Not at all overrated
At first I was hesitant to watch this film because of it was based on a true story about the civil war that took place in Somalia; South Korea has had multiple issues with portraying foreign cultures after all. So hearing about this movie's plot taking place in a real historical event, though I am not part of that culture, made me uneasy. But because it got high ratings and awards, I gave in to my curiosity and gave it a go. From my observation, the film mainly focused on the 2 Korean embassies (as the title says) escaping from Mogadishu and barely touched on the details of the war going on around them.Acting was SUPERB, as expected from top actors, Zo Insung, Kim Yoonseok, and Heo Joonho. I didn't know Koo Kyohwan was in this until I saw him in the film which was a pleasant surprise as he's becoming one of my new favorite actors after watching him in D.P.
Overall, it was a really touching story of how the 2 Koreas managed to put aside their political differences to survive together through the chaos. It actually reminded me of the movie Joint Security Area. Regardless of where you're from, this film will definitely make you strongly wish for reunification between North and South Korea.
I'm still curious, though, if they accurately presented the war. I kind of hoped that they showed more of the innocent Somali people who, like the Korean characters, were also victims and also desperately tried to escape. For those who know more about the real event and have seen the movie, please let me know in the comments if there were any inaccuracies. Thanks!
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This review may contain spoilers
this is not my type of story though the "inspired by real events" always gets me. though the movie was not boring during the 2 hours, I still wished for a little more touching moments, and maybe angst but not devastation
like they could've bonded more during the night, they could've cooked together, the kids could've played together, the adults could've talked about books or music, something that gave the parting a more bitter feeling
I've actually seen a few movies like this, and I'm actually glad there was no sudden hidden evil because no matter what, there was too much evil there ;(
though I knew someone was bound to die, no wonder I liked Koo Kyo Hwan, he's the D.P cutie! that makes it sadder ;(
behind every conflict, behind every war, there's normal people who want normal things but they're in situations they can't control ;(
sad, heartbreaking, violent, scary, devastating and yet heartwarming and hopeful TT_TT
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Watch the car chase scene
This movie is based on a true story when South and North Korea were fighting about UN membership. War broke out in Somalia and the two had to set aside their differences to escape from the war zone.Loved the very slick Hollywood feel of this movie. The final car chase scene was nailbiting, even though I knew they were going to make it, I was sweating bullets watching the cars try to get past the Somalian police and rebels to get to the embassy.
What I felt this movie lacked was a resolution. For someone who didnt know the history, I wanted to know what happened after. Did SK get their UN membership or not? I think they forgot the plot in the end.
Rating: 8.5/10
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Secret Friendship
Excellent diplomatic (historical!) action triller drama, with a touch of comedy - a standard Korean recipe of mixed genres put together to provide a complete experience. In the execution, the movie is both very realistic and surreal with many well thought details that add to the quality of production and to the message. Look for example where they put "Welcome to Mogadishu" sign in the movie about escape from the city. There is only one moment in the movie (where one person tries to raise a white flag) that i found stupid, but i understand how it was needed to add some extra intensity and peril for our main protagonists. The director does a great job never letting the movie to become boring but always adding new elements of suspense.The title of the movie reveals what the movie is about - an escape from a city/country caught in civil war, but the real drama starts when you have both South and North Korean Diplomats having to work together. This on its own made the movie worth it.
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I just watched this movie for a second time as the opening movie of a Korean Movie Week here in Croatia and i was surprised how i enjoyed the movie now even more then when i saw it for the first time. Seeing it sitting near Korean ambassador in our Country and with a fully packed theatre of audience that laughed and gasped and cheered was an adrenaline rush, and also to me personally i managed to find many new details that i didn't see during my first watch. At this time when we have more conflicts in the world, the message of this movie is even more important.
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