LFF 2022: Decision To Leave Review A Filmmaker Who Is Predictable Only In His Total Unpredictability
Park Chan Wook is a famous director. The South Korean director's "Revenge" trilogy, included in the middle chapter " Old Boy ", helped popularize South Korean cinema, his American debut " Stoker " was a gothic story about family ties, his erotic thriller "The Maid " was recognized as follows. It is one of the best movies of the year, so the latest movie comes with a lot of expectations.
The decision to leave is based on a deceptively simple plot. Hae Joon is a detective investigating the death of a rock climber, which makes him suspect Seo Rae, a widowed Chinese immigrant. Gradually, he begins to develop an emotional connection with her, which clouds his judgment.
While this is the plot of many noir films, especially Vertigo, director Park explores the thoughts of his characters. Park Hae Il looks restless as detective Hae Joon, who is sleep-deprived and tries to find a way all day. Tang Wei, little used after her excellent performance in Lust, plays a wary So-rae with real emotional pain and lust.
The film lacks the expected and consequential intensity. It's Pak's scariest film, which doesn't deal with sex like his other works, usually exploring people's physical desires. It's more of a movie about how the characters feel and what they want.
It's also a two-part film set in two different cities, which makes it a bit slow and not as satisfying of a thriller as it could be. There's no real mystery in the movie, what's going on is very clear and instead wants to see Hye Jung's reaction to the woman who walks into his life.
However, director Park also directs the film with his usual skill, mixing offbeat humor – a low-energy car chase – with shocking visuals – a man falling to his death. Although he channels his inner Hitchcock, Puck knows what to do in his own way, learning how food can bring people together and how boredom affects people.
Except for the moving camera and tonal shift, the soundtrack is the best of the Park films and carries you through the entire film. Although the film chooses to be a bit more chill in terms of pace and intensity, Jo Yong Wook's score elevates it quite a bit.
It may seem like an odd move from the man who gave us Oldboy's struggle in one go, but it's perfectly fitting for a director who explores the soul of his characters and is judged solely on action. . Totally unexpected.
