RISING TO THE TOP
This is the story of Choi Ik-Hyun, a lowly civil servant who, along with his team, dabbles in a bit of racketeering on the side. Stolen gold watches and ginseng aside, he’s positioned himself rather well, regularly rummaging through shipping containers or getting his hands on the occasional ( or not so occasional ) bribe. Through a series of unexpected events, he will rise to the very top of a criminal organization only to become a prominent figure of a syndicate in the 90′s on the verge of an all-out war with the government agencies in charge of stifling its activities.
Within the first few moment of the film, Choi Ik-Hyun ( Choi Min-Sik ) gets thrown in jail. The prosecutor in charge of the investigation pays him a not so courteous little visit and, shall we say, encourages him to come clean by putting down a heartfelt confession on paper. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, our ageing crime boss begins to recount the events that led to his ascension as semi-ruler of the cartel.
Back to the 80′s we go, to a time when Choi Ik-Hyun was much younger. He and his crew discover a rather large package of heroin stashed away in one of the containers he so routinely loots. Given a chance to make a quick buck, he instantly decides to enter the criminal underworld of Busan, South Korea, only to find a distant relative in charge of half the territory. The other half belonging to a certain Kim Pan-Ho…
Now, “Nameless Gangster” doesn’t take itself too seriously, it must be said. Its wit goes a long way towards entertaining the viewer without slowing the progression down. In that regard, it shares some similarities with Ted Demme’s “Blow”. A story about an anti-hero, of sorts, that never get too dramatic by sacrificing its levity for hardcore realism. Not like say… Michael Mann’s “Heat”, for example. So bottom line, in “Bumchoiwaui Junjaeng”, you’re trading off action for humour, not comedy mind you. Humour.
The music takes a cue from that very concept and constantly keeps the mood as lighthearted as possible. Then when it needs to ratchet things up a few notches is does so brilliantly. The camera work is excellent, if for no other reason than the fact that it mixes angles and distances quite well. The decors, costumes and hairstyles reflect the 80′s and 90′s well enough to not detract your attention from what is happening on-screen and casting Choi Min-Sik, one of Korea’s finest, as the main character is always a huge plus.
The rest of the cast is fabulous as well. First, there’s Choi Hyung-Bae played by Ha Jung-Woo. This character is a powerful, quick-tempered and well known gangster who just happens to be related to Choi Ik-Hyun. The two are a delight to watch throughout the entire film. Then there’s the young and not so calm Jo Bum-Suk played by Kwak Do-Won. This guy is the prosecutor/interrogator in charge and he is determined to make a many heads roll as possible.
While I’m at it, let’s not forget the sultry Ms. Jung, investor and owner of a nightclub, played by Kim Hye-Eun. Femme fatale turned entrepreneur, she’s as likely to make you weak at the knees as she is to stick a dagger in your back. And also worthy of note, Cho Jin-Woong as Kim Pan-Ho. Chief manager, enforcer, extortionist. It’s easy to sum Kim Pan-Ho up and ever easier to recognize him thanks to the nasty scar he sports on his left cheek. He owns 50 % of the sector and is Choi Hyung-Bae‘s closest rival.
In the end, you get a superbly acted and engrossing movie. You’ll find memorable characters, a great soundtrack and most important of all: you’ll have fun watching this one. “Nameless Gangster” is a blast. It’s over two hours long but it breezed by so quick that it felt like a 90 minute affair to me. You know it’s always a great sign when you never look for a clock or glance at your watch once while you’re watching something new. Two thumbs way up. Enjoy.