[Movie 2005] A Bittersweet Life 달콤한 인생

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A Bittersweet Life

Director: Kim Ji-Woon. Starring: Lee Byong-hun, Hwang Jeong-min, Jin Ku, Shin Min-a.

Details: Korea/120mins (18s) Underworld enforcer Sun-woo's (Lee) unquestionable loyalty is rewarded by his mob boss when he's asked to keep an eye on his girlfriend Hee-soo (Shin) - whom the boss suspects of playing around. Sun-woo follows Hee-soo all over town and subsequently falls in love with her, but when she is caught in the act of cheating on the boss, Sun-woo does the unthinkable and grants her an act of mercy. The boss, who expects his word to be carried out to the letter, sends some hoods around to Sun-woo to extract an apology through torture. Sun-woo escapes and begins the long road to revenge, taking out everyone as he goes. Written and directed by Kim Ji-Woon, A Bittersweet Life takes the slickness of Michael Mann's Heat, the violence of Tarantino's Kill Bill and the tar-black humour of the Coen Brothers - not to mention a kitchen sink or two - and mixes them all up into one enjoyable experience. A smart, violent and sickly funny film, Kim smacks the audience with OTT shoot-outs and torture scenes but, before anyone gets upset, he switches to comedy (the Mexican stand-off between Sun-woo and the gun dealer being the standout) and back again. Lee, as Sun-woo, does a great job in a role that screams to be hammed up, but Lee downplays his character in a cool, consistent suavity. Halfway through the film, Kim asks the audience, are you with this film or not? Go with it; it'll be all the more enjoyable if you do.

Film Review by Gavin Burke

Reviewed on 20 January 2006

Source: entertainment ireland

http://entertainment.ie/movie_review/A_Bit...t_Life/4287.htm

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London Calling: A Bittersweet Life and The Black Narcissus

By Evrim Ersoy Aug 8, 2005, 6:43 GMT

posting related excerpt

Well that's the week's releases. Now I want to talk to you about something very special. A movie I encountered this week called 'A Bittersweet Life'. A Bittersweet Life is a South Korean movie that was recently at the cinemas and has just been release on DVD. I have been hearing quite a few good reviews about it for a while now and had been looking forward to see it.

Let me tell you that at first I wasn't impressed. No, actually until the last twenty to twenty five minutes I can genuinely say that I felt slightly disappointed. What was before me was very pretty to look at with wonderful colors and gorgeous cinematography (even though the fight scenes are marred by the usual close shots and quick cuts), I still could not see why the film had struck such a chord.

But then...My god...those last twenty minutes changed me around, three hundred and sixty degrees. Ladies and Gentleman I was topsy turvy and open mouthed.

Its with slight apprehension that I admit that I cry at the movies. I cant help it. If a film is emotional I start weeping. If its extremely beautiful tears start to fall. It’s a habit and dammit I care not for changing it.

And this film made me weep. Not sob sob but just quietly, almost contemplatively. I don’t want to ruin the film for anyone so I am tempted to do a special this week on a different part just analyzing the film so let me just say See it. If you can obtain a copy now, go and buy it. There are sites which deliver Asian DVD’s. If you cant play such things, wait until Frightfest and see it. They are showing the film and you can find the time if you look on the website. It will also give you a chance to experience a great festival. But whatever happens go see the damn thing. Make me happy. You will know I am right once the credits finish. Which you should watch until the end so you don’t miss anything.

For the full article, refer source at http://movies.monstersandcritics.com/colum...Black_Narcissus

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A Bittersweet Life Director's Cut Version DTS Limited Edition 
~ Lee Byung Hun | Eric Mun Jung Hyuk

From Kim Jee Woon, the director of such hits as The Quiet Family, The Foul King, and A Tale of Two Sisters, comes the stylish, ultraviolent gangster flick, A Bittersweet Life! Lee Byung Hun (Joint Security Area) stars as Sun Woo, a unique character with a curious lifestyle – he's not only a valued gang member and the proprietor of a hotel bar, but also the right-hand man to the powerful gang leader, Mr. Kang (Kim Yeong Chul). When Kang suspects that his beautiful young mistress Hee Soo (Sin Min Ah, from Volcano High) might be messing around with another man, he enlists Sun Woo's help to resolve the matter, commanding him to follow her around to see what information he can dig up. Sun Woo's orders are explicit: if he catches Hee Soo cheating, he is to execute her – no ifs ands or buts about it. However, when Sun Woo spies Hee Soo with her boyfriend, he makes a stunning decision, one that will have major consequences for all involved! 

Although the hit film Crying Fist barely edged it out for the top spot at the box office, A Bittersweet Life is a success in its own right, hailed by critics as a dazzling neo-noir thriller, chocked full of breathtaking cinematography, intriguing characters, and an ample dosage of violence just for good measure. In addition, Lee Byung Hun is earning critical raves for his performance as Sun Woo, a super-cool hitman with motivations all his own. But in the end, will Sun Woo make it out alive? Find out in A Bittersweet Life, a film that highlights the shadowy underbelly of Korean society, a place where the streets are dark with something more than night.

This version comes with the following bonus features 

La Dolce Vita : Interviews 
Making of A Bittersweet Life 
Deleted and Alternate Scenes 
The Truth about A Bittersweet Life 
A Bittersweet Life in Cannes 
Style of A Bittersweet Life 
plus more
 

Spoiler

More info at http://global.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/...-videos/code-k/

It is really bittersweet... Thursday, April 12, 2007
Reviewer: Euridyces 
What is to like about a thug's life? 
He has no conscience, he has no life, he has no friends and even if he did they will probably turn on him the next second. 
Welcome to Kim Sun-woo's world, the main protagonist of this movie. Thanks to a great performance by Lee Byung-hun, the audience will grow to like him, root for him and even love him despite all his flaws. 
The movie is fast, ruthless and lonely. 
For me,scenes of Sun-woo in his apartment, though silent, were the loudest of all. 
In the end, what was glamorous no longer shines, what was good no longer soothes and death offers the only comfort.

Artistic and powerful!! Sunday, September 03, 2006
Reviewer: mart 
A Bittersweet Life is about an enforcer who's loyalty to his boss has never been questioned and who performs his duties unflinchingly, only to have his world turned upside down after displeasing his boss. Lee Byung Hun's performance is fantastic and the film is artistic, visually slick and violent. For me, it's the little things that make it a great film, like the part when he slowly finishes his pudding before going down to deal with some trouble makers who have wondered onto his turf. It has a different feel than most other films in the genre but has become one of the best in my dvd collection. 

a little masterpiece Sunday, August 27, 2006
Reviewer: DARROBERS / FRANCE PHILIPPE 
do you know a 1967's french masterpiece movie called "le samourai" from great director jean-pierre melville with actor alain delon,director john woo did and still be one of his favorite all time movie...he makes an unoficial remake of "le samourai" with his great movie "the killer"...if i am talking about this old french movie it's because the great korean actor lee byung hun,is very similar in the way he looks and with the caracter in this movie.
the director is really very talented...but the most interesting point is the actor he is really one amazing actor one of the best in korea for sure,along with actor choi min-sik..great movie violent,lyric,melancolik.

Source & credit to YESASIA.com

 

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R E V I E W B Y R I C H C L I N E

A Bittersweet Life

Stylish and full of attitude, this elegant revenge thriller has worms itself under our skin with vivid characters and jolting emotions. It's ultimately rather indulgent, but filmmaker Kim Ji-woon has enough skill to make it work.

Sun-woo (Lee Byung-hun) is a loyal employee of mob boss Kang (Kim Young-chul) who, when he goes on a business trip, asks Sun-woo to watch over his young girlfriend (Shin) and "take care of things" if he discovers she's having an affair. She is, and the coolly efficient Sun-woo has a moment of conscience, letting the guy leave if he promises never to return. But this decision seems to unleash the powers of hell against him--namely a vindictive rival gang and Sun-woo's ambitious colleague (Kim Roi-ha).

As the film gets increasingly violent and intense, the director maintains a dry, sardonic tone that makes the gruesome bloodletting almost comical. The character inter-reactions are sharply witty and timed to perfection, and the fight scenes show true inventiveness that never undermines the realism (unlike most Hollywood studio fight choreography). It's all so believable that we find ourselves drawn into Sun-woo's absurd situation.

Performances are equally realistic, layering world-weariness with tenacious arrogance. These people are so sure of themselves that they'd rather fight to the death than admit they might be wrong. And even when they should lie down and die of their injuries, they keep going. Kim uses everything he can think of (hair, costumes, glasses, sheer attitude) to make sure we know exactly who each character is from scene to scene. Even when he springs a mystery man (Moon) on us near the finale, we know this is someone from outside the gang world.

This is thrillingly entertaining cinema--gripping, ingenious, moving. When Sun-woo's world implodes due to a moment of emotional empathy, we find ourselves locked with him as the situation escalates beyond all sense of reason. Kim takes a few unnecessary sideroads in the final act, so the film feels overlong and a bit muddled at the very end. But as Sun-woo's quest for vengeance (or justice) inevitably leads to a surreal apocalypse, he beautifully pushes home the central theme of suppressed, unreachable dreams.

Source: http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/05/arth.htm

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A Bittersweet Life

Cert 18

Peter Bradshaw

Friday January 20, 2006

The Guardian

'Fierce and stylish-looking'

... A Bittersweet Life

Kim Jee-woon's grisly Korean thriller takes place in a swelter of neon and halogen, a world of gruesome shootings in subterranean bar/hotel private rooms and in front of headlights on freeway off-ramps. It is a fierce and stylish-looking gangland showdown with an Oedipal subtext; there are hints of Sergio Leone and Hong Kong action specialists Johnnie To and John Woo.

Lee Byeong-hun plays Sunwoo, a deadpan mob enforcer given a tricky task by the grey-haired capo: keep an eye on his beautiful young girlfriend Heesoo (Shin Min-ah) while he's out of town and find out if she's seeing anyone else - in which case, "take care of things". Sunwoo discovers she is indeed fooling around, but conceiving a tendresse for her himself, spares Heesoo's life and that of her lover. It is a terrible mistake. The jealous gang boss suspects (correctly) that Sunwoo loves Heesoo and the resulting tremors of quasi-incest and betrayal trigger an avalanche of mayhem.

The psychological underpinnings for all this take second place to the gore; we are led to expect a relationship between Sunwoo and Heesoo which never materialises. Kim Jee-woon's sheer operatic energy carries it along.

Source: Guardian Unlimited Film

http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Crit...1690381,00.html

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27 January 2006

A Bittersweet Life (18)

Plot

Underworld enforcer Sun-woo (Lee) has his boss' absolute trust in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. Amid the delicate assignment of spying on the senior gangster's girlfriend Hee-soo (Shin), he makes a split-second decision that will bring their world crashing down.

Review

Underworld enforcer-in-ascendance Sun-woo (Byung-hun) has his boss' trust in exchange for unquestioning loyalty and professionalism. Amid the delicate assignment of spying on the senior gangster's girlfriend Hee-soo (Min-a), he makes a split-second decision that will bring their world crashing down.

You could easily be forgiven for thinking A Bittersweet Life is a Park Chan-wook film - more specifically, the follow-up to Old Boy. Kim Ji-woon's latest is similar in style and in tone, and has the same vein of tar-black humour pumping through its heart. This is not a criticism – au contraire, it's a happy coincidence to have two similarly brilliant films come out of the same place in close succession. Echoes of Takeshi Kitano and Tarantino (right down to introducing the leading lady feet-first) are also apparent, yet Ji-woon can pride himself on not letting these influences drown out his own contribution – it's more often a case of drawing from the same hard-boiled roots of these contemporaries than owing them directly. Then there's the violence - suffice to say that there's quite a lot of it.

The only problems are pacing (a bit too much time is taken setting up the pieces in the first act), and Min-a's role. It may be interpreted as spirited in Bittersweet Life's homeland, but it borders on precocious here, and sometimes you wonder what everyone sees in her. Byung-hun however, puts in a star-making performance as the brutal chief whip-turned-fugitive, never overplaying what could easily become hammy and clichéd, and easily holds this Korean noir together.

Verdict

Despite stylistic déjà vu, this is hugely enjoyable, and beautifully brutal.

Source: Empire

http://www.empireonline.com/incinemas/Revi....asp?FID=133188

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Related excerpt from

Edinburgh - Day Four

Chris Tilly | Aug 24 2005

We have to head back to a darkened room however, for a screening of 'A Bittersweet Life', Kim Ji-Woon's first film since his well-received 2003 horror hit 'A Tale of Two Sisters'.

Yet another Korean feature with huge crossover potential, it's is an uncompromising thriller about a mob enforcer who signs his own death warrant when he takes pity on an adulteress couple.

Slow, deliberate and at times ultra-violent, the film is beautifully photographed by the director himself and features an outstanding central performance from 'Joint Security Area' star Lee Byung-Hun.

Source & full article at TimeOut London

http://www.timeout.com/film/news/603.html

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Lee Byung Hun & Hwang Jung Min

Credit: Cine21

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A Bittersweet Life (Dalkomhan Insaeng)

avg. user rating (1-10): 8.4

A BITTERSWEET LIFE FILM REVIEW

A gangland enforcer discovers a single moment of weakness can have horrific consequences in this stylish and violent South Korean thriller from the director of A Tale Of Two Sisters

A filmmaker who has marked his career with a series of surprising U-turns, director Kim Ji-Woon once again shifts gear with A Bittersweet Life, exchanging the head-spinning plot twists of Asian horror chiller A Tale of Two Sisters for a lush, brutal revenge thriller. He's also been strongly influenced by the Hong Kong 'heroic bloodshed' genre of action filmmaking made legendary by John Woo with The Killer and A Better Tomorrow. Here he cranks the violence up to genuinely shocking levels, adding a hint of spaghetti western-style brutality to an already potent cocktail.

The initially slow-burning story takes us through the world of restaurant manager and gangland enforcer Kim Sun-Woon (Lee), who has faithfully served his boss Kang (Kim) for seven years without question. Prepared to mete out violence when necessary, Sun-Woon is a consummate professional seemingly content with his life. But then Kang tells him to keep an eye on his youthful girlfriend Huei-Su (Min-A) while he's away on a business trip; if he finds evidence she's having an affair, he must either tell Kang or "fix the problem" himself.

After spending some time with Huei-Su, Sun-Woon finds evidence of the affair and is about to act - but at the critical moment, he decides not to carry out Kang's request, instead offering his silence if the man involved agrees to vanish without trace. It's this disobedience that pitches Sun-Woo and Kang against each other. Sun-Woon is rescued from execution by a rival - only to find a worse fate waiting for him at the hands of his employer. All Kang wants is an explanation, but after an astonishing face-off between Sun-Woon and a gang of thugs in an abandoned warehouse, the conflict is soon heading in a tragic and blood-splattered direction.

South Korean filmmakers are notorious for pushing the limits of onscreen violence, and A Bittersweet Life features a number of unforgettable sequences (including a genuinely horrific live burial that leaves Kill Bill Volume Two's example looking positively mild). It is anchored by a believable emotional story. Byung-Hun's portrayal puts a fascinating spin on the traditional loner hero, unafraid to indulge in unsympathetic moments and yet making the audience feel every step along his tragic path. The motivation behind his decision to disobey his boss is ambiguously portrayed for most of the film and remains open to misinterpretation, but while the final revelation won't satisfy everybody, it pushes the film in a far more poetic direction, instead of it becoming just another story of an ice-cold killer falling for his target.

Bookended by brief Buddhist parables and enhanced with an Ennio Morricone-style score, this is a visually stunning piece of work that sensibly relieves some of the story's bleakness with moments of black comedy, especially when Sun-Woon encounters a shambolic trio of gun smugglers. Everything builds towards the climactic showdown, with heavy echoes of Pulp Fiction and Get Carter, and while it's arguable that emotional depth and the laws of physics sometimes take a backseat to the superbly mounted action, this slick thriller stands as yet another example of Asian Cinema leaving Hollywood standing in the dust.

Verdict

South Korea once again delivers the goods with a thriller that's brutal, unforgiving and definitely not for the timid.

Film Review by Saxon Bullock

Source: channel4.com

http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film....d=153732&page=2

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From http://www.easternkicks.com/

01.06 Brilliant Korea... The ICA in London are holding a rather self-explanatory festival of new(ish) Korean movies. There's a chance to catch an early showing of Park Chan-Wook's Lady Vengeance, as well as many other titles including A Tale Of Two Sisters, A Bittersweet Life, R-Point, and Memories of Murder...

-----------

Brilliant Korea:

A Bittersweet Life

Film:

Dates between Fri 27 Jan - Thu 16 Feb 2006.

A formidable, darkly handsome exercise in outrageous all-out action from Korean director Kim Jee-woon (A Tale of Two Sisters).

Kim Seon-hoo is a coolly lethal and impeccably loyal Mob enforcer who finds himself at the centre of a face-off between rival gangs without the support of his boss Kang who has turned against him. Our anti-hero is forced to summon up all his strength and resourcefulness if he wants to stay alive. This is a ferociously paced, diamond-hard display of action-dynamics, with set-pieces so imaginatively choreographed and flamboyantly photographed that they put John Woo, Michael Mann and Quentin Tarantino to shame. When it comes to action cinema, this is the current state-of-the-art.

A Tartan Films release

Dir Kim Jee-woon, Korea, 2004,

118 mins, Subs

Brilliant Korea

To support the release of Kim Jee-won's A Bittersweet Life on 27 January, the ICA presents a survey of recent essential films from the world's current cinematic hotspot - South Korea. Focusing on the action and horror genres that have been reinvented by directors such as Kim Jee-won and Park Chan-wook, this is a dynamic guide to a national cinema that skilfully mixes visual artistry, narrative audacity and audience gratification.

Details at

Institute of Contemporary Arts

http://www.ica.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=14597

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"Bittersweet Life, A" Review

Having gained international recognition with his award–winning "A Tale of Two Sisters", Korean director Ji–woon Kim returns with this emotionally layered gangster which more than makes up in style what it lacks in subtlety or originality. Byung–hun Lee stars as Sun–woo, a mild–mannered hotel manager who is actually the right hand man and enforcer of local crime boss Kang (Yeong–cheol Kim). When Kang goes away on business, he asks Sun–woo to keep an eye on his young mistress, Hee–soo (Min–a Shin) who he suspects of dating another man. But one bad decision is to have a massive effect on Sun–woo's life when he fails to inform his boss of Hee–soo's indiscretion.

Action packed from start to finish, Ji–woon Kim certainly doesn't pull any punches with this dark and noirish movie. Right from the off Sun–woo is kicking butt and he doesn‘t stop for pretty much the entire film. Memorable scenes see his redefining of the phrase 'road rage' and battling to escape a warehouse packed with baddies (note; this scene closes with one of the best one liners you‘ll ever hear). But perhaps this is part of "A Bittersweet Life's" problem – at its heart is a story of blossoming love and affection but Kim seems so intent of filling the screen with kicks, punches and guns that much of it gets lost amid the blood and violence.

Still there's plenty here for fans of Asian cinema to enjoy and let's face it, who needs a soppy lovefest when you can have Byung–hun Lee at his explosive best.

Our review by Andy Gibbons

Source: MyMovies.net

http://www.mymovies.net/reviews/review_off...1&sec=incinemas

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Related (previous) interview with Lee Byung Hun

A Bittersweet Life makes me taste the bitterness

"This hardship is incomparable , even if you accumulate all the bitterness/hardship since my debut " said Lee Byung Hun

This is the true account of his bittersweet experience while currently filming Bittersweet Life

In the movie ..his role is not as sweet as implied in the movie title . In the role , he is the most trusted right hand man of the boss , but in one swift moment , he turned into the enemy of the clan (organisation) . In one project, Lee Byung Hun has to demonstrate two different life .

Even he also admitted , that this is the most extreme experience of changes that he has encountered in his 14 years of filming career

Lee Byung Hun in Bittersweet Life , he will be a well dressed gentleman driving his branded car ..and in the next moment , turned into a fearless .fugitive fleeing from his enemies ..

From director to the cast .they were all impressed by the versatility demonstrated by Lee Byung Hun in this demanding role which require such instant reactions..

For this two entirely .extreme roles , Lee Byung Hun have to be under the morning rain filming ,wearing just a thin layer of clothing ,

as the movie focus on triad revenge , there will be more chasing and fleeing ...shoots to be taken .

.it seem .more bitter .experience is awaiting

Credit: Shirley at www.leebyunghun.com (foreign board) for translating the article.

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Related (previous) movie update

NEWS 03-01-05

이병헌-에릭, '짧지만 강한 카리스마' 맞대결

Lee Byung Hun and Eric unfolded their charisma

Lee Byung Hun had successfully delivered 2 minutes performance in Red-White singing contest in Japan NHK TV on December 31, as an ambassadsor of KTNO, Lee Byung Hun was invited to commemorate the 40th anniversary of culture interflow between Korea and Japan. And Lee Byung Hun also expresses the gratitude to the Japan audience for interesting Koean cultures and stars.

The performeance in red-white contest was short but impressive. Lee Byung Hun caught all the participant's attention and his performance was ardently received by the audience.

On the other hand, Eric's leader glamour is spreading out gradually. Eric, a member of popular singing group, has confirmed to join "a Bittersweet Life" playing as a Killer while Lee Byung Hun was in Japan.

Eric plays a cold-blooded killer in this film. There are 4 times of appearance in the film altogether without a sentence of lines but Eric shows his strong charisma with his existence.

What the interest is, Lee Byung Hun and Eric are the rivals in the film. Lee Byung Hun in filmdom and Eric in singing sphere have never confronted with each other before, it's been anticipating that what kind of spark will be bursted out.

Sun Woo (Lee Byung Hun) accidently kill Eric's elder brother. In order to retaliate against Sun Woo, Eric gets into Sun Woo's organization. The indispensable antithesis exists between them. The scene is short but with intense conflict, the content is kept in high secrecy at this moment.

Source: moneytoday.com, translation credits to Doraemon Angel

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Source: lunapark6.com

LP6 Editors Picks 2005

Funky Forest (8.5)
Summer Time Machine Blues (8.5)
Crying Fist (8.0)
Hanging Garden (8.0)
Linda Linda Linda (8.0)
The President's Last Bang (8.0)
Woman on the Beach (7.8)
Art of Seduction (7.5)
A Bittersweet Life (7.5)
Election (7.5)
The King and the Clown (7.5)
My Lovely Week (7.5)
Rules of Dating (7.5)

Thanks to the highlight by Angel70-lovelbh, captures from original source

[Guest Alxneeds2gopee]

this movie was pretty good i didn't think it was as violent as people made it out to be, but it was pretty violent lol. One question i have is whether or not heesoo really liked sun woo or not. The shots were awesome and i like how he kicked those ricers asses and threw away the key

i liked the story at the end...about the diciple's dream.

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Thanks to the highlight at Forever Lee Byung Hun fan-blog, original captures courtesy youu33.paran.comand as stated



 

 

     

Source: www.bitter-sweet.co.kr, nate.com

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Dir. KJW and LBH » BSL 2005-March-21

Captures from newsbank.co.kr, thanks to roger-bhjwlove.com

Dir. KJW and LBH » BSL 2005-March-21

 

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A Bittersweet Life (2005)

Before I get on with talking about A Bittersweet Life, I must point out that I discovered this film after seeing an amazing fan vid about it to the song ‘Everyday is Exactly the Same’ by Nine Inch Nails. The vid is found over HERE – but I must warn you it contains MAJOR SPOILERS. If you aren’t worried about getting spoiled – go watch it. If you are worried about getting spoiled – watch the movie and then go watch it. You won’t be disappointed.

[(CinemaEye) – Sun Woo (Lee Byung-Hun) is the proprietor of a hotel bar, La Dolce Vita but also the right-hand man to the powerful gang leader, Mr. Kang. When Kang suspects that his beautiful young mistress Hee Soo might be having affair with another man, he asks Sun Woo to resolve the matter by commanding him to follow her around. Sun Woo’s order is simple. If he catches Hee Soo cheating, he must execute her. However, when Sun Woo catches Hee Soo with her lover, he makes a decision without knowing its consequences. 

Here’s a guy who works for mobster. He follows orders, he beats up people, he kills people by his boss’ order. He has no friends, no family, no hobbies, nothing. He gets up, goes to work, comes home, goes to sleep, gets up, goes to work, etc, etc, etc. Sun Woo is caught in a cycle of violence and crime, but begins to see another way in the form of Hee Soo. Hee Soo is spontaneous, full of life, and passionate about the cello.

Though realistically Sun Woo is not the kind of guy you want to have a coffee with, this film gets right into the character’s psyche and his eventual desire for change and you can’t help but root for him.

Like a lot of East Asian films that I’ve seen – A Bittersweet Life is full of such amazing cinematography. Even if you decide to forget about the plot, which you shouldn’t, it’s beautiful and really nice to watch.

Rating: 5/5

Source: martoufmarty.com

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BSL review - 5stars

Unexpected!

I saw this movie in Seoul this April and it was absolutely amusing! Although some people found that there are too many violent scences all over the movie. I still like it in a way especially the storyboard, it's totally suitable for it's title" A bitter sweet life" as it sharply pointed out that you have to give out something in order to get the goodness you wanted and simply that's just the way of life. Besides, I was very impressed by Lee Byung Hun from the way he acts in this movie, it's totally different from all his previous one. He is really a charismatic actor!

Reviewer: Diane

Submitted on: Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Source: http://global.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/...ion-all/did-165

---------------------------------------

Wow.,

29 June 2005

Reviewed by m_1_sephiroth_1_m from Northern Mariana Islands

This film is the first action noir movie from Korea, and it sure doesn't disappoint. It's pretty similar to Kill Bill. The main character gets his a*s kicked, and he releases unholy hell on those who helped out on it. Some parts are violent and will make you cringe in your seat, but it just makes the movie look more realistic. All the actors did a great job, except Eric (who acted as the brother of a weapon smuggler) and Shin Mina (who acted as Hee Soo, the main female character) seemed like they didn't bring up their character to their best. I read many reviews about how superb Lee Byung Hun's acting was, and I strongly agree.

I heard that this movie was meant to be 2 hours and 50 minutes long, but due to certain conditions, 50 minutes of it was taken out. Due to this, it seems the character development of certain characters was a little incomplete. I just can't wait to see the DVD, which will fortunately be released as the Director's Cut. Anyhow, the theatrical 2 hour version of the movie is still great and entertaining and I don't see how someone can get bored from it.

9 out of 10 stars.

Source: www.imdb.com

[Guest samgirl]

hello mrs lee , gigi =)

i just got the DVD it has been sitting in the post for quite awhile

and i just wanted to say thank you sooo much!!

oh and there were filipino guys there as gangsters .. hahahha

god bless!!