Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

HeadlinesExotic Boring

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

human Unit yes, how! how can this man, Kim Jee-Wong be the same man who made The Last stand?I wish I would have discovered it sooner, my goodness, better later than never right? I became a huge fan of Lee Byung Hun only recently, not only because of his martial art skills, certainly because of his amazing acting skills, this guy is absolutely great in any part he play;I was looking for something else than Terminator, aha-ha.. and found ''I saw the Devil'' which for me is, from now on, a masterpiece, then I look forward and finally get ''Bitter Sweet life''. It's better in so many ways than any American action flick, a total blast, Well, i've discovered Korean cinema, in the best way i suppose

taylorb1221 This is my first review on here, only because I felt compelled to tell someone about this film… When I say "coolest," I don't mean it in a that-movie-was-really-cool kind of way… Coolest, in this case, means that it is the smoothest, well-crafted, stylish, and beautiful films I have ever seen. Everything about the film has a you'll-never-be-this-cool feel, like Jules and Vincent from Pulp Fiction. Not to mention the fact that it has the same sort of humor.Now, I am a film student who has actually gotten a lot of praise from students and teachers and whatnot for my first film project… That's great and all, but after seeing this film I am reminded of what Steven Spielberg said after he saw The Godfather; "I guess I should quit now, because I will never make something this good." I am, in no way, comparing myself to Spielberg, I'm just describing the feeling of, "holy s***, this is amazing," and "wow, I could never do this ever…"See this movie before you die… Or before it gets remade.

Phyxi It is with the above sentence that 'A Bittersweet Life' transforms from being a film that focuses on the lonely life of gang member Kim Sun-woo, and into a narrative centered on revenge. In fact, it was this change of pace halfway through the film that most grabbed my attention. While Sun-woo's boss, Kang, was away on business Sun-woo is asked to look out for his young girlfriend, Heesoo, who is suspected of cheating. Kang's suspicions are correct, but rather than kill her (as Kang ordered), Sun-woo gives Heesoo her life. Up until this moment, we follow Sun-woo's lonely existence. Kept busy with his tasks for the gang, and for his hotel, Sun-woo is surrounded by men whose alliances are doubtful. The only female in the plot, Heesoo invites Sun-woo out for lunch, and whilst she proclaims that Sun-woo is "boring", this scene is the first time that we see him in a social setting where the talk is not of business. In fact, there is barely any talk at lunch at all. Demonstrating Sun- woo's isolation, he is unable to talk about anything that interests him. Perhaps it is this alleviation of loneliness for one lunch hour that encourages Sun-woo to follow his own judgment concerning Heesoo, and rebel against his boss on the grounds of morality.Fast-forward to about an hour into the film, and Kang has discovered Sun-woo's deception. Until this point the pace of the film has been quite slow, and steady. As soon as Sun-woo climbs out of the grave that he metaphorically dug (after he took the moral high ground, he knew that there would be repercussions for lying to the boss), and the actual muddy, physical grave that the gang buried him in, the film changes to a fast paced, and bloody revenge plot. I really enjoyed that switch from slow and predictable, to fast and heavy; it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat! The whole last hour of the film had some brilliant scenes, from fights in narrow hallways, to playing with fire, to the gunfire in the film's final showdown. All of these scenes were shot beautifully, and masterfully. The use of the blood against white walls, the locations and the lighting used in these fighting scenes were absolutely superb, and all of these elements entice me to revisit the film over, and over, and over again.

Leofwine_draca A dark story of revenge from South Korea, this film manages to be effortlessly cool while at the same time full of suppressed emotion and, eventually, complete chaos. Yes, it's another sometimes devastating Korean gangster story, made with all the slickness and style of far eastern cinema.It's a downbeat and depressing film that explores the very depths of the human condition, and I have to say that I found the main character's journey to be pretty upsetting. Lee Byung-hun went on to bigger things after this (a Hollywood career and I SAW THE DEVIL) and it's no surprise, because he's excellent in the central role: extremely subtle and yet with his eyes brimming with feeling.As the title would indicate, A BITTERSWEET LIFE isn't a feel-good action film with the hero blasting away various well-dressed criminals: this is a crime film in which every action has a consequence, and you can guarantee there won't be a happy ending. It's occasionally disturbing, sometimes blackly funny, and gripping throughout. All of the gangster action you could wish for is here, in spades, and it's very bloody too; however, there's plenty of visual artistry too, and some scenes of breathtaking and touching beauty which transcend the film's genre to reach out and touch the viewer's very heart. The ending, in particular, is quite stunning.