A Company Man (2012)

Movies like this one are the reason, why i nowadays watch korean thriller and action movies instead of the usual Hollywood productions (Fast & Furious, Transformers, sequel after Sequel, remake after remake...).The plot of this movie isn´t new or original. A professional killer falls in love with a woman and gets a conscience. He wants to stop killing people, wants to quit his "job" and gets him and his sweetheart in big trouble...What IS new and original is the realisation of this plot. The killer is neither a lone wolf like "Leon" nor the stereotypical psychopath. He is played by Ji-seob So as an average, hard working employee, who goes to work everyday like everybody else. The difference between Ji and other employees is that his workplace is just a sham company, behind a secret door the protagonist and his colleagues meet the boss to plan their discrete and deadly assignments.Killing people is just a job for Ji. He kills some people at work, after work he irons his shirt for the next day, he lifes a quiet life and is looking forward to his next promotion. One of the great aspects of the movie is to show the callous routine of the young protagonist and his colleagues, going to work everyday, killing people everyday... It´s just business.Mi-yeon Lee plays an middle aged woman, who was a famous singer and the crush of Ji, when he was a kid. As they meet again, Ji falls in love with her again and wants to leave the company to start a new life. But he fails to protect her and her family from the company. She gets killed by company man after a shootout. Her death in front of her children is tragic and could not be more "anti-Hollywood".Ji avenges her death in a fantastic gunfight, that i want to compare to the Hongkong action flicks from directors John Woo or Tsui Hark (Time and Tide). But every action sequence in this movie is excellent choreographed, especially the amazing scene, where Ji fights two company colleagues in a car...

Ji Hyeong-Do (So Ji-Sub) works at what appears to be a regular company, however, this is just a convenient smoke-screen for the actual modus operandi: contract killing. Using this particular business as the backdrop for the illegal operations is uniquely entertaining, as much as it is thought provoking, while comparing the assassins to regular employees offers an interesting approach in depicting these methodically trained killers. Under the guise of company president Jeon (Jeon Kwak-Han), who truly appreciates Hyeong-Do's capabilities, and the unlikable, egotistical Kwon Jong-Tae (Kwak Do-won), who ironically appears to psychologically evaluate the staff, Hyeong-Do's career has admirably flourished, his impeccable record readying him for many promotions.Despite this, we are able to witness Hyeong-Do outside of his employ, affiliating with retired assassin Ban Ji-Hoon (Lee Kyoung-Young), an old acquittance of his, who serves as a figure of guidance and support. Hyeong-Do is seen to be questioning his stay with the company, alongside harboring feelings of resentment and fatigue, Ji-Hoon being tactically used to put into words what Hyeong-Do cannot, revealing the life that those working for this particular organization are forced to endure.After hiring an impressionable young man, Ra-Hoon (Kim Dong-Joon) to assist with the assassination of a target, Hyeong-Do is ordered to terminate all loose ends, but finds this particular assignment more difficult than previous experiences after forming an attachment with his temporary partner. Overcome by regret, he fulfills Ra-Hoon's wishes and meets his family: his sister, Bo-Seul (Han Bo-Bae), who is as spontaneous as she is disrespectful, and his mother, Yoo Mi-Yeon (Lee Mi-Yeon), a former one time pop idol, who Hyeong-Do has a past connection to, being not only appreciative, but inspired, by this beautiful woman and her family.Over the course of the feature, Hyeong-Do appears legitimately introverted, experiencing difficulties in socialization and communicative practices, that are conveyed effectively through facial expression, an occasional inability to look others in the eye, and difficulty in finding appropriate words to accommodate a situation. Mi-Yeon on the other hand, although suffering the shame of never successfully completing her professional endeavors, is quite the opposite, being garrulous, sweet, compassionate and family oriented, always looking out for others, rather than attempting to secure her own happiness. Although these two characters have almost nothing in common, with the exception of a unanimous attraction, the film depicts them as not necessarily wanting to be in a relationship, as much as they need to be together, both individuals having the capacity to complete and compliment the other.As Hyeong-Do's lacking dedication to the company becomes increasingly more noticeable, questions regarding his professionalism begin to plague those in command. As an inquisitive detective, Myung-Duk (Park Jin-Woo) begins to investigate the authenticity of the company's business, and his contact with Hyeong-Do is revealed, the once revered assassin discovers the company he has worked tirelessly for, have a strong desire to terminate his contract - permanently, putting not only himself, but those he cares about, at risk.The action segments in the film are well executed, and despite the predictability that often accompanies their execution, the locations, that are not always stereotypical for action movies, offers entertaining backdrops to the genre. At the same time however, though South Korean action features have established themselves as frenetically enjoyable experiences, they are also renown for their melodramatic atmosphere. In the case of A Company Man, there were more than a couple of moments where the filmmakers had the opportunity to invest the audience more emotionally in the story, yet, these moments appear to be wasted, and for the most part, despite the interesting characters and appealing visuals, this film is one that will not invest its audience entirely into the plot.Further characterization regarding Hyeong-Do's original motivations for becoming an assassin, alongside knowledge on Mi-Yeon's past life, would have been additionally advantageous. This aside however, A Company Man, despite its South Korean origins, is capable of reflecting the kind of action we have come to expect from American features, and with this in mind, will surely entertain its audience, though if a viewer is after something with further depth, perhaps they ought to order from another menu.

An impressive movie. More than just a crime-thriller/action flick, this film takes a hard look at the Korean/Asian work-ethic, underlining the dangerously soulless nature of 'Corporate Family'. That's what The Company featured in this film is, beyond it's cover as metal-traders and its hidden, darker nature. The young field employees all see their Boss as a father-figure, "I love you, boss." the literal mantra of their interactions with him, something they say with such casual ease as to suggest this is, in fact, a relatively common way to greet your boss in South Korea. The lieutenant of the Boss, who doles out and reviews 'assignments', is like the jealous older brother; his position assured by the hierarchy, but his self-worth frequently challenged by the skills of his underlings, for which he punishes them frequently, and for which they desperately apologize. The protagonist is immersed in this family, seeing it as his life entire. He truly does love his boss, and his devotion to The Company borders on the absolute. As he leaves youth behind however, crisis of conscience begin to afflict him. He begins to question the worth of his own assignments, the value of the lives he's taking, and more and more he comes to feel that living should mean something more, and his love and devotion to a Company so callous and cruel has been gravely, woefully misplaced.It's rare to find this kind of social commentary hovering over an action/thriller film, and I found it to be treat. It gives one a window into a way of living that one otherwise might only hear about, and explores the emotional anxieties surrounding that way of living in a gripping, often very heartfelt way. There's plenty of blood, violence and gun-play to keep the viewer entertained, but the deeper themes running through it provoke real sympathy and hard thought in those receptive to such things. The catharsis of the film, the 'redemption' of the protagonist, comes in the simple form of a conscious decision to smile; to seek happiness over professionalism. It's an odd moment, hard to place in time and setting, but a potent and highly uplifting one.

This is actually a entertaining flick that combines different movie elements into one and pull it off for the most part. It seemed like it combined movies like "A Bittersweet Life", "Wanted", "RED" and maybe even a bit from the film "Fight Club". Never the less despite how wacky and silly this movie gets(intentional or unintentional) it's still a entertaining flick. It just not a very memorable flick but a decent way to pass the time. Although many things in this movie has been done before it's still a decent rehash I guess because I just wasn't really bored with this movie. So Ji-Sub really drives this movie as this charismatic and cool killer that works for a company full of assassins with special sets of skills. So Ji-Sub's style of fighting is not only entertaining but slick and cool. Also the the duel with him and a knife wielding office chick is one of the highlight of this flick. Although there are some areas where they could have gone more ahead with and some aspects of this film seemed rushed and underdeveloped. It's still a watchable flick, even just the climax itself makes it worth a watch. If you like this movie check out "A Bittersweet Life" which is a more gritty and realistic film that has some similar elements as this one.6.9/10