Ribolbeo

The Korean film directed by Seung-uk Oh will be primarily remembered for the remarkable performances of its two lead actresses: the resolute Jeon Do-yeon in the role of Ha Soo-yeong and the charming Lim Ji-yeon as Jeong Yoon-seon.

The narrative unfolds gradually, dedicating a significant portion of the first half to untangling an intricate web of betrayal and vengeance surrounding the police officer Soo-young, who is on the verge of moving into her ideal new apartment. However, she becomes embroiled in an unforeseen corruption scandal involving her partner and ultimately accepts a considerable bribe to take the blame for the offenses. This aspect of the film may be considered its weakest point. The film improves significantly as it transitions into a thriller filled with suspense, culminating in a dramatic finale that is quite impactful.

Regrettably, the conclusion lacks clarity, yet it still managed to maintain my full attention throughout.

Given my love and fascination with the Asian cinema, then of course I opted to watch the 2024 South Korean movie "Ribolbeo" (aka "Revolver") as I stumbled upon it by random chance. I had actually never heard about it, so I didn't know what I was in for.

Writer and director Seung-Uk Oh delivered a rather slow paced storyline, and I have to say that I managed only to endure a mind-boggling 40 minutes of absolute boredom here before I turned off the movie out of sheer and utter boredom and hopelessness. There was nothing interesting happening in the narrative, and the pacing of the movie was sluggish and dull. And it didn't help one bit that there was so many names being tossed about casually, making it difficult to keep track of who was who, and what their agendas were.

The cast ensemble in the movie was good, I will give the movie that much. Just a darn shame that the actresses and actors virtually had next to nothing to work with in terms of script, storyline, character gallery and dialogue.

"Ribolbeo" was a boring swing and a miss of a movie. And running at 114 minutes, I only made it 40 minutes in, I can honestly say that I was bored senseless, and I have zero intentions of returning and attempting to watch the rest of the movie, despite the fact that there were some good names on the cast list.

My rating of this boring crime drama lands on a three out of ten stars.

Every character did justice to their characters but it is ANDY commands your complete attention. Wookie for the win. Versatile. 9 stars for his performance.

The movie itself is a slow burn with many layers that are hard to read with just one watch, but it's still very interesting. The movie maintains a tranquil tone for much of its runtime, before the action finally picks up toward the end. The performances by the cast are the best thing here - sharp and precise. I wish some characters had alittle more screem time, especially Andy but he made his 40 minutes on screen worthwhile. Revolver is a must watch. Movies don't really get high ratings in Korea so no surprise here.

Leave it to the South Koreans to make yet another solid crime drama. They are the absolute masters of crime IN THE WORLD. I am dead serious.

This movie hoiwever didnt reach the heights of some other classic Korean crime masterpieces, but it was still an enjoyable watch and recommended for the fans of this genre.

Any bad? There is a lack of intense drama, because the supporting actors arent formidable, but merely okay. The leading actress is really good, but not extraordinary good, which is another reason this drama didnt really excell like it could have with different casting. The leading actress was still good enough for me to really enjoy her cool, calm and collected presence though.

What we have here is a typical revenge gangster crime drama without much of the usual violence, because this time around we have got a female leading role and she handles things more with her brain then with bullets. And I loved that. It made this story more credible in comparison to many Western crime thrillers in which female leading roles suddenly have fighting capabilities of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Beatifully directed. Credible story. Great suspense. Doesnt reach the dramatic heights I had hoped for, but still worth a solid 7 stars.

Revolver spends much of the first half unraveling a complex web of deceit and revenge; but having started so promisingly as a mystery/thriller, rapidly changes gear into mystery/drama and ends in rather an understated note.

Arguably this is more realistic to how real life plays out in such criminal feuds, but does not make for the most satisfying movie experience. All the various plot strands and overlapping relationships introduced in the first hour ultimately count for very little as the storyline becomes increasingly simple for the rest of the run time.

If you're a fan of Korean thriller/dramas, this is a good watch, just maybe don't expect a classic - which is a shame because with a better second half that's exactly what this might have been.