New World (2013)

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Excellent Korean crime thriller, albeit one perhaps excessively slow to burn, vaguely reminiscent of Infernal Affairs. Kang (Min-sik Choi) goes beyond merely investigating crime syndicate Goldmoon when, with the aid of an undercover inside man, Ja-seong (Lee Jeong-jae), he attempts to manipulate its election of a new chairman.

This second feature from writer-director Hoon-jung Park is the kind I mentally compare to a poker game: many, many shots linger on characters' faces while they stare, attempting to convey various degrees of panic, murderous rage or concern hidden behind calm, stoic exteriors. The plot itself is delightfully involved, but most delightfully of all the key plot points hinge on slowly-uncovered insights into characters' psychology. The final coda is particularly revealing.

I daresay 30 minutes could have been cut off without much loss, but it's still a fine bit of work. Korean crime cinema remains the best in the world.

- Sam - 2013-07-29 05:24:54