The summary:
Choi Min Suk (award-winning Korean actor) plays an aging gangster named Lee Kang Jae. Throughout the movie, he takes punishment from the younger gangsters and also from his boss, who used to be his good friend and also equal in rank. However, some gangsters strived, while others just lay stagnant...Kang Jae was one of the stagnant ones. Therefore, Kang Jae is left to carrying out petty jobs, such as running an illegal porn video ring and faking documents. On one occasion, he is paid to forge marriage documents, which would make him married to Failan, played by the ever-attractive Chinese actress Cecilia Cheung. This gives Failan a visa to work in Korea.
Analysis **Spoiler**:
Cecilia's character is not described in nearly as much detail as Min Suk's, despite the title being Failan, but that is because this movie is really about Min Suk's character. I agree that a deeper look into Cecilia's character may have made the movie more emotionally charged, but like I said, the movie is about Kang Jae. Both characters have nearly hopeless situations. Kang Jae is finally driven to tears at reading Failan's letters, because he realizes what a hopeless and worthless life he's been living. Furthermore, Failan's appreciation for Kang Jae's marriage is the only proof that Kang Jae has that he has some impact on the world; that he actually is important to anything. **Spoiler** At the end, Kang Jae tells his boss his decision, but he already knows what may happen when he says this. Even though Kang Jae packs up at his place at the end, he has already seen that his life had an impact. Plus, he already knows that if he goes home, he has nothing.
Great acting, great movie.
Choi Min Suk (award-winning Korean actor) plays an aging gangster named Lee Kang Jae. Throughout the movie, he takes punishment from the younger gangsters and also from his boss, who used to be his good friend and also equal in rank. However, some gangsters strived, while others just lay stagnant...Kang Jae was one of the stagnant ones. Therefore, Kang Jae is left to carrying out petty jobs, such as running an illegal porn video ring and faking documents. On one occasion, he is paid to forge marriage documents, which would make him married to Failan, played by the ever-attractive Chinese actress Cecilia Cheung. This gives Failan a visa to work in Korea.
Analysis **Spoiler**:
Cecilia's character is not described in nearly as much detail as Min Suk's, despite the title being Failan, but that is because this movie is really about Min Suk's character. I agree that a deeper look into Cecilia's character may have made the movie more emotionally charged, but like I said, the movie is about Kang Jae. Both characters have nearly hopeless situations. Kang Jae is finally driven to tears at reading Failan's letters, because he realizes what a hopeless and worthless life he's been living. Furthermore, Failan's appreciation for Kang Jae's marriage is the only proof that Kang Jae has that he has some impact on the world; that he actually is important to anything. **Spoiler** At the end, Kang Jae tells his boss his decision, but he already knows what may happen when he says this. Even though Kang Jae packs up at his place at the end, he has already seen that his life had an impact. Plus, he already knows that if he goes home, he has nothing.
Great acting, great movie.