Red carpet: Han Hyo-joo (“Cold Eyes”)

Korean actress Han Hyo-joo, wearing a bright pink, breezy frock in Macau, walked the red carpet at the 8th Asian Film Awards, where she was nominated for Best Actress for her performance in “Cold Eyes.”

South Korean actress Han Hyo-joo on the Asian Film Awards red carpet in Macau on Mar. 27, 2014. (photo by Yuan-Kwan Chan / Meniscus Magazine)

Although she lost the category to Zhang Ziyi (“The Grandmaster”), Han’s performance as one of three leads in the action thriller was notable. Han plays Ha Yoon-joo in one of the top-grossing South Korean action films of 2013.

Han Hyo-joo (right) in an early scene in "Cold Eyes" while co-star Jung Woo-sung lurks behind. (photo courtesy of the Busan International Film Festival) — Han Hyo-joo (right) in an early scene in “Cold Eyes” while co-star Jung Woo-sung lurks behind. (photo courtesy of the Busan International Film Festival)

Co-directed by Jo Ui-seok and Kim Byung-seo, the remake of Johnnie To’s “Eye in the Sky” eschews gimmicks and unnecessary side plots to focus on one thing and one thing only: an intelligence squad’s chase of a lethal, robotic killer for hire (played against character type by Jung Woo-sung – while absent in Macau, he did appear at the concurrent Hong Kong International Film Festival to support his directorial debut, “The Killer Behind, The Old Man,” a short film as part of the trilogy “Three Charmed Lives” with fellow first-time actor-turned-directors Chang Chen and Francis Ng).

Actor-directors Chang Chen (left) and Jung Woo-sung at a Hong Kong International Film Festival press conference for "Three Charmed Lives." (photo courtesy of the HKIFF) — Actor-directors Chang Chen (left) and Jung Woo-sung at a Hong Kong International Film Festival press conference for “Three Charmed Lives.” (photo courtesy of the HKIFF)

“Cold Eyes” came away with just one award – Shin Min-kyung for Best Editing – but it is an example of yet another work continuing to push the action genre in Korea.

Video: Han Hyo-joo – 2014 Asian Film Awards red carpet
video by Yuan-Kwan Chan / Meniscus Magazine