Chainataun

Being a big fan of Asian cinema, I did of course jump at the chance to watch "Coin Locker Girl" (aka "Cha-i-na-ta-un") when I was given the chance. Especially so since the South Korean cinema tends to pump out some really interesting and entertaining movies.

"Coin Locker Girl" was no different. This was definitely entertainment of the higher end. Not just because it is a South Korean movie, but because of the storyline, the pacing of the movie, and some very interesting and in-depth characters that you immediately took a liking or disliking to.

This particular movie has a lot to offer the audience, ranging from some very interesting character development and growth, to action and brutal violence, and also to the more subtle drama and superbly acted out portrayal of the characters.

Go-eun Kim, playing Il-Young, really carried the movie phenomenally with her performance. As did Hye-su Kim, playing Mom. It was a shame that the mom character didn't have more on-screen time, because I felt that her story was not even half-way presented throughout the movie.

Even if you are not a particular fan of the South Korean cinema, then "Coin Locker Girl" is the type of movie that you should take the time to sit down and watch.

Characters are interesting and believable. The storyline is also interesting and, although I've never been part of a loan shark operation, what happens in the story makes sense and is also believable.

The movie kept my interest throughout and I was definitely rooting for the main character, who definitely had more than her fair share of hardship and misery in her life.

Although she's a loan shark gang member, her basic humanity shows throughout and made me like and sympathize with her. She was fundamentally decent and human, in a good way, throughout the movie.

Strong ensemble cast also helped establish the believability and credibility of the characters.

One of the best movies I've seen in a while.

This was on of these movies that convinced me to go through Korean cinema again. A very interesting and original plot where nothing leads as you would have expected and many bodies will fall until you reach the end of this personal crusade. I needed few minutes to calm myself down after I finished watching the movie. I thought they can't surprise me anymore and here you go. Personal is an important word here. Whenever I watch Hollywood made movie I can never get that feeling, i can rarely relate to characters so much that by the end I feel like a character in the movie.

Although this is not horror, I saw this film during a horror festival. Their idea was to introduce "horror" that was more related to crime/violence, rather than real horror. Was it a success? Yes. I usually lack words to describe what I like about films, especially when I really like them. I wanted this film to be good but I thought it would end up being a normal film - I was wrong. The acting was really good (from main to secondary characters), the crudeness of a life of crime was very clear, the confusion of the main character when facing a clarity that wasn't there before was heartbreaking and your heart will shrink and shrink an shrink as the story goes on. This is not a pretty story and it's not embellished. This is about a girl who was brought to a life of crime, dealing with lack of love and working to survive. It's a film about a human being that is trying to find her spot in this world of horror - horror done simply by people who are just evil.

As a last note, I would also like to add, since this is a Korean film, I was worried my friends wouldn't enjoy it (since a lot of times cultural differences are plastered in the films but unless you understand those differences you won't be truly able to appreciate the work before you), but they actually did. If you want to introduce yourself to Korean films (and if you like action and violence), this is a really good film. If you know something about Korean culture it won't hurt, but if you don't you won't find yourself lost in translation. Totally recommend watching this.

Wow... This was so close to being a great film. The first two thirds are riveting, as we follow the life of a young woman raised in a terrible world of violent crime. It builds nicely, until the final third, when the story loses all momentum and tension. The director allows the movie to slow to a crawl... ponderously marching to an almost inevitable conclusion. The pace evaporates. The plots becomes predictable. The mood becomes even more dour. If the final 30 minutes had built to a crescendo, "Coin Locker Girl" would have been a 9 or a 10. As it stands, it is a good movie... nothing more.