sydneyswesternsuburbs Director and writer Jee-woon-Kim who also directed and wrote another classic flick, I Saw the Devil 2010 has created a gem in A Bittersweet Life.Starring Byung-hun Lee wha was also in Jee-woon-Kim classic flick I Saw the Devil and another classic flick, Terminator Genisys 2015.Also starring Jung-min Hwang.Also starring Dal-su Oh who has also been in another classic flick in Oldboy 2003.If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out another classic South Korean crime flick, The Man from Nowhere 2010.

Tweekums Kim Sun-woo works as a hotel manager, he is also a fiercely loyal enforcer for Mr Kang, a powerful crime boss. When Kang goes to Shanghai he tells Sun-woo that he suspects his girlfriend is involved with another man; Sun-woo is to find out if she is and if so 'deal with her'. Sun-woo discovers that she is indeed having an affair but rather than killing her he shows mercy; When Kang finds out he is livid. Sun-woo has also annoyed Baek Dae-sik, another crime boss. The latter's men beat Sun-woo and bundle him into a van; he is surprised when they hand him over to Kang's men. They further torture him with every intention of killing him. He manages to get away though and sets about preparing to hunt down those who want him dead… things are going to get bloody.If you enjoy revenge thrillers then you should love this; the action is intense and fairly brutal. Don't expect beautifully choreographed martial arts; the fights are intense and look real… even if Sun-woo seems to take unbelievable damage and sill carry on. He is beaten, buried alive, shot and stabbed and still keeps heading towards Kang. Given how brutal it is at times it is a little surprising that there were also a few really funny moments; mostly when he is trying to buy guns off a group of arms dealers. Lee Byung-hun, who plays Sun-woo, is rarely off screen and does a fantastic job making us believe in and sympathise with the character. The rest of the cast are pretty impressive too. Director Kim Jee-woon does a great job creating a brilliant atmosphere and making a very stylish film. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the genre.These comments are based on watching the film in Korean with English subtitles.

Michael Radny A Bitter Sweet life adds a hardcore blood fest to the list of films under the revenge flick genre. It's a pretty stereotypical revenge film about mobsters and the backstabbing behind the scenes. If A Bittersweet Life was to add anything new to the formula it would be the 'how big is a mistake' question into play, which ultimately starts the onslaught of gangsters in all sorts of gory fun fashion.Though nothing truly original, A Bittersweet Life adds a Korean twist on all things gory and revengey. You wont be telling your friends about this one in too much of a hurry, but for the most part it does it's job, despite some off-paced story.

Thomas Tokmenko Crime, melodrama, and vengeance. Three elements presented here that blend in twisted harmony. A Bittersweet life is a character study of a young man that has been warped by the mob's emphasis on money/power/violence, and portrays his subsequent inner struggle to uncover a moral compass. Byung-hun Lee with an excellent performance, plays a young and cocky mobster who at the peak of his profession becomes love-struck, slowly shattering his realm of immortality, insecurity, and grim outlook towards society. Longing to feel human, he makes a decision which has the potential to not only destroy his career, but also his life. The added elements of action and martial arts are especially well done, with sound so crisp and choreography so genuine you'll jump with each confrontation. I recommend the Blu-ray version as it highlights the dreamlike state of the protagonist and hypnotizes you into this flashy yet hollow crime underworld. Director Jee-woon Kim really knows how to capture the interest of the audience, the storytelling here is top notch and suspenseful all the way through. It pulls out all the familiar stops of the Heroic Bloodshed genre and much more. The movie earns a strong R rating, however the violence supplements the material unlike many similar films today. If you enjoy the films The Killer and Infernal affairs, A Bittersweet life should come as a real treat. -10/10