THE MAN FROM NOWHERE DVD (2010)

SYNOPSIS: His only friend calls him "Mister". Tae-shik is an ex-special agent whose tragic past has made himdistance from the world. He now lives in solitude and runs a small pawnshop. The only people he now sees are the few pawnshop customers and So-mi, the young girl who lives next door. So-mi has also been neglected by the world and as she and Tae-shik begin to spend more time together, the two gradually open themselves to one another and become friends. Then one day, So-mi suddenly disappears. So-mi's mother becomes involved in a major crime and they both get kidnapped.

MOVIE REVIEW:

It’s amazing to see how an actor managed to transform himself over such a short period of time.  After two years of absence from the entertainment scene and a stint in the acclaimed Bong Joon-ho’s “Mother”, Korean heartthrob Won Bin (Brotherhood) is back with a vengeance, literally in the crime thriller “The Man From Nowhere”.

Written and directed by the relatively unknown Lee Jeong-beom, this vengeance tale is about a mysterious man nicknamed “Mister” (Won Bin) who lived in solitude and ran a pawnshop in a rundown apartment. Mister’s only ‘friend’ is the little girl, So-mi living next door with her drug-addicted bar-hostess mother. Two stolen packs of heroin lead to a series of murder and kidnap and Mister finally finds himself on a dangerous mission to save his only so-called friend, So-mi after much soul-searching.

First and foremost, the story right here is nothing new and perhaps culled notably from Luc Besson’s “The Professional” and “Taken” with a touch of “Man On Fire” infused with a tinge of “Oldboy” Korean cinematic magic. That however doesn’t lower the must-watch quotient of it as Lee carefully crafted a tale of bond and love between two unrelated lost souls. One an ex-military secret agent with a tragic past and the other a child longing for a father-figure and a wholesome family. And the best part of the movie is instead of a mere drug-lauding syndicate that we often sees onscreen, the underworld activities right here dwell into something more sinister and darker as the movie goes. Organs harvesting and children running errands for the drug cartel, ultimately it’s not just a simple case of kidnapping. With Lee cleverly setting up the situation to allow the audience to root for “Mister” to take out the roots of evil and rescuing So-mi, this is definitely vengeance with a cause.

The benefit of having a running time of close to two hours allows the character of “Mister” to be more compelling and not to mention, dozens other characters such as the group of cops who are hot on his heel, one henchman who is dying to duel with him and the two vulgarities-filled villains that are vying for screentime as well. But no one matches the charismatic performance of Won Bin despite the fact his character utters less than a quarter of the total dialogue. With his chiselled good looks, bod and acting chops, Won Bin totally own the film and no one can dispute that.  

Shot in a dark, gritty tone with looming alleys and corners, the cinematography is excellent matched with the brutal violence action sequences. Instead of flashy, HK-style acrobatic kicks, Lee opted for more believable choreographed fights with “Mister” coming down hard on every baddie that comes his way. QT will be proud that his ‘Kill Bill” visceral bloodied affairs are beautifully replicated right here.

For those who embrace old-school, revenge kick-ass flicks, “The Man From Nowhere” is an excellent choice. The number one movie of 2010 in Korea confirms it. Technically, it is wonderfully done and the performances top-notch. I just had only one qualm at the end; the main boss deserved a more heinous death.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Dialogue is presented clearly in the Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack while this is not exactly an hardcore action movie, a 5.1 surround track would have improved the pounding fight sequences. Images on the other hand are pleasant even though most of the movie is cast in dark shadows.

MOVIE RATING:



DVD RATING :

 Review by Linus Tee

Posted on 5 June 2011



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