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No Blood No Tears (2002)

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Posted on August 30, 2011 by Justin

This year’s KOFFIA festival opened with a bang, with director Ryoo Seung-wan presenting his huge hit from last year, The Unjust — an action thriller in which policemen, prosecutors and property developers are caught in an endless cycle of corruption. A couple of days into the festival, as part of their Bloody Friday match-up, the KOFFIA team programmed another Ryoo film: 2002’s No Blood No Tears.

As with the opening film, director Ryoo himself got up on stage and … (read more)

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Silmido (2003)

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Posted on March 12, 2007 by James

In thinking about this review it occurred to me that Silmido is not a film I’m supposed to enjoy. This came as a surprise, since although it is limited in terms of satisfying story progression (or even closure) it did sustain my interest. The cause of this paradox lies, I think, in the film’s generic oscillations. Cinema Service founder and part owner Kang Woo-suk (Public Enemy) knows how to produce and market suspenseful action blockbusters, but he makes … (read more)

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