A Bittersweet Life (Dalkomhan insaeng) – South Korea – 2005 – Action, Crime
Directed by: Kim Jee-woon
Written by: Kim Jee-woon
Main Players: Lee Byung-hun; Shin Min-a; Kim Yeong-cheol

If movies have taught us anything at all about being a gangster, it is that when does it not work out well? Mob enforcer Sun-woo (Lee Byung-hun) is called downstairs from his dessert at a restaurant, as some local hoodlums from a rival boss are causing a stir. They don’t respond to his warning of three seconds to leave, and a fight breaks out. Sun-woo’s fists and legs of fury do business sending the local thugs flying.
Then, Sun-woo’s own boss Mr. Kang calls him in for a serious mission. Kang is unsure about his youthful girlfriend Hee-soo (Shin Min-a), and thinks she may be cheating with a younger man. Sun-woo is to follow her and observe her, as well as become her driver and escort.
Hee-soo turns out to be intriguing to Sun-woo, who winds up deciding she is pretty okay at her cello recital. Things don’t go well from this point onward, leading to a quick decision and following tense action and brutal fisticuffs. On top of this, a rival mob boss demands appeasement for Sun-woo’s quick footwork beating up his thugs.
While plots and dangers swirl, the action gets more serious as do consequences. The story may not present anything brand new, but it is a quality effort that tries to balance criminal actions and moral repercussions.
The acting is great, so is the sleek direction and fight choreography. This is a quality gangster and action flick, give it a watch on a dark night.
See This If You Liked:
New World (Sinsegye); Payback; Man on Fire (1987; 2004); John Wick; The Man from Nowhere (Ajeossi); The Yellow Sea (Hwanghae); A Hard Day (Kkeutkkaji ganda); Outrage (Autoreiji); Election (Hak se wooi); Exiled (Fong juk)
Score:
8.0