Duelist

Also known as 형사 (Hyeong-sa), produced in 2005, and the Korean word actually translated to The Detective but the posters seem to contain the English word already. It was borrowed off a friend (and she said she needs it back soon but I kinda doubt her understanding of soon now). I wasn't too interested in viewing it until tonight when I decided to sit down, take a rest and watch something.

Synopsis: The story is very simple really, the woman is a member of the police whereas the guy is an outlaw. The story begins with the woman, named Nam Soon, and members of the police tailing a group of counter-feiters of money in the act of transaction with another person, but before they could act a man in mask who they presumes is a performer, stops the transaction by killing the counter-feiters, strikes the horse cart, made the counter-feited money scatters on the ground and runs away. But unable to capture the man the investigation continues. And soon Nam Soon and the man (only known as Sad Eyes) meets again and a certain bond develops. But in the end it's really a complicated love story really. Anyway that's all I could afford to say for more information I suggest you go and check out the Wiki's version of the synopsis.

Casts: Kang Dong-Won as Sad Eyes, Ha Ji-Won as Nam Soon, Ahn Seong-Gi as Detective Ahn

Review: As soon as I laid eyes on Kang Dong Won's character's face I melted. For real! I giggled like a little girl so much thank god I was watching it in my own room. But besides that very unreliable review I have to say I quite like the cinematic approach the director, Lee Myeong-se, took with the movie. Like the review in Wiki said it was very impressionistic with "extensive use of slow motion, freeze frames, multiple images, and varying perspectives." The story isn't laid out too well but the weaponry choreography should be taken notice of in this movie. It was choreographed beautifully, I personally like the choreograph of the sword dance by Sad Eyes in front of the Defence Minister and the fight scene between Nam Soon and Sad Eyes. With that aside the film is often not too melodramatic or even violent (so don't expect any sword fighting or extreme violence) there's a bit of quirk, humor and wit; the film is certainly not a reflection of that period in Korea's history it feels more like a modern espionage set in periodical time. I thoroughly enjoy the cinematography of this movie and don't expect too much violence or even much of a story, I think the most important element in this movie is the direction and the overall feeling of the movie, it almost feels like watching a moving painting for me, it was very inspirational I must say.

Ratings: 3/5 stars

Post Script: Maan everytime they did a close-up shot of Kang Dong-Won I seriously melted *sigh* if only I can put that shot in here, I couldn't take a screenshot because it won't let me so I guess you just have to watch the movie yourself. And by all that I meant Kang Dong-Won is sexy in this movie XD oh yeah...