Decision to Leave

Hmm. I really wanted to like this movie, since I'm a big fan of The Handmaiden by Park Chan-wook. I went in with solid expectations, but unfortunately, for the most part this didn't work for me really.

Let's start with the positive things though. What did I like? The overall cinematography was pretty impressive, with clever camera work elevating each scene. Some camera angles where really interesting in how they framed the characters in the scene, both using close-ups and also with unconventional camera placements. The acting was good, especially from Tang Wei who portrays her character with a great sense of mystery. Also, I very much liked the soundtrack.

But, I'll be honest here, this movie confused the hell out of me. Even though I really tried to follow along with the plot. The movie introduces and reveals so much information all the time and moves between scenes with such a fast pace that it's pretty hard to process everything. On top of that, the narrative is constantly jumping back and forth in time and place, suddenly revisiting old scenes and conversations briefly, which just adds to the confusion. It's not that I dislike complex storytelling, the earlier mentioned The Handmaiden has plenty of interwoven and layered narrative that still manages to tell an understandable and engaging story. Decision to Leave feels in comparison like a needlessly complicated movie with a runtime that is too long for its own good. There are a lot of twists and turns going on, but it just gets a bit tiresome by the end.

I assume that this is a movie that probably becomes better on subsequent viewings, but currently I'm not sure if I have the energy or interest to give this another go. As it stands now, I think this movie is only decent and nothing more really, which is a bit unfortunate.

(Seen at the 2022 Stockholm International Film Festival)

A body has been found beneath a cliff, you are a copper, and you should find what made him stiff, was it suicide or murder, an accident, lets dig down further, speak to his wife, try to discover any rift. It's not too long before you're caught inside a spell, a kind of fog descends that clouds and hangs and dwells, conflicting feelings are consumed, Chinese Whispers are perfumed, exchanges made, that lock you in, a widows cell. Time passes and you take a new commission, until out shopping and you fall into remission, a second bolt gives you a jolt, brings you to another halt, the rising tides, conceal and hide, your indiscretion.

Great performances, especially from Tang Wei, and a story to get you thinking, that is what great directors and great films are supposed to do after all.

From the director of Oldboy & The Handmaiden comes a new crime mystery that's successful in sustaining our interest & investment in the whole outcome by keeping alive its sense of doubts & hints of darkness but it is also too drawn out & long-winded to leave a lasting impression. More a romance disguised as police procedural, Decision to Leave is a story of unrequited love, regret, longing & reminiscence.

Co-written & directed by Park Chan-wook (Joint Security Area & Thirst), the story concerns a police detective who falls for a mysterious widow who happens to be the prime suspect of his latest murder investigation. The plot has multitudes of layers to it and is narrated in ways that requires closer inspection and while the technical mastery is top-notch, the film is surprisingly missing the immersive quality of his best works.

The central romance plays its own tricks amidst all the secrecy & revelations that surface every now n then and a few scenes even manage to stand out but the film's intentions remain shaded despite never losing its intrigue. Tang Wei plays the femme fatale with an enigma & allure that's as captivating as it is compelling and she is finely supported by Park Hae-il who fittingly renders his role of the insomniac cop unsettled by his attraction to her.

Overall, Decision to Leave fascinates & frustrates in equal measure with its confusing narrative, unpredictable characters, discursive detours, tedious pace and a runtime that's severely felt. The drama has a more ruminative flair to it and the two lead performances steer it rather wonderfully. And even though the film as a whole may unravel more on subsequent viewings, it is suffice to say for now that Park Chan-wook's latest is more or less an underwhelming dud.

As "Decision To Leave" (2022 release from South Korea; 139 min) opens, the body of a mountain climber is found. Was he pushed or did he slip? Detective Hae-Jun leads the investigation of this "unaccountable death without witnesses", and his first target is the surviving wife, Seo-Rae, an emigrant from China without much outward signs of any grief... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from writer-producer-director. Park Chan-wook, who previously brought us "The Handmaiden" and "Stoker", among others. Here he brings us what at first appears to be a murder mystery, but it isn't long before the movie morphs into something different altogether. The movie is super plot-heavy so the less said about it, the better. Just watch! I will say that the movie's overall tone and atmosphere is transfixing from start to finish. The photography on location in Korea (thankfully staying away from the usual suspect Seoul) is outstanding. But in the end it's all about the movie's powerful storytelling, a trademark of many of Park's previous films.

"Decision To Leave" premiered at this year's Cannes film festival to immediate critical acclaim (and Park winning the festival's "Best Director"). The movie is currently rated 94% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason, I am already going on record that this film without a doubt will get a "Best Foreign Film" Oscar nomination. The movie opened at my local arthouse theater here in Cincinnati this weekend, and I couldn't wait to see it. The early evening screening where I saw this at on the day after Thanksgiving was attended so-so (I counted 10 people including myself). I can only hope that as word of mouth gets around, along with the expected year-end award nominations coming out, this will garner wider attendance. If you are in the mood for a top-notch foreign film that starts out as a murder mystery but evolves into something else altogether, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

Decision To Leave follows a dangerously obsessive relationship with thrilling, emotional and unpredictable results. Balancing a tender and unusual romance with a genuinely gripping mystery.

Park Hae-il and Tang Wei are both incredible, both subtly restrained and vulnerable at the same time with chemistry that's ridiculously palpable and their game of cat and mouse is effortlessly enthralling as the power dynamic constantly changes.

Park Chan-Wook's direction is superb, the film is constantly visually inventive in a way that enhances the psychological aspects and the cinematography by Kim Ji-Yong is absolutely gorgeous. The music by Cho Young-Wuk is excellent with a sense of suspense and mystery reminiscent of old Hollywood.