Friend 2 (2013)

A film that is so my cup of tea, I want to write a 'Thank you' letter to the writers, directors, editors and Kim WooBin, who was the reason I actually payed attention to this and decided top watch it.
Speaking of Kim WooBin, I would like to start of with a few sentences to praise his acting here. The director of the movie praised him in an interview about his acting skills and how he worked in action scenes, and I would like to praise him on that as well. A role like this - tough gangster - fits him better than a forever-stuck-in-high-school ones and I am now looking forward to his next movie, in which he will be as bad ass as in this one.
Continuing about the cast - PERFECT! Even minor characters were executed perfectly and extremely believably and really made me believe in what they were doing.
As for the plot, as in what they were doing, I have not seen Friend 1 yet, but I will see it very soon, and even though I didn't know the full back story, the flashbacks and back-stories helped perfectly, drawing the full picture. The plot was not messed up with billion parallel stories and was easy to follow, if one paid attention. Plus, the story-line made me think of several rather philosophical issues.
Might seem odd, that a movie about Korean gangsters can do that, but it made me think about a lot of things. When friendship and loyalty is pushed a side to gain power and money; when a line can be drawn in mad run for the previously mentioned; what is family - blood related one's, or those who run. starve and fight with you - these were the questions I thought about and couldn't come up with an answer, as that's how philosophy works.
Maybe if YOU, will watch it, you will find the answers of these questions or ask your own, but, indeed, this movie can not leave you indifferent.

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Okay first thing is, should the first movie be watched before this one? In my opinion: yes, most definitely. I already know that w/o having watched the first one I probably would have rated this one less than I did because I guess you could say I was a bit sentimental and attached with the characters/stories of the first one. So I enjoyed that they continued them a bit in this one. This was actaully my first time watching anything with KWB in it and I’m so sorry to say that I was disappointed... especially after reading before that one of his favorite movies was Friend and that he had every line memorized so I really tried to like him but couldn’t! :( it wasn’t the character he played, I’ve loved so many with the same traits but idk his acting felt overdone... (sorry for offending anyone who loved him haha) but anyway I loved the first movie and will rewatch it. But as for this one, do I regret watching it? No. Would I watch it again? Highly unlikely

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My reaction to this movie can only be described in a series of creative expletives. But since I have to keep this PG I'll try to explain what I just experienced. For one, this is one of those films that stay with you and make you question your own belief system. Don't get me wrong, it's a gangster story my favorite genre but if you go in expecting your run of the mill clichés, this is not the movie for you. If on the other hand, you're prepared to go on a journey that will make your soul ache and make you question everything, then this film will be the perfect experience. You know, Kim Woo Bin is an amazing actor but if you see him in this you'll just never see him the same way. Like I was in AWE of him consistently and not only because he's Kim Jaewook level good looking but also because he completely immerses himself in every role. Everything about this movie will play with your heart. That dynamic with the older man who practically saved him in prison and that scene where he gets drunk and confesses his true feelings about why he followed the guy and never retaliated in prison, just wow, it's EPIC. And so is the ending, that's the only way I can describe it. Thought provoking and intense.

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