Review by thebanquet

Movies about gambling are very rare in Korea,and none have been a smash hit. I myself didn't expect to be impressed with the film Tajja,which is based on the hit comic with the same name. Coming out of the theater, I thought it was the best movie I have ever seen. The story revolves around KimGonni(Cho Seung Woo),who loses all his money to a tajja while playing the traditional Korean gambling game 'Hwatoo'. For a while he just visits illegal gambling centers,hoping to catch the tajja who took all his money. Coincidentally he happens to cross the most skilled tajja in the country,PyoungGyoungJang(Baek Yoon Sik).Becoming Pyoung's apprentice,Gonni learns the skills and tricks,becoming a master tajja himself and earning loads of money.While he promised PyoungGyoungJang that he will retire once he earned five times the money he lost,he just can't seem to stop playing hwatoo.But the world of gambling is not pleasant as it looks........ I don't want to be critical,but all the comic based Korean movies that I have seen sucked, including the horror film 'Apartment'and 'Dasaeposonyu'. 'Tajja'was different. It carried on the story so swiftly and interesting that the running time of about 140minutes just passed swiftly like the wind. I was especially impressed with Yoo Hae Jin,who plays Gonni's friend tajja Ko Gwang Ryol, and, like all the people who've seen this movie,Kim Hae Soo, who plays Madame Jung,a woman who organizes planned gambling games with tajjas. I hope there will be a sequel,because 'Tajja'totally changed my view of Korean movies.