Memories of Murder is based on the case of the first serial killer in South Korean history. Said murders took place in a town of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province and attracted attention from the capital as well as from international sources. The movie naturally takes some liberties with the events in order to keep the story flowing, as it should, but it still means that it's a thriller with real weight behind it.
The movie has garnered a lot of praise for its acting. Song Kang-ho playing the role of Park Doo-man, the local detective in charge of the investigations, won numerous awards for his performance, while I personally also really liked the performance by Kim Sang-kyung, playing the role of an investigator sent from Seoul to lend his expertise to the local police, who have never dealt with a case of such magnitude.
The cinematography, directing and camera work have also gathered wide praise, and for a reason. The colours are vibrant and lush, the score it utilized with care, the camera angles are inventive and it's just a very nice film to follow visually.
What keeps me from enjoying this film more is the fact that it's so stereotypically Korean. And don't get me wrong, I like Korean films and Korean style of filmmaking. But every other Korean film I've seen has been completely over the top and outlandish, with crazy stunts, characters and story lines. Normally that's the strength in those films, but imagine if that kind of style was utilized in a thriller based on a real life serial killer case. The movie lost me the first time a cop jump kicked a criminal. Granted, it's the most grounded Korean film I've ever seen, but I still felt detached from the story because I couldn't take it seriously.
But, I can easily see how some might consider that an upside. So, let us simply say that while Memories of Murder might not be for every single thriller fan, it's still more than proficient enough for everyone to at least own it a chance.
The movie has garnered a lot of praise for its acting. Song Kang-ho playing the role of Park Doo-man, the local detective in charge of the investigations, won numerous awards for his performance, while I personally also really liked the performance by Kim Sang-kyung, playing the role of an investigator sent from Seoul to lend his expertise to the local police, who have never dealt with a case of such magnitude.
The cinematography, directing and camera work have also gathered wide praise, and for a reason. The colours are vibrant and lush, the score it utilized with care, the camera angles are inventive and it's just a very nice film to follow visually.
What keeps me from enjoying this film more is the fact that it's so stereotypically Korean. And don't get me wrong, I like Korean films and Korean style of filmmaking. But every other Korean film I've seen has been completely over the top and outlandish, with crazy stunts, characters and story lines. Normally that's the strength in those films, but imagine if that kind of style was utilized in a thriller based on a real life serial killer case. The movie lost me the first time a cop jump kicked a criminal. Granted, it's the most grounded Korean film I've ever seen, but I still felt detached from the story because I couldn't take it seriously.
But, I can easily see how some might consider that an upside. So, let us simply say that while Memories of Murder might not be for every single thriller fan, it's still more than proficient enough for everyone to at least own it a chance.