NYAFF REVIEW: ‘Violent Prosecutor’ finds unlikely murder suspect behind bars
A Violent Prosecutor, which plays the New York Asian Film Festival July 8, follows a prosecutor framed with murdering a suspect in an interrogation room. Byun Jae-wook (Hwang Jeong-min) is not the most moral of public officials. He has no problem receiving confessions and investigatory information by means of violence; however, when it comes to this particular death, there seems to be larger forces at work. Someone connected to the prosecutor’s office wants him behind bars.
After being found guilty and given a multi-year sentence, Byun heads to prison and befriends the clever jokester Han Chi-won (Kang Dong-won), a man who has lived and breathed fraud for most of his life. Byun, being a former prosecutor, helps Han get out of prison on a technicality and expects him to be an asset on the outside. Essentially Byun wants a retrial, but in order to be successful, Han needs to find evidence of the framing.
The movie is equal parts thriller and comedy. Jeong-min brings the intensity and drama with his prosecutorial role, and the actor is quite good at steely glances and determined looks. He is dedicated to finding out who framed him and why. This doesn’t make him an innocent character, but it does give him a chance at redemption. Jeong-min is well-suited for this complex and fascinating role. He anchors the film and provides the story with a much-needed character arc.
Dong-won provides the comedic elements, and he does an admirable job in the humor department. His character of Han is a funny, somewhat likable con man who constantly flirts with women, lies about his background and tries to climb the social ladder by skipping a few rungs. Whenever he’s on screen, the narrative becomes wonderfully farcical and lighthearted, and the actor is a perfect complement to Jeong-min’s intensity.
The South Korean film, which has found much success in its home country, was directed by Lee Il-hyeong, who keeps the action, drama and comedy moving along. There’s never a slow spot in the story, and he’s able to utilize the talents of the cast to keep the audience guessing and the narrative interesting. A Violent Prosecutor is easily one of the strongest films to play the New York Asian Film Festival, and that’s in large part to Il-hyeong’s unique craft. He not only tells the story, but he has a certain energy when developing the events and characters. Even though the film runs more than two hours, there’s a real sense of movement and no wasted time. A Violent Prosecutor is an complex and contagious journey for justice, a race to seek Byun’s redemption, and it’s a fun race to be on.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
- A Violent Prosecutor
- In Korean with English subtitles
- 2016
- Directed by Lee Il-hyeong
- Starring Hwang Jeong-min and Kang Dong-won
- Running time: 126 minutes
- Rating:
