Decision to Leave, Park Chan-wook's (Oldboy, The Handmaiden) latest offering is essentially a classic Humphrey Bogart film-noir in junction with a Kar-Wai Wong-esque stylish, weird love story. A middle-aged police detective with an unhappy marriage and a severe insomnia falls for a suspect of his newest case, a Chinese woman with her own troubled past and tortured soul whose late husband is found fallen from a cliff. Thus the story begins, shifting back and forth between attempting to solve the case and the proceeding of an affection, a love-interest that is the main focal point of this film.
There is a lot to like and enjoy in this feature, interesting characters, creative cinematography and editing, an absorbing atmosphere, just to name a few. But somehow, somewhere in the middle of the road, I lost my interest, maybe I wasn't in a romantic mood to appreciate the emotions, maybe the story dragged for a bit and maybe director Park overdid the intricate, elaborate shots and angles, constantly reminding me that I'm watching a film, constantly taking away the nature-bounded nature of love and emotion. Whatever it was the reason, I didn't care for the third act, which is very powerful and poignant by itself.
Regardless of that, this film is likely to become a personal favorite of many, go see it if you're in the mood for love.
There is a lot to like and enjoy in this feature, interesting characters, creative cinematography and editing, an absorbing atmosphere, just to name a few. But somehow, somewhere in the middle of the road, I lost my interest, maybe I wasn't in a romantic mood to appreciate the emotions, maybe the story dragged for a bit and maybe director Park overdid the intricate, elaborate shots and angles, constantly reminding me that I'm watching a film, constantly taking away the nature-bounded nature of love and emotion. Whatever it was the reason, I didn't care for the third act, which is very powerful and poignant by itself.
Regardless of that, this film is likely to become a personal favorite of many, go see it if you're in the mood for love.