CHOI SEUNG HYUN & SHIN SE-GYUNG of ‘Tazza: The High Rollers 2’, Finally Reaping Success in Film? ②
[스타뉴스 김현록 기자] ‘Tazza: The High Rollers 2,’ directed by Gang Hyung-cheol, is soon to be released, 8 years after Director Choi Dong-hoon’s ‘Tazza: The High Rollers’ dominated the box office during the Korean Thanksgiving holidays back in 2006. The lead roles played by Cho Seung-woo and Kim Hye-soo 8 years ago have now gone to T.O.P and Shin Se-gyung.
CHOI SEUNG HYUN, who was first widely known as T.O.P, a member of a Korean boy group BIGBANG, is one of the leading examples of young popular singers to star in movies. He played lead roles in commercial films, such as ‘19’ in 2009, ’71: Into the Fire’ in 2010, and ‘The Commitment’ last year. He is outdoing his peers who start their acting careers by playing supporting roles in commercial films. But apart from the significance of the roles he played in those films, his box-office record has not been very gratifying: while ’71: Into the Fire’ was quite successful, ‘The Commitment’ was rather disappointing.
Shin Se-gyung, a leading actress in her 20s, is active both in films and TV series. Gaining enormous popularity after the 2009 TV Series ‘High Kick through the Roof,’ she played leading roles in a number of TV dramas and commercial films, such as ‘Five Senses of Eros,’ ‘Hindsalt,’ and ‘R2B: Return to Base.’ But ‘Hindsalt’ and ‘R2B,’ where Shin starred as a title role, did not perform very well at the box office. So she is yet to demonstrate her value in film.
Scheduled to premiere on Sep. 3rd, ‘Tazza: The High Rollers 2’ puts CHOI and Shin to the test once again. All eyes are on the box-office performance of this movie, which is targeting the holiday moviegoers based on the success of ‘Tazza’ in 2006. ‘Tazza: The High Rollers 2’ was first unveiled on the 25th of this month at a press preview. And the reviews are good.
CHOI SEUNG HYUN plays the role of an ambitious gambler named Dae-gil, who is caught between Mina (played by Shin Se-gyung), his first love, and Ms. Woo, (played by Lee Ha-nee) a beautiful and rich widow, but relentlessly follows his heart for love. CHOI often played a young and reticent man victimized by violence. But this time, he plays a very competitive and ambitious young man, displaying another persona.
Shin Se-gyung plays the role of an attractive young woman named Mina, who is unexpectedly called upon to a gambling house. Shin, who has an innocent face and curvy figure, capitalizes on this precise image, and her character seems to fit well with the story. The refreshing interplay between CHOI and Shin goes well with the performances of seasoned actors, contributing to differentiating this movie from ‘Tazza’ of 2006.
Distributed by Lotte Entertainment, ‘Tazza: The High Rollers 2’ is a much anticipated Korean film targeting moviegoers during the upcoming holidays along with ‘My Brilliant Life,’ distributed by CJ Entertainment. This movie is an opportunity for CHOI and Shin to demonstrate their value in film, as they have been noted for their charms and talents. All eyes are on whether the two will be able to be recognized as the young leading actors of our time.
2014. 8. 26.
