cuts show Cha Seung-won garnered as woman in High Heel (2014)". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
- ^ Ji, Yong-jin (25 April 2013). "Charming and Addictive Korean Films: Action drama in a unique style - High Heel (working title)". Korean Cinema Today. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
- ^ Conran, Pierce (2 May 2014). "Man on High Heels". Korean Cinema Today. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
- ^ Ha, Sung-tae (16 June 2014). "Box Office: May 29 - June 11, 2014". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
- ^ Baek, Byung-yeul (22 June 2014). "A Hard Day defies predictions at the box office". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
