I Saw The Devil (2010) - A Review

 

An extremely violent masterpiece.

I Saw The Devil is an action/thriller movie released in South Korea in 2010, starring Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik, Jeon Gook-hwan, Kim Yoon-seo, Chun Ho-jin, and Choi Myung-soo. I Saw The Devil was directed by Kim Jee-woon.

A man obsessed with revenge.

In I Saw The Devil, Lee Byung-hun plays Kim Soo-hyun, a highly skilled agent in the National Intelligence Service. When his fiancee, Jang Joo-yun (played by Oh San-ha) gets a flat tire on a dark road one night, a seemingly helpful school bus driver offers to help her. Unfortunately, Joo-yun is brutally attacked, and then murdered. Soo-hyun vows to find her killer, and make him suffer as much as his fiancee suffered. With the help of his fiancee's father (played by Jeon Gook-hwan) and a co-worker, Soo-hyun exacts brutal revenge on the suspects until he finds the true killer, Jang Kyung-chul (played by Choi Min-sik). Soo-hyun brutally attacks Kyung-chul, but lets him live! Soo-hyun hunts Kyung-chul down and delivers massive amounts of pain every time he finds him. Unfortunately, Soo-hyun will regret letting him live, as things tragically get way out of control!

Evil personified.

I had heard of how great I Saw The Devil was for years, but it isn't until recently that I was able to watch this movie. It definitely lived up to the hype! This movie was incredible. I was not expecting how dark and violent this movie was. Lee Byung-hun and especially Choi Min-sik give great performances. Lee is cold and calculating in his method of revenge, and you feel he is beginning to lose himself in his quest of making Kyung-chul suffer. Choi is absolutely incredible as the demented serial killer, who doesn't have any sort of respect for anyone. Kyung-chul is pure evil, and you enjoy all the pain and suffering he endures throughout the movie.

The cinematography is dark and moody, the soundtrack is great, and the plot (which is basically a revenge story) is good, too. This movie gets really extreme with the violence (and there are some very uncomfortable sexual scenes/assaults) so be prepared for that. The two main characters go to extreme lengths to hurt each other, and it makes you wonder whether revenge is worth it. All together, I Saw The Devil is a dark, modern masterpiece.

I Saw The Devil is bloody, brutal, and violent.

The action in I Saw The Devil is bloody and brutal. There are some gruesome kills in this, as well as some brutal torture scenes. The showdown between Kim Soo-hyun and Jang Kyung-chul is as exciting as it is ferocious. Each encounter between them gets more savage and ruthless. This is a movie where the action scenes may make you feel uncomfortable...

As you can imagine, I highly recommend watching I Saw The Devil. This movie is excellent. I will say, this movie may be too much for some, as women are treated horribly in it, and the violence throughout is extreme. As dark as I Saw The Devil is, there is some humor in it (as dark as the rest of the movie is). This movie will make you think, long after it ends. You will be in awe of Choi Min-sik's performance as one of the most evil characters in movie history. I Saw The Devil is one of the best movies I've seen this year, quite frankly.

Reviewed by David Williams

Emergency Declaration 비상선언 (2022) - Movie Trailer

 Check out the trailer for Emergency Declaration, starring Lee Byung-hun, Kim Nam-gil, Jeon Do-yeon, and Song Kang-ho. It was directed by Han Jae-rim and is based on a true story. Here is the synopsis:

The movie’s plot centers around a commercial airplane that faces a never-before-experienced crisis situation while in flight — an onboard virus outbreak — which forces the pilot to pursue unconventional emergency measures.

I personally can't wait to see this movie! Emergency Declaration may hit a little too close to home, considering what's going on in the world today. Still, this movie looks like it could be amazing! Emergency Declaration comes out globally in August!

 

A Bittersweet Life (2005) - A Review

 

One of my all-time favorite movies!

A Bittersweet Life is a South Korean neo-noir action film released in 2005. It stars Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-ah, Kim Yeong-cheol, Kim Roi-ha, and Hwang Jung-min. The movie was written and directed by Kim Jee-woon.

Lee Byung-hun as Sun-woo. Excellent performance in this movie.

In A Bittersweet Life, Lee Byung-hun plays Kim Sun-woo, a loyal (and lonely) enforcer for Kang, a crime boss (played by Kim Yeong-cheol). Kang wants Sun-woo to keep an eye on his young girlfriend, Hee-soo (played by Shin Min-ah), who he suspects is cheating on him. Kang tells Sun-woo if he catches her cheating, to either call him or to kill her and her lover. Sun-woo agrees. (Kang and Sun-woo also discuss problems with a rival crime boss's son, Baek Dae-sik (played by Hwang Jung-min).

Hee-soo and Sun-woo eating lunch at the mall. So awkward.

Sun-woo goes to Hee-soo's house, where he brings a gift from Kang. Their interaction is...awkward. He does notice certain things about Hee-soo... The next day, Hee-soo wants to go shopping with him at the mall. They go, and they get to know each other a little. Things are still awkward between them. She goes into a shop to find out the price of a lamp, but leaves without it (it's too expensive). He takes Hee-soo to her music rehearsal, then drops her off. He leaves her house, but then returns to find Hee-soo and her lover! He roughs up the boyfriend and is about to call his boss when he has a change of heart. He tells Hee-soo and her lover that they can never see each other again, and to erase everything that happened between them up until now from their memories. Sun-woo said he would also erase this moment from his memories. The lover agrees and leaves, even though Hee-soo doesn't want him to.

From here, Sun-woo's life turns upside down! You'll have to watch the movie to find out what happens, but it gets crazy!

This movie is so good. The story, the acting, the action, the cinematography are all excellent. A Bittersweet Life takes place in a shadowy world, and the people in it are just as shadowy. Lee Byung-hun gives a great performance as Sun-woo, a lonely, loyal, killing machine who has never been in love. It is cool to see him struggle with his feelings, and how he deals with everything that is going on. He doesn't say much, but he doesn't have to.

The story takes a few twists and turns, and you may be surprised by how it ends. I think the ending is perfect. Though this is a dark movie, there is some comedy in here, too. Of course, the humor is quite dark. Still, funny scenes in a dark serious movie is welcome (some people may not like it in general, though). The soundtrack is really good, too. Orchestral score with a latin-influenced song in there as well.

This movie has some hard-hitting action scenes!

The action in this movie is hard-hitting and bloody. The fights are not Hong Kong-style, they are more rough and tumble. The fights are entertaining, nonetheless! The first fight in the movie is cool and stylish. Writing about the other fights would spoil the movie, but trust me, they are good! There is a lot of gunplay in this film as well. The final shoot out is wild and bloody! This is a movie where the action scenes and the non-action scenes are equally captivating.

I highly recommend watching A Bittersweet Life. It is one of South Korea's best films. If you are getting into Korean cinema, this movie is a must-watch. It is one of my all-time favorite movies. I was always on the search for this movie on DVD back in the day, but I could never find it. I had to watch it another way back then... So, if you are still reading this review: Thank you, and go watch the movie! Now! What are you waiting for? WATCH IT!

Reviewed by David Williams