Commitment (2013)

Purely Joyful Movie!

Boring

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Fans of well-written stories and interesting spy/espionage films (similar in nature to the Bourne Trilogy) coupled with competent, convincing acting, smart direction, and sharp (but not dizzying) action editing should really appreciate this film.The character development unfolds in a manner that draws the viewer close enough to care for the 19 year-old North Korean spy (brilliantly played by Seung Hyun Choi) as well as several other characters who convincingly convey deep emotions with economical use of dialogue, non-verbal expression, and relatively limited screen time.The action film includes a balancing dose of drama by placing an equal emphasis upon character development; and, the story also gives the talented actors an opportunity to emote some cultural insight related to the feelings and hardships associated with the political division of a culturally homogeneous North and South Korea. I look forward to future films written by Kim Soo-young, directed by Hong-soo Park as well as films that include the young, talented actor Seung Hyun Choi.

The son and daughter of a falsely-accused North Korean traitor are imprisoned for their father's crime; one day, the son is given the chance to not only earn their freedom, but to erase the stain on their family name by becoming a spy.Sparing us the needless training scenes, our anti-hero enters the South, the Republic of Korea, as a refugee, where he is "adopted" by North Korean handlers (despite being an adult) and sent to school. Okay, so I've no idea at what age Koreans leave school, but this seemed weird... but not as weird as teachers bullying pupils with a wooden cane before leaving them unsupervised. Still, carry on...The lead soon develops an attachment with a classmate, and even though there's never any romance per se, there is a genuine chemistry, which makes their relationship feel more meaningful than just two horny teens bonking. And this is important, because we already know she'll most likely be kidnapped - but certainly used against him - later on by his enemies. This is an action flick, after all.But what's this? As our spy sets about his duty, a rival faction's bumping his fellow spies off as a major player seeks to usurp power in the North.Yeah, I really liked this part of the plot, just as I really liked how our young spy understood none of it, being naive to the ways of the world. Anyway, the story twists and turns, there are shoot outs, plenty of kick-arse fights scenes and then we get to the ending, which is either going to be the typical Hollywood ending (the hero rides off into the sunset with the girl) or the typical Korean one (i.e. everybody dies), because so far, the film hasn't broken any seriously new ground to elevate it beyond being a merely good action-thriller. And South Korea knocks them out by the dozen.So, if you're new to Korean cinema, you'll likely love this flick, but for fans who have seen it all before, there's really not enough here to recommend, even though it is very enjoyable while it lasts.

After his father is killed by South Korean security police, his teenage son, "Ri Myung-hoon" (Seung Hyun Choi) and daughter "Ri Hye-in" (Yoo-Jeong Kim) are sent to a North Korean concentration camp as punishment for their father's failed mission. At least that's what they are told. The real reason behind their imprisonment is to entice Ri Myung-hoon into volunteering for a highly classified mission in which he is to assassinate North Korean agents working in the South but under a rival official. Naturally, he isn't told anything but what he needs to know and since his sister's life depends on him he doesn't ask any questions. However, upon getting into South Korea he is then instructed to assume the identity of a high school student and this makes his mission even more difficult. Now rather than reveal any more of this film I will just say that I thoroughly enjoyed the political intrigue and accompanying drama. Although Seung Hyun Choi looked a bit too old for a high school student he still managed to perform in an excellent manner as did Ye-ri Han (as "Lee Hye-in") to a lesser degree. In any case, as anyone who has been to South Korea surely knows, the North Korean mindset is more than a little fanatical and this movie manages to capture it pretty well. That's not to say that this movie is totally realistic because it isn't. But it's still enjoyable all the same. I have rated the film accordingly. Above average.

Commitment is a spy drama that takes place during the change of guard in North Korea where forces in the North are jockeying with forces in the South. Into this struggle, the son of a murdered spy is recruited to go to South Korea as an assassin, his reward being that upon the successful completion of his mission he will be reunited with his sister.The acting is uniformly good, especially from Seung Hyun Choi as the spy, Ye-ri Han as the girl he meets, and Park Ji-Il as the South Korean agent who hunts him down. Most of these actors will be unfamiliar to U.S. audiences.In recent years Korean films have been able to master the art of action sequences - "OldBoy" (2003), "The Chaser" (2008), "Bittersweet Life" (2005), "The Man from Nowhere" (2010). The current film does well, but at the heart of an action film one must believe that the hero is capable of performing the feats ascribed to him. In this case, it's only partially true. Neither by dint of his own physicality, nor the back story, are we able to believe that Seung Hyun Choi is capable of the martial arts skills he displays. In fairness to Choi , he does do OK, so it's not a question of disbelief, but neither is there an unquestioning acceptance.Apart from some good action sequences, the film is an interesting travelogue about life in South Korea, as well as a look at police work in that Country.