8/10: Well made plotline driven political/crime/thriller

8/10:

In short: If you like very well made crime/thrillers this is a must see. It runs for 3 hours and still the end seems a little bit rushed, 10-20 minutes more would not have hurt it.
There is not much action in it, but the plotline is woven very well - just right to let you follow it without too much problem but keep the tension up.
Partly heavy, this is a movie that requires your attention.

Closer to a strong 7 than a weak 9.

In long:
This is not a masterpiece, but neither is it too far from it. It lacks in areas as CGI, the last level of attributes are missing (to reach up above the "normal" movies). There is also the problem that whenever there seems to be an issue in the balance between the audeince getting a clear view of what is happening and building tension the latter has been sacrifised (making it clear it's a movie made for a broad audience).
The cinematography is suitable, not too dull on colours which is usual for thrillers (making it slight upbeat in that manner) with varying weather and backdrops. The sound is allright.
Nudity and gore is there (less gore than nudity which is refreshing as it seems more realistic for the plotline depicted). The action that there is, is violent and pretty realistic (bodyblows, blows/injuries aren't just shaken off).


Pro's
• Actors, overall good performances (sligthly worse towards the end). Seung-woo Cho and Yun-shik Baek making the most noteworthy performances, though the role as Yun has makes it a little bit more tricky.
• Plotdriven (with the exception of less than a handful of occations there are clear "commerical shots" (for the actors).
• Realistic message and an encouragement for citisens to act towards the end.

Con's
• Slightly rushed ending
• Clear product placements/influence.
• Obsessive and intrusive smoking scenes (makes you wonder just how much money they got for filling the movie with it).

Keep an eye out for lines like the one below.
Byung-hun Lee as An Sang-gu (about 1:45 in) Justice? Does a thing like that still exist in a country like this?

End note: I am not fluent in any asian languages which means I will miss some of the nuances in the dialogue.

Ignorance is only a bliss if you haven't reached awareness.
My imdb posts are getting altered.