As the new millennium dawned, Park Chan-wook burst on to the international cinema scene with those films you know all about. Though after "Lady Vengeance" (2005), with the exception of "The Handmaiden" (2016), I've found much of his work to be fairly mediocre offerings which I struggled to get into and found mostly forgettable.
And "Decision to Leave" is a film that fits Park's career perfectly in that it switches between moments of great filmmaking and moments where perhaps a better decision could have been made. I don't think I've watched any of his films that don't have at least a blip or two, though while an enjoyable watch overall, "Decision to Leave" perhaps has a few too many moments to make it a great film.
Detective Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) is put on what seems a fairly open-and-shut case of a wealthy mountaineer falling to his death scaling a peak. Questioning his widow, the enigmatic young Chinese Seo-rae (Tang Wei), he is attracted to her, but believes she isn't quite as heartbroken as she maybe should be.
With Hae-jun's wife living in another city, he develops a close relationship with Seo-rae. But when things get to a head between them, Hae-jun's initial suspicions are realised. Cutting all ties and moving to start a new life in a small town with his wife, Seo-rae enters his life once more, with another dead husband. Whatever the truth of this second case, Hae-jun has already made his mind up as the where guilt lies.
For much of its runtime, "Decision to Leave" feels like a film on the verge, but never quite gets there. Initially, there is a feeling of light humour, though this is toned down quickly, and laughs are not what much of this is about. There are also some CSI-like graphics which you'd simply rather do without. But starting off as a detective drama, this moves into the world of romance.
The first half, therefore, is quite varied in mood and tone, and it's not until we are fully into the love story that you can sink in and enjoy it. Though now we are thrown into the world of twists and turns towards the end, as the story starts to become a little convoluted.
But overall, this is an enjoyable watch that you will be drawn into towards its latter stages. It certainly looks the part, and Wei is the star as the enigmatic Seo-rae who we're never quite sure whether to believe or not.
This is a good film, but too much of a jack-of-all-trades to ever become great. It's not fully a detective drama; never quite a romance; lacking the cool of a noir. The final scene, however, is certainly its standout moment, as Seo-rae meets her ingenious demise, and worthy of your efforts to get there. Park can certainly make a good film, though sometimes his decisions could be better.
Politic1983.home.blog.
And "Decision to Leave" is a film that fits Park's career perfectly in that it switches between moments of great filmmaking and moments where perhaps a better decision could have been made. I don't think I've watched any of his films that don't have at least a blip or two, though while an enjoyable watch overall, "Decision to Leave" perhaps has a few too many moments to make it a great film.
Detective Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) is put on what seems a fairly open-and-shut case of a wealthy mountaineer falling to his death scaling a peak. Questioning his widow, the enigmatic young Chinese Seo-rae (Tang Wei), he is attracted to her, but believes she isn't quite as heartbroken as she maybe should be.
With Hae-jun's wife living in another city, he develops a close relationship with Seo-rae. But when things get to a head between them, Hae-jun's initial suspicions are realised. Cutting all ties and moving to start a new life in a small town with his wife, Seo-rae enters his life once more, with another dead husband. Whatever the truth of this second case, Hae-jun has already made his mind up as the where guilt lies.
For much of its runtime, "Decision to Leave" feels like a film on the verge, but never quite gets there. Initially, there is a feeling of light humour, though this is toned down quickly, and laughs are not what much of this is about. There are also some CSI-like graphics which you'd simply rather do without. But starting off as a detective drama, this moves into the world of romance.
The first half, therefore, is quite varied in mood and tone, and it's not until we are fully into the love story that you can sink in and enjoy it. Though now we are thrown into the world of twists and turns towards the end, as the story starts to become a little convoluted.
But overall, this is an enjoyable watch that you will be drawn into towards its latter stages. It certainly looks the part, and Wei is the star as the enigmatic Seo-rae who we're never quite sure whether to believe or not.
This is a good film, but too much of a jack-of-all-trades to ever become great. It's not fully a detective drama; never quite a romance; lacking the cool of a noir. The final scene, however, is certainly its standout moment, as Seo-rae meets her ingenious demise, and worthy of your efforts to get there. Park can certainly make a good film, though sometimes his decisions could be better.
Politic1983.home.blog.