Thursday, August 25, 2011

I Saw the Devil | 악마를 보았다

The Pitch

I Saw the Devil has been on my radar for a long time. I been wondering if this movie would be getting any cinematic release here in Singapore. The wait is finally over. I Saw the Devil will be shown from 15 Nov 2011 onwards at Cathay Cinemas (courtesy of Luna Films).

There are a couple of reasons why I want to see this movie.

Firstly, the violent content in this serial movie made the Korea Media Rating Board to force the director Kim Ji-woon to remove the objectionable materials before it's allowed theatrical release. Sound like it's going to be an unflinching movie that's what made Korean movies so great.

Besides having the potential to be a very well made torture porn, I Saw the Devil stars Lee Byun Hyun (A Bittersweet Life) and Choi Min-sk (Oldboy). Both of them had made some of the most engaging Korean movies in recent years. It would be a blast to see this two actors go against each other in this movie.

Then there's the collaboration between Lee Byun Hyun and director Kim Ji-woon. Both of them made A Bittersweet Life (my personal faveourite movie of all time) and The Good, the Bad the Weird. If I am not wrong, this would mark their third collaboration in movies and somehow, their collaboration had always brought something special onto the screen.

Last but not least, I Saw the Devil also marks the return of Choi Min-sk in Korean movies. He went into a self imposed exile from Korean movies to protest against the reduction of the Film Quota in South Korea back in 2006. Probably didn't work out as well as he had planned but I for one, am glad that he is coming back to Korean movies.

To sum it up, intriguing subject matter that was too much for the Korean censorship and two of the best Korean actors going head to head with each other, I Saw the Devil is on my must watch list*.

*That is hopping that Singapore Censorship Board won't cut (too much) of this movie.

The Plot

Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sk) is a dangerous psychopath who kills for pleasure. He has committed infernal serial murders in diabolic ways that one cannot even begin to imagine and his victims range from young women to even children. The police have been chasing him for a long time, but unable to catch him.

One day, Ju-yeon, daughter of a retired police chief, becomes his prey and is found dead in a horrific state.

Her fiancé Soo-hyun (Lee Byun Hyun), a top secret agent, decides to track down the murderer himself. He vows to do everything in his power to take bloody vengeance against the killer, even if it means that he must become a monster himself to get the monstrous and inhumane killer.

(Plot Outline from Cathay)

Coming Soon (15 Sep)

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