*Watched as part of the Asia-thon 2016 Film Project*
What's it about? A debt-ridden taxi-driver (Ha Jung-woo) in the desolate Chinese province of Yanji agrees to carry out a contract killing in South Korea, where he also hopes to track down his estranged wife.
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| Violent? Well, maybe a bit. |
Well, I'm not entirely sure about all of the plot developments but a whole lot of people sure did get horribly stabbed to death. Knives, axes, screwdrivers all employed with reckless abandon - haven't these Eastern gangsters ever heard of guns? In fact, the only thing more reckless is the wild flurry of story exposition which becomes somewhat confusing after a more intimate, slow-burn start. But it was late, I was tired and maybe I was distracted by ALL THE STABBING AND BLOOD!! It's still a pretty compelling thriller, though, with some good action sequences and a suitably grimy colour palette which creates an impressive, claustrophobic sense of urban desolation.
I don't trust you. What do others think? A good reception, especially from those bored with 'safe' American-style thrillers, although many admitted to finding the story confusing. Luckily for you, I've found a reasonably succinct summary of the story in the comment section of this review for the film from contributor Ty Kampen. If only I had such passionate, knowledgeable contributors to my blog....sob!
Anything else I should know? The Asia-thon 2016 Film Project is my New Year's resolution to watch more films from the Far East, a project which is both laudable and insufferably pretentious. A full list of films viewed can be found here.
What does the Fonz think? Stab-tastic.
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