Achyut Prashast Singh
India
Believe me, those efforts succeed.
MASQUERADE presents Korean traditions before the world with a genuine authenticity. The presentation is excellent, as is the visual work. The cinematography is extraordinary, and the film is visually so stunning that I recommend to catch it on a Blu-ray for the best experience.
History plays a great role in Korean Cinema. Here we see why and how.
With spoiling your viewing experience, I would like to say that it's a fine movie which can be seen with the whole family. There are a lot of humorous scenes and they are quite hilarious and enjoyable. The limited yet amazingly shot action remains within your memory.
Lee Byung-hun is in his top form. He acts extremely well and there's something genuine about his performance that makes you care for him. Ryu Seung-ryong is superb in his role. Han Hyo-joo is excellent, and so are the other actors.
The screenplay is executed with brilliance and so is the editing. The film, however could've been a little shorter.
There are a lot of effective sequences in the film, especially the climax which will leave you highly impressed.
MASQUERADE intends not only to entertain you, but also to ask you certain important questions. To find out those questions, first go and watch it. Then you'll get the answer yourself.
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Lee Byung-hun, Kim Woo-bin and Kang Dong-won rule the screen with their act. But it's Lee Byung-hun who impresses yet again after his brilliant INSIDE MEN. The editing is fine but could have been better. The film could have been shorter, though it has the action sequences placed accordingly. Visuals & cinematography are eye- catching. Story and screenplay both are well-woven, but a little tighter writing would have made the film better in the first hour. Anyhow, the film keeps you hooked for the most part because it offers plenty of entertainment.
Overall, MASTER is a well made action thriller that deserves to be watched if you like action thrillers with clean entertainment. No vulgarity at all. Check it out today, or wait for the Blu-ray, if it shows any chance of releasing. I'll soon watch it again some day, but with proper subtitles.
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Not going into too much depth, I would just like to say that INSIDE MEN is really entertaining. For the first time I watched a 3 hours long movie with so much interest. Yes, it's the director's cut I watched. Long, but no dull moments. The performances of all actors, including my favourite Lee Byung-hun are excellent. He rightly won the best actor award for this movie.
The film's visuals need a special appreciation as we hardly come across political thrillers with good visuals. Surprisingly, INSIDE MEN has terrific visuals that keep you engaged. The story and screenplay are excellent, the dialogues are too good. The action scenes are well filmed and executed. Cinematography is top notch and many beautifully filmed shots will be in your mind forever.
Overall, INSIDE MEN is a political thriller which is highly recommended. Needless to say, South Korean filmmakers prove themselves great yet again.
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THE TUNNEL has a great deal of tension throughout. The film's premise is built very well. You do feel the suspense at right moments. The film delivers well on the technical front. The cinematography captures the splendid visuals very well. There aren't any hiccups throughout the entire film and you feel the character's pain.
Ha Jung Woo is super solid in this film. This is his first film I've seen. Doona Bae and Oh Dal Su give terrific performances. The few action sequences are very well shot.
And yes, this didn't let me move from my seat. I kept on watching and enjoying it till the end. It's a film that can be watched again. Full marks to the director Seong Hun Kim for executing a brilliant survival tale with excellence.
Overall, THE TUNNEL is an excellent film that can be seen multiple times for its cinematic excellence and a hard hitting indirect message to all.
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Choi Seung-hyun is good in his role. This is his first film I've seen. Other actors too were good. The screenplay is decent, and there are a lot of impressive moments throughout the film. The action scenes and visuals are amazing, as is the cinematography. Editing is fine.
Besides, COMMITMENT also has a great portrayal of emotions throughout. The story being realistic helps to connect to the characters and feel their pain. The heartwarming brother-sister relation is brought out very well. Full marks to the director for utilising and extracting great performances from his actors.
However, the film falters in the end. The climax was a good one but the emotions didn't come out well. It's only here that it's hard to feel for the characters, otherwise there's not a single scene where you won't.
But that being a minor flaw doesn't affect the film's entertainment quotient, and due to that I recommend watching COMMITMENT.
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With a not-so-long running time and a crisp editing, it becomes an even more exciting watch as time passes. The story and screenplay are well written, well portrayed and well presented in terms of entertainment too. The dialogues are quite powerful and many of them make a great sense. The action scenes are executed very well and in a very realistic way. In other words, this film is just another South Korean film which makes us think. The visuals and the cinematography too are excellent and eye-pleasing.
Actors Kim Yoon-seok and Yu Hae-jin are a major strength of this film. The way their bond strengthens is good to watch. Both actors deliver powerful performances and you tend to believe that they aren't acting but indeed living the characters.
It's undoubtedly true that THE CLASSIFIED FILE turns out to be both an artistic and entertaining film at the same time. Those who believe in watching good cinema, should definitely watch it. Since there's no vulgarity or obscenity, it's a clean family entertainer and hereby recommended for all ages, and because apart from telling an engaging story, it also has a unique message hidden for all. I classify it as excellent.
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So Ji-sub is a good actor and that needs not to be told to his fans. But those who don't know him would need his introduction for sure. He is superb in the emotional sequences and uses his voice as an instrument to show his character. He does a stupendous job in the action sequences, which forms the film's highlight. Rest others, since I don't know their names, do a great job too.
The story and screenplay both are quite good, and the film is quite fast paced too. With a runtime of merely 96 minutes, thee film wins over you completely. The music is good. Cinematography, editing, dialogues are all good.
The only thing one might find as a glitch is that the film resembles A BITTERSWEET LIFE in some portions. Both were about the same kind of heroes and some elements do match. But at the end of the day, both films are quite different from each other. The film is quite dramatic in the beginning but later on builds the required tension with momentum.
Overall, A COMPANY MAN is yet another impressive South Korean action thriller that makes me say, "Go for it, I'm going to watch it again!".
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The film is a must watch for anyone, especially South Korean audiences. They loved it and thus it became a Box Office success. But it's a film much more than just an entertainer. Unpredictable and well-detailed, the film's screenplay is quite excellent, and the execution is top notch. Don't ask about Kim's direction: it's excellent as usual. Same for Gong Yoo and Song Kang-ho: you'll be able to relate to them and feel what they go through, thanks to the natural performances of these two men. The reason what keeps you glued to the screens is the presence of mind- boggling thrills, breathtaking action sequences, splendid cinematography and a top notch execution along with delightfully awesome visuals supported by powerful emotions.
Seeing Lee Byung-hun in this film was an absolute pleasure. He plays his part perfectly. The humour in the film is quite decent and is placed accordingly. The editing, however needed to be tighter as it could've been trimmed to some extent. The film being a little slow might not engage everyone at once. But when it does, it does it seriously and successfully.
Having said that, I'll have no doubt I calling the film "Kim's masterpiece", since he lives up to the expectations one can have from him after he has delivered films which've changed the way world looked at South Korean Cinema. This film only adds up to the praise for the South Korean Cinema, and presents a lot of things we'll like to take back home with us.
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PARK YEOL is an unexpectedly very entertaining film which never loses its focus. The screenplay is watertight and the editing, razor sharp. There aren't any dull moments or unnecessary sequences to deviate the film from telling the story. It manages to engage the viewer with its beautiful visuals, well-handled cinematography, brilliant action scenes, terrific & clapworthy dialogues, and above all, the extraordinary direction & execution.
Lee Je-hoon breathes and lives the role of Park Yeol. He's stunning in his part and the sequences involving him are simply the best part of the film. Another major credit to the actress who paired with Lee, giving the most remarkable performance in the film after him. Other actors manage to hold the attention with their solid performances.
Without wasting even a single second, director Lee Joon-ik connects us to the leading characters, especially Park Yeol and this is his biggest success. The film's pace is another major plus point as it never pulls you into boredom. The film's BGM enhances the viewing experience from time to time. The climax, however could've been handled a little better as it might seem a little abrupt, but it's absolutely fine since the way it's covered further is commendable.
PARK YEOL is a film which isn't merely a film. It's a phenomenon which doesn't usually happen in case of most filmmakers. It's perhaps the best biopic ever, and you'll find my words true once you watch it soon.
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What keeps you engaged is the brilliant action. THE BERLIN FILE has really brilliant action sequences, and that's a major reason why one finds it somewhat easy to ignore the flaws. Visually, the film is a gem. Story wise, it's a masterpiece. Execution wise, it's great but not excellent.
Ha Jung-woo is extremely amazing in the role he plays. He's simply the best thing about the film. Just watch him in the action sequences and in the climax: his performance literally will blow your mind. Jun Ji-hyun is decent, and so is Ryoo Seung-bum: he's a firecracker when it comes to his act which he handles perfectly, and that's something which makes his character realistic.
The director Ryoo Seung-wan does a decent job by handling the screenplay and direction well. The editing too is fine. But as said before, the execution is the only thing which needed to be better as in the beginning, after the first scene, it's difficult to follow the story as it keeps getting convoluted and things get more complicated when scenes end without much explanation. However, the film never loses its focus and manages to entertain you, leading to a thrilling climax which makes you forget rather every single flaw.
THE BERLIN FILE is a powerful, breathtaking and intense action thriller which is a must see for the lovers of this genre. For others, I can easily recommend it, though they won't be easily able to follow the film in the beginning. Still, watch the film because the kind of action it offers is the one you won't have seen before.
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will write just a brief review, as most of the praise has come out in
the review of the remake ROCKY HANDSOME.
THE MAN FROM NOWHERE is one of the best South Korean action films as it
provides great action, while also combining it will emotions and
thrills. The film is full of scenes that have gone down into the
filmmaking history as "classic".
Since I already knew the entire story due to having seen the remake, I
wasn't surprised but was still very impressed. Won Bin is a perfect
actor, and his performance will make you remember him for long. Kim
Hee- won is decent and plays his part well. Kim Sae-Ron is quite decent
in the role provided. Same for rest of the cast.
The action, as I said before is great. What I didn't mention is that
it's "dynamite" in impact.
Lee Jeong-beom's the MAN FROM NOWHERE is undoubtedly a smart action
film which is entertaining of course, but also quite different from
most action films.
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And I was simply impressed. The film kept me to the edge of the seat,
while also providing heartwarming emotions at the same time.
MONTAGE is a very well written, executed and directed film which
deserves to be seen. The film's unpredictability is perhaps something
which makes it one of the best Korean thrillers in the recent years. I
have not seen the acclaimed MEMORIES OF MURDER yet, which belongs the
same genre and also stars Kim Sang-kyung, the lead actor in MONTAGE. So
I can't say it is the best but is an excellent one for sure.
Uhm Jung-hwa's performance is another major reason why this film works.
She delivers extremely well and that's a major reason why she won so
many awards for this role. Kim Sang-kyung is excellent, and holds the
film extremely well. Kudos to the director for bringing out the best of
the entire cast.
The film's visually not a gem, but it doesn't compromise with
storytelling. And this is the best thing about the film.
MONTAGE is undoubtedly an excellent thriller which deserves to be seen.
Just watch it once, you won't be able to forget it. It's both thrilling
and emotional.
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I was excited since long to watch HWAYI as the trailer and its synopsis impressed me highly. I decided to check out the film. I couldn't do it earlier but when I watched it, I was left totally spellbound by the excellence of the film.
I've never seen a film like HWAYI before. The story's quite new, unique and different, due to which it turns out to be highly impressive.
Performances are a major plus of the film, as are the emotions and the action sequences. The visual effects too are impressive. One emotional sequence in the second hour had me feeling too much for the characters involved in it. I felt very sad and I felt that even after the film ended.
If this happens, then it means the director has succeeded in his attempt. No doubt he did!
Kim Yoon-seok...I have no words for his performance. He's the most natural actor I've ever seen. He never acts. He lives every character he plays. Here he proves why he's one of the best South Korean actors. Yeo Jin-goo is impressive in his first attempt, and his performance shows he has a long way to go.
The screenplay is wonderfully written and presented on screen. The film grips from the very first scene and entertains you throughout the enrtire duration, and heading towards a climax which is excellent and makes you feel emotional.
No doubt that HWAYI lives up to every single expectation one can have from it.
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ROUGH CUT is a highly entertaining movie, thanks to its highly impressive action sequences, new story and the lead actors: So Ji-sub and Kang Ji-hwan. They hold the film together very well, and deliver enough of entertainment to make you remain hooked to it completely. Even emotionally, the film manages to engage you. There are certain scenes which are highly commendable.
I was seriously impressed with the film's storyline: I have never heard a story or seen a film like this before. Without adding much, I would just say that ROUGH CUT is an effective and highly impressive action film which you'll love for its originality and uniqueness apart from everything else it has.
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ORDINARY PERSON is by no means an ordinary film. It has an extraordinary screenplay which is bound to shake the viewers from inside. The film's biggest strength is that it's easily relatable. I wasn't seriously bored for even a second while watching it.
I don't know who the lead actors are, but I can say they did a commendable job, especially the lead actor. One won't find it difficult to connect to his character.
The screenplay is well written, and technically, the film manages to hold you till the end. The cinematography and action sequences too deserve a special mention. Dialogues are effective and thought provoking. Kudos to the director for giving us something out of the box.
This is one of the most relatable and emotionally gripping South Korean movies.
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