Personally, I feel that Korean cinema is at the forefront of the motion picture business, bringing innovative films that continue to push the boundary even while being well-produced. Unfortunately, The Chaser is one of those that strive to be recognized but falters along the way.Jung-ho Eom is a fallen detective who now runs a pimping business. Scenes of his office show him ordering a lad around while having a multitude of phones on his desk all being charged. When one of them rings, Jung-ho quickly answers, jotting the customer’s requested time and girl in a childish scribble in an old notebook, desperate for the business. This is how we’re introduced to the situation befalling this man: his girls have been slowly disappearing mysteriously and he can ill afford the loss of business.
Having been a detective once (it’s later revealed that corruption was the cause of his discharge), Jung-ho starts to investigate this “case”, as he suspects foul play from an unruly customer. However, he’s on his own, for his cop friends care little about what happened to some prostitutes. As the culprit is identified and the clock races to rescue the most recent victim, the action and excitement clearly picks up.
However, with all the suspense in the plot and the lead character (played by Yun-seok Kim) doing a decent performance (he is on screen 80% of the time), The Chaser falls short at the halfway mark. The suspect is identified and even apprehended at this point, but frustrating incompetence and implausible coincidences mire the rest of the film, when Jung-ho is forced to run around the city hunting down the suspect by himself.
Jung-ho himself is also a conundrum. During the film, he is clearly an honorable man with a conscience, as he strives tirelessly to rescue his “girl”. But the opinions of his former detective friends say otherwise, as do the opinions of his other girls. They all point to Jung-ho being a despicable character. Later on, Jung-ho takes care of the victim’s daughter, showing the audience his virtuous inner self, but the emotions showed here feel contrived. Finally, Jung-ho’s struggle with the antagonist is a laughable affair, with blood pouring from both men as they continue to strike each other with little effect. What defies explanation is how a scrawny guy can cause a former detective (part of a top-tiered team) so much trouble.
The film does have its merits. It took a risk by telling a story almost entirely through a third-person focus on the main character. This it largely succeeds in, which may warrant the film a watching, but there simply needed to be a stronger plot. The simplicity of just one man chasing another for 2 hours makes the style a simple gimmick, and that will not do in the current competitive climate.
Pros: Interesting style; good character showcase; engaging first half
Cons: Weak story; impossible situations; drags out the second half
Conclusion: A good effort, but casual movie-watchers should take a pass
Score: 3/5
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