DECISION TO LEAVE (2022)

 

Directed By: Park Chan-Wook Written By: Park Chan-Wook & Chung Seo-Kyung  Cinematography: Kim Jo-Yong Editor: Kim Sang-Beom

Cast: Park Hae-il, Tang Wei, Lee Jung-Hyun, Go Kyung-Pyo 

From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man's wife Seo-rae. But as he digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire.

One of the most romantic movies ever or at least in quite a while.  It is more of a romance where the lead characters absolutely can’t be with one another yet works as a romance.  where they try to deny their feelings while falling even harder maybe because of the lack of total communication but constantly watching each other.

It’s almost like dating with a constant mind game and never a full revelation of feelings, but there is something there. They keep not only bringing themselves together, but circumstances at times force them to and to kind of chase each other. 

Though here not trying to fall in love and that is usually when it finds you or you find that one that makes you feel it. 

So that like early in love any moment or chance you get seems mystical, magical, and has meaning. 

There is plenty of lust there but it seems to be more about longing.

Now put all of that and surround it in a detective story a film noir with stylish touches and a little violence but no sex, eroticism, or even any real action. Like the characters the film and story are so restrained it almost feels like a period piece. Though the camerawork and direction are top notch. 

It feels like a thriller but one with more emotions. You wonder if she is only trying to seduce him to get away with her crimes and that for the detective she in not only and escape but a mystery herself that he can't figure out which is a challenge and slowly makes him lose it. 

But you feel destroyed by the end as you want the two characters to be together. So that it stays fully captivating. Though like a good story and a good book it moves at its own pace. Sometimes faster than you expect but also slower. Never quite a constant.

The film is like poetry, you recognize the beauty but it’s hard to explain. As hopefully you just feel it.

Grade: A-