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A Bittersweet Life
A Bittersweet Life
7.5
/10
1,966 Ratings

A BITTERSWEET LIFE

Dalkomhan insaeng

Directed by Kim Jee-woon
South Korea, 2005
Action, Crime, Drama

Synopsis

Kim Sun-woo is the manager of a hotel owned by a crime boss, who assigns him to an errand while he is away. Sun-Woo is to shadow his boss’s mistress, whom he fears may be cheating on him with a younger man. Sun-Woo is mandated to kill them both, but he decides to spare their life at his own expense.

Synopsis

Kim Sun-woo is the manager of a hotel owned by a crime boss, who assigns him to an errand while he is away. Sun-Woo is to shadow his boss’s mistress, whom he fears may be cheating on him with a younger man. Sun-Woo is mandated to kill them both, but he decides to spare their life at his own expense.

Our take

Ingeniously echoing cult classic Oldboy in visual flair, Kim Jee-woon’s neo-noir delves deep into the gangster underworld while playing with the rules of the genre to thrilling effect. A revenge tale of love, loyalty, and vengeance, where action and suspense strike their own perfect balance.