This was a masterpiece, or very close to one. Bong Joon-ho has made something quite marvellous with his internationally acclaimed film, based on a true investigation of a serial murder case. Set in the late 80s in rural Korea, the cinematography here was excellent, beautiful and gritty at the same time. It sets the mood rather well. The camera wasn't shy at all. There were lots of long, unflinching shots of dialog and sequences intermingled with action, and backed by a solid soundtrack.
The casting was definitely top-notch. I have always been fond of Song Kang-ho and his acting abilities, and he didn't disappoint here as the detective who prefers 'thinking with his feet' as opposed to the city cop (played brilliantly by Kim Sang-kyung) that relies too much on intellect and his methodical approach. There was enough screen time to flesh out each character, and we were treated to some great displays of violence by the detectives themselves. Also, there were a lot of dropkicks in this film. It seems the preferred method to start a fight back then was a good ol' dropkick to the face. Song Kang-ho even dropkicked someone in the face while on a slope. (how cool is that?)
One of the main things that was so great about this film was the mood. It manages to stay on a constantly dark, brewing tone, growing tense during the actual crime parts and then shifting back to the sombre mood, all while keeping the audience in suspense and managing a few chuckles here and there. This film was a cinematic feat in itself, and is certainly one of the better thrillers of our time.
4.5/5 stars
IMDB
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