''Soo'' is a 2007 South Korean film directed by

Yoichi Sai was a Japanese film director. He was the president of the Directors Guild of Japan. Life and career Sai was born on 6 July 1949 in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. His mother was Japanese and his father was Zainichi Korean. Sai won the Best Screenp ...

(also known as Choi Yang-il).

Plot

Tae-soo tries to steal from a gang. The gang catches Tae-soo's brother Tae-jin instead. The incident causes the brothers to separate. Tae-soo becomes a mob fixer and an

assassin Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...

. Tae-jin becomes a police detective. When a call brings the brothers together, they get ready for brotherly bonding, but Tae-jin is killed. Tae-soo decides to get revenge on his brother's killer.

Cast

* Ji Jin-hee as Tae-soo ** Park Chan Yang as young Tae-soo * Kang Sung-yeon as Kang Mi-na *

Moon Sung-keun Moon Sung-keun (born May 28, 1953) is a South Korean actor and politician. He has won three Blue Dragon Film Awards, two Baeksang Arts Awards, and two Chunsa Film Art Awards for Best Actor. Career Moon was born in Tokyo, Japan. His father was ...

Gu Yang-won *

Lee Ki-young Lee Ki-young (born August 26, 1963) is a South Korean actor. His notable roles include ''Marathon'' (2005), ''A Bittersweet Life'' (2005), and ''Love Me Not'' (2006). Filmography Film * '' Night in Paradise'' (2020) * ''How to Steal a Dog' ...

as Nam Dal-gu *Jo Kyung-hwan as Song-in ("Boss") *

Oh Man-seok Oh Man-seok (born January 30, 1975) is a South Korean actor. Best known for playing the titular transgender singer in rock musical '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'', Oh's acting career spans theater, television and film. Career Theater beginnings ...

as Jeom Park-yi * Choi Deok-moon as Lee Won-jae *Yang Young-jo as Yoo Seon-il *Kim Jun-bae as Kim Jin-man *

Choi Jung-woo Choi Jung-woo (born February 17, 1957) is a South Korean actor. He began his acting career in theater, then became active as a supporting actor in film and television, notably in the sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or sit ...

as Detective squad chief of police department team 2 *

Park Hyuk-kwon Park Hyuk-kwon (born July 11, 1971) is a South Korean actor. Park began his acting career in 1993 as a member of the theater troupe Sanulrim. He later became a well-regarded supporting actor in films such as '' Chaw'' (2009) and ''Secret Reunion ...

as Detective Jang *Jo Seok-hyeon as Detective Park *Lee Jae-gu as Detective Choi

Theatrical release

''Soo'' was released in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

on March 22, 2007, and was ranked fifth at the domestic box office on its opening weekend, grossing . As of April 15, 2007, the film had a gross revenue of .

Critical reception

Kevin Ma of ''Love HK Film'' reviewed the film saying, "Soo's concept is somewhat successful on paper because it doesn't take the easy way to revenge. In execution, Soo is wildly uneven, moving between slow exposition scenes of plot development and raw, brutal fight scenes dominated by chaos. However, it remains a compelling and violent action film thanks to Sai's fluid camerawork during the action scenes and the performances of his actors. Special kudos go to star Ji Jin-Hee, who sheds his romantic leading man reputation to become a believable killer who can stab and punch his way out of a fight. Sai also sheds the expectations put on him after Blood and Bones by delivering an arthouse spin on a straightforward revenge film. Still, the film's ultimate effectiveness remains highly debatable." Derek Elley of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' reviewed the film saying, "A onetime killer hits the road to self-redemption by tracking down his brother's killer in "Soo," a coolly told, often brutal yarn that remains strangely involving despite its flaws. High-concept idea—a twin brother takes on his dead cop brother's identity to solve a crime he's also been hunted for by the cops—has strong remake potential. Pic itself, which bombed on South Korean release in March, is more ancillary or film week fare." Lee Hyo-won of ''

The Korea Times ''The Korea Times'' is the oldest of three English-language newspapers published daily in South Korea. It is a sister paper of the '' Hankook Ilbo'', a major Korean language daily; both are owned by Dongwha Enterprise, a wood-based manufacture ...

'' reviewed the film saying, "Soo is a memorable film. In Korean, "soo" means water, the very essence of life. Throughout the film Soo seeks to free his brother from "han" or spiteful grudge, as well as his own soul from staggering guilt. Even the Bad Guy wishes to spare his father the fires of hell. Choi's lasting imagery of water washing away blood suggests the pervasive human instinct to survive and the desire to purge oneself of one's impurities."

References

External links

* * * * {{Yoichi Sai 2007 films 2000s crime action films 2007 action thriller films 2007 crime thriller films South Korean action thriller films South Korean crime thriller films South Korean crime action films South Korean neo-noir films Films about organized crime in South Korea Films directed by Yōichi Sai Cinema Service films 2000s Korean-language films Yakuza films 2000s Japanese films 2000s South Korean films