The Face Reader () is a 2013 South Korean period action drama film starring Song Kang-ho as the son of a disgraced noble family who goes around Joseon as a gwansangKorean version of Physiognomy expert. He is able to assess the personality, mental state and habits of a person by looking at their face. His talents bring him to the royal courts where he becomes involved in a power struggle between Grand Prince Suyang and general Kim Jong-seo, a high-ranking loyalist to King Munjong. It is the first installment of the Jupiter Film's three-part film project on the Korean fortune-telling traditions and was followed by two sequels, The Princess and the Matchmaker and Feng Shui in 2018.
The Face Reader became one of the highest-grossing films in South Korea in 2013, with 9.1 million admissions. It won six awards at the 50th Grand Bell Awards, including Best Film, Best Director for Han Jae-rim, and Best Actor for Song Kang-ho.
Plot Nae-gyeong, the most skillful face reader in the Joseon dynasty, was living in seclusion when he was offered a lucrative partnership by Yeon-hong, a gisaeng. Nae-gyeong accepts the proposal to read the faces of Yeon-hong's guests only to get involved in a murder case. With his face reading skills, Nae-gyeong successfully identifies the murderer and his skills are soon acknowledged by King Munjong who orders him to identify the potential traitors who threaten his reign. However, after the unexpected death of Munjong, Nae-gyeong is courted by Grand Prince Suyang who yearns to become King himself by killing the young successor Danjong. Nae-gyeong decides to keep his loyalty to the late King and help Kim Jong-seo protect the young King which forces him into the biggest power struggle in the history of the Joseon dynasty.
Cast
Song Kang-ho as Nae-gyeong Lee Jung-jae as Grand Prince Suyang Baek Yoon-sik as Kim Jong-seo Jo Jung-suk as Paeng-heon, Nae-gyeong's brother-in-law and assistant Lee Jong-suk as Jin-hyeong, Nae-gyeong's son Kim Hye-soo as Yeon-hong Kim Eui-sung as Han Myung-hoi Jung Gyu-soo as Park Cheom-ji Chae Sang-woo as Danjong Lee Yoon-geon as Jo Sang-yong Lee Do-yeop as Kim Seung-kyu Yoo Sang-jae as Hong Yun-seong Lee Ae-rin as Hong-dan Lee Yong-gwan as Yang-jeong Yoon Kyung-ho as Im-woon Seo Hyun-woo as Jin-moo Lee Chang-jik as Hwangbo In Kim Tae-woo as King Munjong Ko Chang-seok as His Excellency Choi Kim Kang-hyeon as Suspect 3
Production Kim Dong-hyuk's screenplay won the grand prize at the 2010 Korean Scenario Contest held by the Korean Film Council.
Awards and nominations +YearAwardCategoryRecipientResult201350th Grand Bell AwardsBest FilmThe Face ReaderBest DirectorHan Jae-rimBest ActorSong Kang-hoLee Jung-jaePopularity AwardBest Supporting ActorJo Jung-sukBaek Yoon-sikBest ScreenplayKim Dong-hyukBest CinematographyGo Nak-seonBest EditingKim Chang-juBest Art DirectionLee Ha-junBest LightingShin Kyung-man, Lee Cheol-ohBest MusicLee Byung-wooBest Costume DesignShim Hyun-subTechnical AwardKwak Tae-yong, Hwang Hyo-kyun (Special Make-up)Im Dae-ji, Choi Tae-young (Sound)34th Blue Dragon Film AwardsBest FilmThe Face ReaderBest DirectorHan Jae-rimBest ActorSong Kang-hoBest Supporting ActorLee Jung-jaeJo Jung-sukBest Supporting ActressKim Hye-sooBest ScreenplayKim Dong-hyukBest CinematographyGo Nak-seonBest Art DirectionLee Ha-junBest LightingShin Kyung-man, Lee Cheol-oh33rd Korean Association of Film Critics AwardsBest ActorSong Kang-hoLee Jung-jaeBest Supporting ActorJo Jung-sukBest MusicLee Byung-wooCJ CGV Star AwardLee Jung-jae20145th KOFRA Film AwardsBest Supporting Actor9th Max Movie AwardsBest ActressKim Hye-sooBest Supporting ActorLee Jung-jaeJo Jung-sukBest Supporting ActressKim Hye-sooBest PosterThe Face ReaderBest Preview19th Chunsa Film Art AwardsBest DirectorHan Jae-rimBest ActorLee Jung-jaeBest ScreenplayKim Dong-hyuk8th Asian Film AwardsBest Costume DesignShim Hyun-sub50th Baeksang Arts AwardsBest FilmThe Face ReaderBest Supporting ActorLee Jung-jaeKim Eui-sung23rd Buil Film AwardsLee Jung-jaeBest Art DirectionLee Ha-jun
References
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