Decision to Leave

Slow-burn romantic thriller which Park Chan-wook's audacious directing made up for somewhat more subdued script. The mystery didn't truly take firm hold of me but i enjoyed every bit of Park & Tang's exquisite performances toward its imminent conclusion..

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.

This is romantic movie about impossible love.

Apart from Park Chan-wook's trademark attention to detail in cinematography, blocking and production design, there really isn't much to be interested at. This movie tries to blend some comedy to tragic crimes and wrap it in this bizarre romance. However for romance to work, it must show somehow. These characters are so cold and distant, you can't believe that either of them love anybody at anytime. The overall theme is this theory of two personal trait groups, where two different persons just can't work out. This is true and sad thing in real life as you start to figure out relationships.

Even though the "theme's" idea is important for people to recognize to navigate in life, it hardly is new idea in movies. It isn't big enough revelation to hang in this movie for it's lengthy run time.

It seems the script was "boring", because many scenes experiment with distortion in perspective in cinematography and somehow for me they seem afterthought and not something that was planned in the script writing process. I could be wrong, but for me instead being new interesting way to visualize, they seemed gimmicky way to keep viewers interest.

There are a lot of language stuff here, even more so with two asian languages for us western folk, so I can't really say if I missed something very important ( I read afterwards and I don't think what I missed really made a difference in the way I see the characters). No matter the language love and passion should be seen without any words and the point of the film anyways (said by the director) was to not use these common words for love.

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.