KOREAN MOVIE REVIEW: THE MERCILESS



8/10

The young criminal Hyun-Soo is a youthful and ambitious prisoner who does not seem to think too much of the consequences of his actions. Jae-Ho is a career criminal and a mobster. He rules the prison with an iron hand.  An unlikely empathy between the two men grows and they decide to take on the world when leaving the prison. But both of them are  hiding dangerous secrets. When all is unveiled the truth is doomed to destroy them both...

THE MERCILESS is a gangster action drama film, a genre South Korea excels in. It is miraculous that after so many movies the gangster theme feels so fresh, and the reason for this is the carefully executed script and characters one can't help, but care for deeply. The strangely meaningful friendship, a borderline love affair between the older gangster and the young rookie has genuine chemistry. The sexual tension is only implied, but the bond the two strike is comparable to the one between lovers.

The movie is carefully structured, with short informative flashbacks, that allows one to look with new eyes at how the story has progressed, each time revealing new information and new accents that change perspective. 

THE MERCILESS is a violent film, but perhaps is less so than many other of the same genre. The best thing about it is how the script avoids cliches, constantly giving some fresh twist, until the rather familiar finale - a traditional Korean climax of heartbreak and devastation.


Boasting fantastic cinematography, likeable performances and an extremely well written script, THE MERCILESS may be the best alternative to the American blockbuster, if you want some soul and thought in your action.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We'll End Up Together - Nous Finirons Ensemble (French Movie Review)

Image
10/10 Max has a sixtieth birthday coming up. The problem is he is broke, divorced and depressed. When a group of his best friends show up at his doorstep to help him celebrate, he reluctantly agrees to spend a few days with them, but won’t explain what’s going on in his personal life. When ones darkest moments come, will friendship conquer all? Seven years after the breakout success of the film Little White Lies (Les Petits Mouchoirs) comes the long anticipated sequel and it is worth the wait. The success of WE’LL END UP TOGETHER is not in its rather predictable plot, but the chemistry on screen, the characters that we recognise ourselves and our friends in, and the amazing warm atmosphere that makes one believe there’s no problem a good dinner with friends won’t sort out.  Written and directed by much loved French actor and director  Guillaume Canet this movie feels like a welcome return home to those who have seen the original and will also welcome new viewership - the film c
Read more

KOREAN MOVIE REVIEW: MEMOIR OF A MURDERER

Image
8/10 Byung-su is an elderly veterinarian who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He has a caring daughter who does all she can to make his life easier, and a policemen friend whose name Byung-su forgets from time to time. He also goes to a poetry club (in order to keep his mind exercised) where a lonely widow makes advances at him. But there’s one thing that sets Byung-su apart from the other senior citizens of his little town – he is a serial killer.  When a new wave of killings begin Byung-su starts to suspect that a young man who is dating his daughter is the culprit. Trying to keep the remains of his memories together Byung-su writes extensive journals. But what if his memories are actually real? Losing his grip on reality he goes head to head with the new serial killer in order to protect the only life he cares about in the world – his daughter’s. Before Dexter came around Koreans had excelled in creating charismatic killers as protagonists of the films
Read more

MSFF: DEATH IN BUENOS AIRES (MUERTE EN BUENOS AIRES)

Image
3 1/2 /5 It's year 1980 and we are in Buenos Aires. The wealthy gay man is murdered  and inspector Chaves is on the case. In order to find the culprit he has to plunge into the world of gay nightclubs, drugs and sex. But what is it with the young and handsome officer Gomes, who was the first on the crime scene, and seems to place himself with ease as a mole into a gay community? Is he trying to catch the killer? Or hiding something? As suspicions arise, Chaves is haunted by the feelings he does not understand. Will the fatal attraction to a younger man help him to solve the case, or be his undoing? First time director Natalie Meta is "spot on" on the upbeat atmosphere of the 80s without too much expense. She cleverly uses the pop tunes, over-the-top clothes and many other ingredients to recreate the time. The murder mystery is secondary, and the movie is focused on the relationship between the two men, full of innuendoes and mistrust. The very simple cinema
Read more