“No Mercy for the Rude” has already caused a stir as a result of having been bought up by the Weinsteins for release in the West, a fact which although by no means guarantees that the film will actually see the light of day any time soon, at least marks it as a possible ‘next big thing’ for fans of Asian cinema. The film is the first from Park Chul Hee, who had previously worked with other directors such as Lee Jang Ho and Jang Sun Woo, and had written the ghost thriller “Face”. “No Mercy for the Rude” is an assured and confident debut, and clearly indicates that Park is a talent to watch.
The plot revolves around the oddly, yet aptly named Killa (Shin Ha Kyun, “Save the Green Planet!”), a hitman whose tongue is too short, a disability which has left him too embarrassed to speak, and who is knocking off targets with a knife to the heart in order to save up money for an operation. Deciding only to kill the titular rude of society (i.e. those who deserve it), Killa gradually draws closer to his goal, though finds his relatively peaceful existence shattered by his involvement with bar girl She (Yoon Ji Hye) and a young boy who falls into his care by default.
After a botched killing sees him hunted by vicious gangsters, and with the police sniffing around his trail, Killa desperately tries to keep his eyes on the prize as his life spirals violently out of control.
Friday, September 25, 2009
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