O Caçador

I wasn't sure about this film and the first ten minutes or so where not very promising, but I persevered as it was shown on BBC Four which has to mean something. Boy was I glad I hung in there. This film gets better and better and in spite of the violence, which was never gratuitous it is one of those films that will stay with me for a very long time. I have never seen a Korean film before but on this evidence it won't be the last. It's a refreshing change to see the back streets of Seoul instead of downtown Los Angeles. The cast is good and the star (a likable ex-rogue cop) turns an excellent performance. If you've got a strong stomach and get the chance, watch it but put the kids to bed first!

After the two very positive comments I decided to watch this movies. At this point the movie has 59 votes. So I didn't expect much from the movie. I was asking myself the question: "How can a movie from South Korea with only 59 votes deserve a 8,9? " But after watching the movie I can say this is one of the very best movies EVER made. I have been watching movies for quite some time now. And I have seen almost all movies from the IMDb top 250. But this movie deserves to be in the top 20. No question about it, no exaggeration. Just look at my vote statistics and you will see that only gave a few movies a ten.

So what's the story of the movie? A former detective who is now a pimp, thinks 2 of his girls ran away from him. So he tries to find those girls. After some research he learns the truth is a little bit different. From that point on, the movie never loses your grip. Never get's dull. Always keeps you right on the edge of your chair. For the rest, you really gotta see it. I won't spoil any of your viewing pleasure by telling you too much about the story.

The other comment said something about a horror element, and a bit gore. But in my opinion there is no horror. Sure there is some blood, but it doesn't play a big part.

So, why are you still reading my comment. Go and see where you can watch this movie!!

Wow! I caught wind of this through a magazine review and checked it out and was very glad I did. Some of the great stuff coming out of South Korea will blow your mind and this is no exception. The references people made to this movie being in the caliber of Oldboy and Memories of Murder are well substantiated but I would liken it more to Memories of Murder and not quite in the same league as Oldboy. The only movie in league with Oldboy is Seven. While the plot kind of reminded me of some of the classic 80s and 90s psycho-killer thrillers we have had come out of the US, it does hold up well on its own for being a foreign film. Not the most original plot but a decent twist on it nonetheless. Nothing in the plot or sequence of events stood out as unbelievable and there are some real gripping scenes that'll make you white-knuckle. There are some good character developments and reversals that I enjoyed as we see our main character, a former cop turned pimp, trying to find the guy who's been killing his girls and coming to grips with his personal responsibilities and justice. I don't want to give away the plot other than that as it would detract from your enjoyment. It does burn a little slow after the first 20 minutes of the movie as we see events unfold so be prepared for the reward in the last 30 minutes of the movie as the sequence of events crescendo. I'll be keeping an eye on this great director.

Korean cinema does it again. "The Chaser" is another great movie from the Korean film stable. The plot stems around an amoral ex-cop turned pimp who after losing some of his "working girls" decides to track down and find the client behind this. He ends up finding himself involved in more than he bargained for, with the client being a serial killer, and its then a chase to find his last girl sent to him whilst the police also try to pin him down but are hampered by legal red tape and politics.

As you'd expect from a Korean film from the cop thriller genre it can be very violent, and there's no denying that for this film, however thankfully it doesn't overshadow the rest of the movie. The chase is on, and the roller coaster of emotions following the pimp and the cops trying to stop the serial killer is nothing less than gripping, watching them go from one success to despair in short spaces of time. The tension is high and will tug on you right to the end.

Importantly there is a lot of humour. The main character (Joong-ho Eom) is incredibly dry-witted, and is a release valve for the tension in the film. As he carries the film, the acting is important, and both he and the serial killer are exceptionally good. Can't argue with either or even the general ensemble.

There is possibly an American re-make in the offing. Fair enough I guess as that's become the norm now, but I hope it doesn't dilute the central story or the action. This film is a great gem, and follows on from some of the other greats in the genre such as "Memories of a Murder" which is a classic. It will unsettle but for an intelligent thriller, it really is up there with the best in the past few years.

The Chaser revolves around an ex-detective turned pimp who's under serious stress when he finds out his girls are being sold by a mysterious client. He goes on the chase to find this guy and put an end to his missing girls...and missing money. What begins to unfold is something him, the police or anyone for that matter, were unprepared to take on.

Time and time again the film-makers from South Korea succeed and The Chaser is no different. With believable writing, fantastic acting (especially the lead who reminded me of Min Sik Choi) and an air of originality, Chaser easily became one of my favorite flicks of 2008. With side-stories aplenty, an evil villain and some brutal violence this is something any fan of darker film should enjoy.

If you enjoy serious drama, investigation films, serial killers, great acting, you'll definitely enjoy this picture. I just wished they had a different title for the film. I like my title better. :)