Antique (2008 Film)

Antique (Korean: 서양골동양과자점 앤티크) is a 2008 South Korean comedy-drama film directed by Min Kyu-dong. The film is based on the manga series Seiyo Kotto Yogashiten (Antique Bakery) by Fumi Yoshinaga, which was serialized in Wings magazine from 1999 to 2002.

Antique film poster — Promotional poster for the 2008 film Antique.

Plot

The story follows Jin-hyuk (Ju Ji-hoon), an heir to a family fortune who decides to open a cake shop. Despite his wealth and charm, he struggles to find love. He hires Min Seon-woo (Kim Jae-wook), a talented patissier who was a classmate of Jin-hyuk during high school. The shop's staff is rounded out by an ex-boxing champion, Yang Ki-bum (Yoo Ah-in), and a dedicated but somewhat clueless bodyguard, Nam Soo-young (Choi Ji-ho). While the four men project an image of happiness, each carries unresolved trauma from their pasts that begins to surface as they work together.

Ju Ji-hoon as Jin-hyuk — Ju Ji-hoon portrays the shop owner Jin-hyuk.

Yoo Ah-in as Ki-bum — Yoo Ah-in plays the former boxer Ki-bum.

Kim Jae-wook as Seon-woo — Kim Jae-wook stars as the patissier Seon-woo.

Choi Ji-ho as Soo-young — Choi Ji-ho plays the bodyguard Soo-young.

Yeo Jin-goo as young Jin-hyuk — Yeo Jin-goo appears as the younger version of Jin-hyuk.

Production and Release

The film was produced by Soo Film and Zip Cinema and distributed by Showbox. It was released in South Korea on November 13, 2008, with a runtime of 109 minutes. The film was screened at several international events, including the 59th Berlin International Film Festival in 2009 as part of the "Eat, Drink, See Movies" program, as well as the New York Asian Film Festival, the Fantasia Film Festival, and the Hawaii International Film Festival.

Scene from Antique — A scene featuring the cast of Antique.

Awards

At the 2009 BaekSang Arts Awards, lead actor Ju Ji-hoon received the Most Popular Actor award for his performance in the film.