Comic vignettes lead to tragedy in the Korean-American actor/director’s fictional reworking of a real 1991 shooting
Justin Chon is the Korean-American actor and comic who had a returning role in the Twilight franchise; he here directs and stars in a punchy, freewheeling movie set around the La riots, shot in black-and-white, with something of Spike Lee’s style. In some ways, it’s a fictional reworking of the real case of Latasha Harlins, an innocent black teenager shot dead by a Korean convenience store owner in Los Angeles about the same time as the Rodney King beating.
Chon plays Eli, a young American-Korean guy who runs a shoe store with his brother Daniel (David So). Kamilla (Simone Baker) is an African-American kid who likes hanging out with them, to the rage of her family and particularly her brother, Keith (Curtiss Cook Jr), who is suspicious of the Koreans. A grumpy convenience store owner,...
Justin Chon is the Korean-American actor and comic who had a returning role in the Twilight franchise; he here directs and stars in a punchy, freewheeling movie set around the La riots, shot in black-and-white, with something of Spike Lee’s style. In some ways, it’s a fictional reworking of the real case of Latasha Harlins, an innocent black teenager shot dead by a Korean convenience store owner in Los Angeles about the same time as the Rodney King beating.
Chon plays Eli, a young American-Korean guy who runs a shoe store with his brother Daniel (David So). Kamilla (Simone Baker) is an African-American kid who likes hanging out with them, to the rage of her family and particularly her brother, Keith (Curtiss Cook Jr), who is suspicious of the Koreans. A grumpy convenience store owner,...
- 3/15/2018
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Set in Los Angeles during the 1992 race riots, Gook – the spellbinding second feature from writer-director Justin Chon, following Man Up – looks at bigotry through the eyes of two Korean brothers caught in the firestorm. Chon, best known as an actor in the Twilight series, plays Eli, who teams with his brother Daniel (David So), a wannabe R&B singer, to run a women's shoe store that their father established on the border of South Central, where the customers are mostly black and Chicano. Eli and Daniel are of the community,...
- 8/25/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Gook Director: Justin Chon Written by: Justin Chon Cast: Justin Chon, Simone Baker, David So, Curtiss Cook Jr., Sang Chon, Ben Munoz, Omono Okojie Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 8/8/17 Opens: August 18, 2017 The pejorative term “gook” was used daily by our servicemen during the Vietnam War. Never mind that the perceived enemy was […]
The post Gook Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Gook Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 8/16/2017
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Gook Trailer and Poster Justin Chon‘s Gook (2017) movie trailer and movie poster star Ben Munoz, Simone Baker, David So, Curtiss Cook, Jr., and Sang Chon. Gook‘s plot synopsis: “Eli and Daniel are two Korean-American brothers who own a struggling shoe store in South Los Angeles and have a unique [...]
Continue reading: Gook (2017) Movie Trailer: Justin Chon’s Award-winning Film About The L.A. Riots...
Continue reading: Gook (2017) Movie Trailer: Justin Chon’s Award-winning Film About The L.A. Riots...
- 7/1/2017
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
The full trailer has arrived for Gook, a drama that studies racial divide and the lines that connect us all. Written and directed by Justin Chon, the film follows two Korean American brothers who own a shoe store and befriend a young African American girl. Everything is smooth until the Rodney King verdict is read, sounding riots and fueling anger in the streets of Los Angeles. With some sharp black and white cinematography and some inspired framing, Gook — which picked up the top award in its Next section at Sundance — looks to be an intriguing and balanced drama.
We said in our Sundance review, “And though Gook is wrapped in this macro-history (televisions and radios play out the verdict in the first act), the narrative stays focused on Eli and his fracturing ties to Daniel and Mr. Kim (Sang Chon), an older Korean storeowner across the street who shares a past with Eli’s family.
We said in our Sundance review, “And though Gook is wrapped in this macro-history (televisions and radios play out the verdict in the first act), the narrative stays focused on Eli and his fracturing ties to Daniel and Mr. Kim (Sang Chon), an older Korean storeowner across the street who shares a past with Eli’s family.
- 6/29/2017
- by Mike Mazzanti
- The Film Stage
"Yo, what does that even mean?" Samuel Goldwyn has debuted a full-length official trailer for the film titled Gook, which is a derogatory slang word in America used to describe Asians. This is yet another excellent trailer to follow-up the first one, making me seriously interested in this. The film is directed by Korean American filmmaker/actor Justin Chon, and is about two Korean American kids living in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. It's set against the backdrop of the infamous L.A. Riots during 1992. Starring Justin Chon and David So, as well as Simone Baker, Curtiss Cook Jr., Sang Chon, Omono Okojie, Ben Munoz, Cesar Garcia, Isaiah Jarel, and Kirlew Vilbon. This first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year, where it won the Audience Award in the low budget Next section. This is worth a look. Watch below. Here's the full official trailer (+ poster) for Justin Chon's Gook,...
- 6/29/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"When hate divides, hope remains." Samuel Goldwyn Films has revealed the first trailer for the film titled Gook, which is a derogatory slang word in America used to describe Asians. The film is directed by Korean American filmmaker/actor Justin Chon, and is about two Korean American kids living in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. It's set against the backdrop of the infamous L.A. Riots during 1992. Starring Justin Chon and David So, as well as Simone Baker, Curtiss Cook Jr., Sang Chon, Omono Okojie, Ben Munoz, Cesar Garcia, Isaiah Jarel, and Kirlew Vilbon. This first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year, where it won the Audience Award in the low budget Next section. This is a very cool first trailer, I dig. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Justin Chon's Gook, in high def on Apple: Eli (Chon) and Daniel (So) are two Korean...
- 4/27/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The provocatively-titled Gook, written and directed by Justin Chon, boasts a solid, socially-minded premise: set at the beginning of the L.A. riots in the spring of 1992, two Korean-American brothers own and run a fledging shoe store while maintaining a somewhat-complicated relationship with a young African-American girl. Chon pulls triple duty, also starring as Eli, older brother to Daniel (David So). Eli constantly pushes for the shoe store to survive, a responsibility handed down to him from their father. Daniel could care less, far more concerned with recording his demo and becoming a R&B star.
Kamilla (Simone Baker) skips school to hang with Eli and Daniel and help in the store, something she keeps from her brother Keith (Curtiss Cook, Jr.), who harbors deep resentment for the brothers. Filmed in black-and-white, Chon’s Diy feature recalls the films of Sundance past. From an aesthetic and setting similar to Kevin Smith...
Kamilla (Simone Baker) skips school to hang with Eli and Daniel and help in the store, something she keeps from her brother Keith (Curtiss Cook, Jr.), who harbors deep resentment for the brothers. Filmed in black-and-white, Chon’s Diy feature recalls the films of Sundance past. From an aesthetic and setting similar to Kevin Smith...
- 2/1/2017
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival is coming to a close with tonight’s awards ceremony. While we’ll have our personal favorites coming early this week, the jury and audience have responded with theirs, topped by Macon Blair‘s I don’t feel at home in this world anymore., which will arrive on Netflix in late February, and the documentary Dina. Check out the full list of winners below see our complete coverage here.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Larry Wilmore to:
Dina / U.S.A. (Directors: Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini) — An eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door-greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Peter Dinklage to:
I don’t feel at home in this world anymore. / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Macon Blair) — When a depressed woman is burglarized, she...
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Larry Wilmore to:
Dina / U.S.A. (Directors: Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini) — An eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door-greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Peter Dinklage to:
I don’t feel at home in this world anymore. / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Macon Blair) — When a depressed woman is burglarized, she...
- 1/29/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
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