Review from IGN

http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/786/786631p1.html

Tribeca 07: West 32nd
First Look Review: A well-made, unconventional crime drama set in Manhattan's seductive Koreatown.
by Brian Linder
US, May 9, 2007 - Korean American filmmaker Michael Kang, director of the 2003 film fest favorite The Motel, is back with his second feature, West 32nd. The film recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC, not too far from the street that it's named after, in an area commonly referred to as Manhattan's Koreatown or K-Town.

The crime drama revolves around John Kim (John Cho), an ambitious New York lawyer who is out to make partner at his firm. John takes on the pro-bono case involving a fourteen-year-old Korean boy accused of gang-style murder, believing he can win. But when John starts to dig deeper into the case he realizes it isn't going to be cut and dry. He meets Mike Juhn (Jun Kim), a street-level gangster from the Elmhurst neighborhood trying to work his way up, whom he believes can help exonerate his client. The pair form a shaky friendship as John becomes entangled in the underworld of Korean organized crime. Complicating things even further, John starts to fall for his client's sister Lila (Grace Park).

John, despite sharing a common cultural history with Mike and Lila, grew up in a very different world after his parents moved away from Queens during his childhood. John has gone corporate -- he has the ties to prove it -- and doesn't even speak Korean. The other characters hold to many of their culture's traditions and their dialogue drifts fluidly between English and Korean. Kang stylistically contrasts the different worlds using lighting, color, and music to illustrate their differences. Scenes on Mike's turf have a gritty vibe with rich colors and a hip-hop-ish soundtrack, and we're introduced to John in more formal, monochromatic environments.

This contrast is the basis for the film's central theme: We are products of different environments, but we remain the same in that we're each willing to make moral compromises -- to varying degrees -- in order to get what we want. Each character must decide how far they'll go, what they'll risk, and who they'll hurt to achieve their goal. The film deals with morally complex issues here, but it never gets preachy... far from it. Everything is presented in a decidedly ambiguous light.

The film's performances are solid with John Cho leading the pack. Cho is probably best known to IGN readers as Harold from Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, but his mature performance here is a far cry from the stoner antics of the 2004 comedy hit. Jun Kim is a newcomer destined for some great roles -- he's sure to play the antagonist again in some Fast and the Furious-style actioner. And Grace Park, whom you probably know as Lieutenant Sharon Valerii on Battlestar Galctica, besides looking amazing, turns in a charming, weighty performance.

While the film is a crime drama that plays like a traditional whodunit at times, Kang's approach is unconventional enough to keep things from descending into cliché territory. There are a few moments where he even flirts with the action genre, and we wouldn't be surprised if a full-on action film is in his future. In spite of the movie's generally heavy vibe, Kang is intentional about throwing in some lighter moments that give the viewer a little bit of breathing room and time to get to know the softer side of the characters -- even the thuggish Mike.

West 32nd isn't without its faults. There's almost too much setup and we don't exactly get the sense that "it's on" until John and Mike finally meet almost a third of the way into the movie. A few plot holes result in some "huh?" moments that may leave you scratching your head. And while the film's ambiguous conclusion is clearly intentional, it almost leaves things too unresolved. We would've loved a little more satisfying ending as a reward for our 90 minutes of emotional investment in these well-drawn characters.

This movie is what it is... a well-made, street-stylish drama that defies stock Hollywood storytelling conceits with its complex themes and grey-area approach to its subject matter.

3.5 out of 5 Stars



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