Just saw it

I can honestly say I'm fairly disappointed with this one. No doubt it had a great concept going for it. I was drawn into the dog-eat-dog world of Yanbian and really got into the main character and his financial troubles. After the film shifts to Korea that's where the movie started going downhill.

The way the story unfolded was too erratic and incoherent. It was very drawn out and by the end I didn't know who to care for. I also didn't like the cartoon-like violence. I do welcome violence in movies involving gangs but this was a bit over-the-top. The killings and chases seemed so silly and out of place, considering the rest of the film set a more gritty realistic tone.

If there was one thing I did like was the cinematography. I thought the best scenes were those that showed Goo Nam finding something to eat, and how this film showcased that fundamental act of survival each time was very well done. Otherwise, this was a messy film. I will still look forward to the director's next offering and hopefully it turns out better than this.