DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Rubbercorpse This spectacular movie came out nine years before John Wick, but because I am a westerner I saw J.W. and J.W.2 before this. After watching this masterpiece, I was compelled to write my first movie review. This movie is just as good as J.W. and in many ways similar to it, but it is something completely different at the same time. The movie is two hours long, but it didn't feel too lengthy or boring at all.Dalkomhan insaeng tells the story of a respected, talented, and merciless mafia enforcer named Sung-Woo whose devotion to martial arts is beyond ordinary mobsters. He seems like a person who is used to doing everything his boss tells him, but one job makes him hesitate, and the mafia goes after him.The way Sung-Woo's situation changes from being respected to hunted is expected yet perfectly subtle at the same time, and watching his character develop during the movie was rewarding. Every single character in the movie was believable and had a unique personality. The acting of all actors, both lead and support, was spot on.What really made this movie a perfect 10 for me was how basically everything is shown. Just like in John Wick, the action scenes are filmed with steady cameras so the viewer can appreciate the choreography of the combat. And even so, there is still something even more visceral, gritty, and violent about this movie that I haven't seen before in cinema. Sure, there are super violent movies out there, but the violence in Dalkomhan insaeng didn't have a single sign of over-the-topness. We get to see dead bodies laying still in a growing pool of blood, stabbing, smashing, bullet hits and blood pulsating through bullet holes via the now rare medium of a still movie camera frame that truly lets the viewer see what's going on.The movie had a few implausible events regarding main character Sung- Woo's abilities, fitness, and pain tolerance, but this movie definitely ranks closer to 10 than 9.5 in my books. After all, it is obvious from the start that Sung-Woo is not an ordinary guy. Also, the soundtrack was nice, different, and refreshing.

X Boy Kim Jee-woon is a brilliant director and i remember him as the one who made one of my all time favorite horror film 'A Tale of Two Sisters'. I keep looking forward to his new work. A Bittersweet Life was not any disappointment at all, although it was not as intelligent work as the one I mentioned above.As far as story is concerned, there is nothing much into it. A sophisticated gangster is given a task by his boss to check on his girlfriend and kill her if she is having an affair. But our guy fails to do so because he develops soft corner for the girl. Boss does not like this and suddenly everyone turns against him. From there and on wards it's pretty much action only. But very good action indeed.Although movie feels weak at points where the main character, who is shown to be very sharp and master of martial arts, under estimates the situation and opponents. The purpose seem to create complex situation and show blood. Also at point, emotional fragility would sound infused. Why did the boss let his girlfriend go alive which he wanted to kill. I was expecting movie around her protection. The most interesting scene is where he learns to assemble the gun and then there is a race who assembles first for life.Apart from story, everything is perfect and to the spot. Byung-hun Lee is exceptional in his role. He totally carries out the character with depth. A well made movie which could have been bitter.

George Clarke I first bought A Bittersweet Life not knowing what to expect, but was already in love with Korean cinema!I hadn't heard of its star Jeong-min Hwang, and the DVD wasn't giving away much. Then I watched it. And I was blown away!A Bittersweet Life quickly jumped to the top of my re-watch pile and I was telling everyone I knew about this awesome movie.Leading star, Jeong-min Hwang is Korea's Chow Yun Fat without a doubt. Handsome, fantastic actor, and great at action (further seen in his Hollywood debut - the p*ss poor GI Joe movies), Hwang is a star!His role in A Bittersweet Life just confirms that, and instantly earns him fans as viewers become hooked by him in this incredible film.I can't praise it enough and don't want to give anything away. Just see it before Hollywood remakes it and no doubt messes that one up too!

Thomas Tokmenko Crime, melodrama, and vengeance. Three elements presented here that blend in twisted harmony. A Bittersweet life is a character study of a young man that has been warped by the mob's emphasis on money/power/violence, and portrays his subsequent inner struggle to uncover a moral compass. Byung-hun Lee with an excellent performance, plays a young and cocky mobster who at the peak of his profession becomes love-struck, slowly shattering his realm of immortality, insecurity, and grim outlook towards society. Longing to feel human, he makes a decision which has the potential to not only destroy his career, but also his life. The added elements of action and martial arts are especially well done, with sound so crisp and choreography so genuine you'll jump with each confrontation. I recommend the Blu-ray version as it highlights the dreamlike state of the protagonist and hypnotizes you into this flashy yet hollow crime underworld. Director Jee-woon Kim really knows how to capture the interest of the audience, the storytelling here is top notch and suspenseful all the way through. It pulls out all the familiar stops of the Heroic Bloodshed genre and much more. The movie earns a strong R rating, however the violence supplements the material unlike many similar films today. If you enjoy the films The Killer and Infernal affairs, A Bittersweet life should come as a real treat. -10/10