Wow, what a new look for Lee Min Ho! He's certainly not Gu Joon Pyo anymore!
The story is hard to follow at first; the difference between the gangs, who's in which gang, who's the leader of that gang, and which politician is their sponsor. I watched it twice to make sure (hence the high-ish rewatch value score... it's a long movie!), and soon enough the characters start to stand out more than just your average background supporting cast. I enjoyed it partially because I imagine this is what real life was like. The three (four?) sex scenes, the blood... kind of reminded me of some Tarantino movies.
I haven't seen Kim Rae Won before, but I like how he took his character... a nobody works his way up in the gangster world, forced to make hard decisions that affect his relationship with Jong Dae. Kim Rae Won has this rough guy look about him, which added to his performance. Lee Min Ho seemed like City Hunter's Yoon Sung times 500! Whoa, it's amazing to see him graduate from pretty flower boy roles to this rough and tough gangster. I understand now why in press conferences it was said he aged at least a decade. I think he really managed this transition well, pulling just the right facial expressions to make you feel his pain.
I won't go into too much more, but if you are not comfortable seeing blood, violence, graphic sex, or cursing, this movie is not for you. In my opinion, it didn't quite live up to the hype it got over Dramafever or whatever, but it is a good generic gangster movie.
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