Friend

This move does not cross the east/west cultural barrier very well. I am not sure if non-asians can fully understand the confucian harshness and its effects on the Korean society. Nonetheless, like all great movies, this movie strikes at both the heart and the mind in unison.

It intrigues our intellect with subtleties. It leaves us to wonder why the characters behave the way they do. Why must one friend murder an another? It isn't always clear. Why does one friend chooses an another friend as his favorite? No can be sure. Yet there are reasons.

It moves our emotions because the movie is about the true meaning of friendship. It is loyalty above all else, even to the point of forgiving and understanding a friend who murders an another. Among friends, there is no hatred or bitterness, only forgiveness, understanding, and support.

The acting is second to none. Both the lead and the supporting actors won the best acting awards at an international film festival. When the murderous and treacherous friend becomes himself murdered, it is a profoundly sad moment. Then we realize that we have come to love and care for the characters, despite their flaws, because we come to respect them as human beings capable of deep and profound friendship unlike any other.

Finally, the director did an incredible job of enhancing the allure of the main female character. Her on stage lip lyncing performance as the lead singer of a high school band was shot beautifully. Understandably, all the characters fall in love with her at that moment, and so does the audience.

A friend of mine who grew up in Korea recommended this movie to me a couple years ago. He said it "reminded him of friends he had when he was young." I thought about that and remembered my friends who I watched my first porno with and who fought by my side win or lose and who I parted ways with sometimes on not so good terms. I ended up thanking him because the movie is a treasure trove of memories of coming of age. It reminded me of elder brothers who showed me honor in martial arts and gangsta life and my close friends who went their separate ways. Just like my friend said it reminded me of friends and growing up.

10/10. Great story. Great Acting. Great Characters. Stylish Violence. Well produced. Awesome Gangsta Drama. Right up there with "Failan" for impact.

I found it sitting there at blockbuster and I grabbed it for the hell of it and was pleasantly surprised. This was one of the first Korean movies I saw and was completely blown away. Just about everything in this movie is done right. The story is extremely well told and interesting. Its a really intense/serious movie, but does not take itself TOO serious like so many movies and is quite often light hearted and comical. The acting really stands out in this movie, the performances are flawless.

PLEASE see this movie. Rent it, buy it, borrow it. You will NOT be disappointed.

If there were a movie out that resembled my story style, it would be this one. I guess to that credit, i gave it some unfair bias =)

The elements of the story are like most of mine: Good setup and character development at beginning Wanes a bit in the middle Awesome End Underlying message trying to be conveyed

This is a beautifully told story and the fact that's its based upon the director's true life makes it better.

My only complaint is the lack of development on the shrimpy character. THe movie starts out displaying the FOUR friendships and develops on that really well. Yet near the middle of the movie, the focus seems to be on the two gangsters and the narrator. It may be b/c that's how it was in reality, but the fourth character, I thought, needed to given more of the story, at least fictional roles just for balancing purposes.

Other than a few carping details, I loved the film.

The end owns and the quote from the beginning is quite relevant. The whole story displays LIFE and has reinforced what i believe life accounts - Memories. It is a series of memories and a series of moments that truly touches the heart and will perhaps make you realize memories of your own and how important and effective they are.

8/10

Epic tale of paths that diverge only to be reunited again at some critical moments, "Chin Goo", or "Friend" was a blockbuster at homeland Korea, and one can tell why. The story is attractive: the choices that four friends take on their lives, and the way we end up paying dearly for our mistakes and weaknesses. The construction is somehow western, which has attracted the audiences, all I can say is that I have not seen this movie, but felt it within me. Great comic timing, moving and powerful moments, great, great, GREAT actors, and master directing by an emerging director, Kwak Kyung-Taek, which shows signs of great potential in the future. Loved it all the way, hope to get the DVD as soon as possible.