It's an Asian neo-noir film set in modern times in Busan, Korea, and a smaller fictional city, Ipo, in Korea. It follows a police detective who becomes too engaged with a suspect in a murder, first in Busan and later in Ipo.
Jang Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) is the detective in Busan. He's married to Jung-an (Lee Jung-hyun) but only sees her on weekends because she works in Ipo. They have no children and a tired marriage. A retired immigration official dies in a fall from a mountain. There is a suicide note, but Hae-jun and his partner, Soo-wan (Go Kyung-pyo), suspect the dead man's much younger attractive wife, Song Seo-rae (Tang Wei). She is of Chinese background and appears to be an illegal immigrant, though she was allowed to stay in Korea.
Hae-jun puts Seo-rae under surveillance, mostly by himself, since he has trouble sleeping at night. He becomes obsessed with her and ultimately decides she is innocent. He then begins an emotional relationship with Seo-rae until he discovers discrepancies in her story. He returns to his wife, but Seo-rae moves to Ipo with her new husband. Even more complex crimes unfold, and Hae-jun ultimately experiences deep despair about his relationships with Jung-an and Seo-rae, as well as what is the truth about several deaths.
This film is a complex mystery that was harder to follow (for me, at least) because of the language issues. Not everything is subtitled, and some of the subtitles seem a bit odd. Park Chan-wook uses what seems like an Asian cinematic technique that blends the portrayal of events with the protagonist's imagined perception of what has occurred. The plot moves briskly, but it was helpful for me to read a summary before seeing the film. Tang Wei and Park Hae-il are excellent as the lead actors; the other characters fill the background acceptably. It's a different style than North American neo-noir, which adds interest.
Jang Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) is the detective in Busan. He's married to Jung-an (Lee Jung-hyun) but only sees her on weekends because she works in Ipo. They have no children and a tired marriage. A retired immigration official dies in a fall from a mountain. There is a suicide note, but Hae-jun and his partner, Soo-wan (Go Kyung-pyo), suspect the dead man's much younger attractive wife, Song Seo-rae (Tang Wei). She is of Chinese background and appears to be an illegal immigrant, though she was allowed to stay in Korea.
Hae-jun puts Seo-rae under surveillance, mostly by himself, since he has trouble sleeping at night. He becomes obsessed with her and ultimately decides she is innocent. He then begins an emotional relationship with Seo-rae until he discovers discrepancies in her story. He returns to his wife, but Seo-rae moves to Ipo with her new husband. Even more complex crimes unfold, and Hae-jun ultimately experiences deep despair about his relationships with Jung-an and Seo-rae, as well as what is the truth about several deaths.
This film is a complex mystery that was harder to follow (for me, at least) because of the language issues. Not everything is subtitled, and some of the subtitles seem a bit odd. Park Chan-wook uses what seems like an Asian cinematic technique that blends the portrayal of events with the protagonist's imagined perception of what has occurred. The plot moves briskly, but it was helpful for me to read a summary before seeing the film. Tang Wei and Park Hae-il are excellent as the lead actors; the other characters fill the background acceptably. It's a different style than North American neo-noir, which adds interest.