Montage (2013)

If you have seen a lot of kidnapping movies (The Man from Nowhere, Mercy, Taken), Montage is just about the same.BUT, the story is well-presented and answers all the questions. It kind of refreshing to have such a clear ending.The story tells us how a mother of a lost child is dealing with her lost and never lose hope to look for justice. And also the detective who's having a hard time accepting the fact that the criminal slipped of his hand.Eom Jeong-hwa and Kim Sang-kyung performance were unquestionably good. Eom had played the same role before and so did Kim.Overall, I give a 9 because it's been a while since I saw a kidnapping movie and I'm glad that it doesn't make me stop midway and start thinking "Where have I seen this before?".Totally worth your time.

It had been a long time since I have seen such a well rounded thriller, where motives are not cliché and predictive. The acting jives extremely well with the dialog (albeit I watched with sub-titles) and the actors were awesome.The mother's acting was so realistic that in empathizing with her, a layer of understanding is added to the storyline. The story neatly makes a subtle point about the similarity in human motives, and how where you stand in relation to it, determines your perception.The use of time is very interesting in this movie, like an origami. It starts as a plain paper (linear), but takes on elaborate form. There are a couple of movies where this technique has been used, but in this case, the time/origami texture is seamless.I am sure the above description might sound abstract and arcane, but if you watch the movie, you will understand what I mean. :)A gripping and intelligent thriller, a must see.

I have seen lots of Korean movies (especially thrillers), but this time I didn't know what to expect, because it's a debut for the director, who is also the writer (which is always a bonus for me). I had some difficulties following the time line due to the high usage of flashbacks, but in the end, everything connects (almost) perfectly. In fact, that's the beauty of the conclusion, because I didn't see it coming, but it didn't feel forced in any way. It reminds me of "No Mercy" (Yongseoneun Eupda, another Korean hidden gem)a bit, though it's quite different. I didn't have a problem with the moral of the story, mainly because it felt natural for me. Acting, direction and photography were solid (as is usually the case with quality Korean cinema).

I'm sure there are some holes (spolers:like the such a man at such an age can still run that fast) in the storyline but the movie helped by never overstaying it's welcome.as always now with Korean productions.. the technical aspect is flawless. The story is a thriller about the re-occurrence of an almost exact kidnapping case that just terminated due to statue of limitation.there is a clever twist, a twist on the moral side that 'seem' justified. I have a feeling that if this were Japanese or Chinese, it would have err on the side of 'justice' and whoever committed a crime, however good intentioned, is a crime. But I like this ending. It's a feel good thriller in a way. This twist is also aided by a time-line "issue". A good one at this.All the information is there for you, as audience to figure things out before the final review and then the final twist. I like that. The story wants you to figure it out, just like the mother. Kind of.The color palette is muted. But since the story is a thriller, not an action genre, there were some fast cuts to show the footwork and the grind work. There are a few chases and they are on foot, not elaborate, not over the top, adds to the flavor. And the ending also review what happened 15 years ago. it kept the purpose of the reveal climax to the end. True to a thriller.The acting is solid. Now I'm don't know the names of the actors, but think the male cop is the one of the 2 leads in 'Memories of Murder'. The female lead looks familiar but I can't place her. Sorry for my ignorance on this. She is also very good indeed.