Hindsight – Review

Song Kang-Ho plays retired gangster Yoon Dun-Hun, who dreams of having a nice life after the gangster life and open up his own restaurant so in order to ensure that happens, he enrolls in cooking school where he meets a woman Jo-Se Bin played by Shin Se-Kyung. He doesn’t know that she has been assigned to spy on him who is forced to do so to pay off a debt. Yoon overhears that his former boss has died so his gang members go out to find his will to see who will take over although most suspect that it will be Yoon. Bin then is ordered to kill Yoon after her roommate steals a case full of cocaine from the men they have to pay their debt to but she can’t get herself to do it so she finds herself on the run with him. Yoon also finds trouble from a young protégé who is also ordered to kill him.

The thing that keeps this film going is Yoon and Bin’s relationship. Because he is much older than her, their relationship is considered taboo because of their age difference. They aren’t necessarily dating but because they hang out a lot, it does cause trouble. There are a few times when Yoon’s right hand man tells him that dating a minor is not a good thing which Yoon scoffs at. It’s funny because every time he mentions it, it’s like Yoon knows it but he can’t help who he likes. It’s just one of those issues that keep on poking its head. The action, though scarce, is executed adequately well. Although there are instances of quick edits and fast camera movements that do annoy me, it’s not as bad as some other films that have utilized the exact same method.

For some, believing that these characters can be cold-blooded killers may be an issue. I’m glad that Bin wasn’t a woman who just did what she was told. She had emotions and knowing that she could be killed for not killing Yoon, she goes off her own way. She is a great character and one of the best things about the film. You immediately believe that Yoon was a gangster although he does give off a child-like personality that gives him a sort of human quality that, despite the fact that he has killed many men during his time, he still looks at life in a positive way.

The first two acts of the film are perfect. Everything is executed well and everything flows nicely. The third and final act though feels disjointed and unremarkable. I found myself actually thinking that if the film was at least 10-15 minutes shorter, the film would have benefited more than the one we are given. I usually don’t give the running time for being a negative but I have to this time. It’s like the filmmakers didn’t know how or when they wanted to end the film. Despite the final act being a mess and a running time that feels a bit too long, the Yoon/Bin relationship carries this film to make this a moderately entertaining one. Consider digging into the clutter and watching this film.