Bumchoiwaui junjaeng: Nabbeunnomdeul jeonsungshidae

Totally agree with all the positive reviews, quite original plot and very very entertaining!!

9/10

Stellar Korean Gangster Movie , even Roger Ebert said it's was great and an article . Loved every minute . The acting , the cinematography, the music , the director .Amazeing ! 10 easy

There is quite a bit of similar aspects to this movie to "Goodfellas" except "Goodfellas" is a way better movie. This just has constant cursing and random beatings thrown in to the point it loses it's flare and quickly becomes formulaic and repetitive. Now Min-sik Choi is a good actor but he has been playing these similar character type roles for a while. Who is the epitome of a blood sucking leech that manipulates and use people for his own benefit. Now the real world maybe like this as well but his character Choi Ik-Hyun takes it to a whole another level. There is elements to the gangster world that keeps it interesting, like certain codes and hierarchy. But Choi Ik-Hyun is not a gangster but a wannabe gangster and he is very far from being a law abiding citizen. A guy that tries to weasel his way out of anything. Everything about this character is dis-likable so there is a high chance no audience member will have any sympathy for this character. Except that he is sort of a family person. Now the second main character is Choi Hyung-Bae(Ha Jung-Woo) who is a gangster and does have gangster codes. But he isn't really likable gangster either or all that cool per say. He does have charisma but lacks the likable gangster aspect but I guess that is so it can go in a more realistic direction. And for the most part this movie is realistic but it's jumbled with random curse words and beatings that isn't effective nor does it entertain all that much. Their is isn't a single likable character in this movie you can side with. And the ending makes the movie even worse, maybe the director wanted to show elements of the real world. But it just gives off crappy morals and ethics, well there is none in this movie. Overall it's a alright movie that tries to show how some people do business in the underworld of Busan during the 80's. But everything just seemed a bit formulaic and it just didn't have enough scenes that makes this movie memorable or stand out.

6.8/10

NAMELESS GANGSTER is a fictional gangster biopic from South Korea that's nonetheless closely based on real-life characters and with a strongly realistic political backdrop of the 1980s to bolster it. It's very much the Korean answer to Scorsese's 1990s hits like GOODFELLAS and CASINO, charting small-time smuggler Choi Min-sik's rise to power after he befriends a distant relative and small-time gangster. Ha Jung-woo, one of my favourite Korean stars, plays this associate and steals all of his scenes while Min-sik compels in a thoroughly weaselly role. The film shies away from action in favourite of strong characterisation and involved plotting. It's an engaging watch.

Lasting well over 2 hours and it was fascinating to watch from beginning till the end. It's sort of a South Korean version of "Goodfellas"...

The story: a powerful civil servant, with lots of powerful government connections, gets involved in organized crime in South Korea.

These South Korean mobsters dont use guns by the way, only baseball bats and knives. They beat or stick each other, till their enemies are face down bleeding on the ground, but they do not kill each other with guns. Remarkable! These South Korean gangs do still have certain rules which everyone has to abide to...

The good: suspenseful true to life story, which was based on actual events that took place in South Korea at the beginning of the nineties, in which there was a political power change and consequentially lots of organized crime gangs were taken down heavy handedly by the new government. This movie shows us the rise and fall of these old fashioned Korean mobsters.

Recommended watch for anyone who is into organized crime movies. This is a rock solid one!