The biggest reason being that this movie at times felt a touch too muddled in what it was trying to convey. It deeply explores an issue very well but yet not deeply enough. Deep issues are at times downplayed due to very stereotypical assumptions, and the end for me felt like a cop out. I admit, that viewpoint can be countered but I felt in the grand scheme of things, it allowed the audience to still retain their view of "normalcy". However, this isn't what made me dock points largely.
This movie deals with a topic that I rarely see and as a review mentioned, where a man trying to become a woman isn't the butt of a joke. Here, there is no laughter, little room for it. This movie cleverly approaches the topic as it takes this Herculean and manly guy who isn't happy with himself. He wants to become a woman. It creates an interesting and refreshing dichotomy as here is a guy who can easily fight any man and easily conquer a horde of attacking gangs yet he wants to be a woman.
The strong point is definitely Cha Seung Won's character (Ji Wook) and he carries this movie for me. The rest of the plot for me is kind of fodder as are a bunch of the characters. There were certain characters in here that for me had no legitimate reason to be here or to be included in the story as they were. Mainly because they muddle vs aid the story. There are other characters though I recognize their importance because they add to Cha Seung Won's character. For example, the antagonist here the sub-leader of a gang and while I find his character to add very little in terms of plot, he brings out Ji Wook's character. What I mean is that most of the action sequences come from the interaction between the two which allows for the story to cement the manly image that Ji Wook has. However, while a good portion of the action scenes are relevant, I have to pick a bone with a good number of them. I feel this way about a lot of movies and dramas that bring to the table an unsettling topic or a very intelligent topic. There are always dramatic actions sequences involved. Yes, it's a way for the director to sell the plot but it would be nice to just directly approach the topic. In this case, the topic is interesting enough to be the sole focus. I just feel that the action sequences at times distract from the main topic.
On a personal note, there were quite a few things in this movie I wish I could alter. I also wish I could make this movie go hard in terms of really exploring this theme. I feel like this movie should have shocked the viewer more than it did. It makes it feel a little regrettable in that regard. Nonetheless, definitely one to watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
This movie struck me emotionally so it's a little difficult to look at it as a whole and weigh its cons and pros. It's one of those movies that touch your heart and resonate with you that you just tell your brain to shut up when it brings up things you didn't like about it.It's like the plot was a mere ornament for the heart of this movie: the story of a woman trapped in a man's body. No matter how you change the setting and characters, the story is the same, and that universality is the best thing about 'Man on High Heels'.
Cha Seung-won, Cha Seung-won. Oh, man. This was not my first time seeing him pull a great performance, but I find myself struggling for words to describe what he did with a hit-or-miss role like playing Ji-wook. Perhaps another actor would not have managed the subtlety and nuance of a 'manly' man with an inner woman, or given the character the perfect shade of a vulnerable and feminine aura. No matter what you think about transgender people, you would just be pulled in to sympathize and feel for Ji-wook's deep-set longing. By the movie's end, I fully bought Cha Seung-won's character and believed the conflict of what he is vs. what he wants to be.
The directing and camera work was spot-on and handled with finesse, and it makes sense since the director wrote the script and channeled his vision. I loved the parts unspoken in a scene, when the camera would show us instead. I can't really recall the music but I think it was mostly instrumental and most scenes were big on natural sounds.
Lastly, I'm going to avoid talking about the ending because it would definitely include spoilers but I just want to say that it made sense since the whole movie was leading up to this. Not that I'm happy, but I'm at peace with it.
Warning: Right. Just be aware that there are lots of violent scenes that veered a little on gore at times. I cringed so much but I'm just averse to seeing blood and stabbings on screen.
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i'm actually very disappointed in this film. there were so many sub-plots, i think my brain swirled itself around for the duration of the movie. it's not like cha seung-won is a bad actor. he takes on the role of a cold-blooded detective like it's something he was born to do. the problem is, i didn't know what to pay attention to. is it the actual enemy that's plotting to destroy him inside out or is it ji wook's inner battle with his demons?
and the ending! ugh, there was no silver lining in this movie! i'd like to see growth and development. instead, i got a character who ran around in circles and came back to the starting point: miserable in his own skin. just not worth my time with that bad portrayal of a trans-character. i think the only reason why i even gave it a rating itself was because it redeemed itself with the action scenes. romance/plot? pure waste.
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This review may contain spoilers
honestly speaking, i went into this movie thinking i wouldn't finish it because it's too transphobic or just bad representation (especially because the title sort of implies trans women are men who play dress up) but i was pleasantly surprised by this. i personally think they portrayed the feelings and internal struggles lgbtq+ people feel and showed multiple sides of trans women and not just one fixed type of woman very well. not only does this movie have interesting characters (and a complex well written main character), it also has multiple interesting storylines. though some people may find more than one storyline in a movie a bit too complicated and muddled, i personally like them and how they make ji wook into a more complex and detailed character.the side criminal/cop storyline where the gangsters of the town are fighting it out kinda pushes the “manly” point across about ji wook and how she feels pressured to be a certain type of person that she is not. then there is the main storyline about ji wook’s internalized struggles about what it means to be a woman and her struggles to find comfort in being who she is, as well as her struggles of growing up (as what is perceived to be) gay in a society where being gay isn’t seen as “normal” or “right”. though it is inclusive, it does still have some transphobic comments. i personally think this is used to drive the storyline of ji wook not being able to find peace in her sense of self worth and identity. there are stereotypes in this that i think weren’t necessary (lifting of the pinky) and more things plot wise that i don’t think were necessary (ji wook and jang mi kiss scene) but overall, i find the story to be interesting. especially when i compare it to other movies with trans people in them.
despite the wonderful things about this movie, they ultimately ruined it with the ending. the whole story was about ji wook finding peace within herself and fighting her way into a positive attitude about her sense of self and they destroyed it (for no reason what so ever) and brought her even further back in terms of acceptance than she was in the beginning. i think they were just trying to showcase how hard it is to find peace and acceptance with yourself, especially when it feels like the world is stacked up against you, but i personally think they should have at least given her somewhat of a decent happy ending where she feels confident being herself.
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It’s about a really strong detective who really wants to be a woman. Nobody knows it, but himself so his character is really bitter, I can’t remember he smiling. After a lot of trouble he finally can became a woman BUT the villain always came in the worst time of the lead.
The idea of the story is one of a kind but it’s not well developed i think. Mainly, the story will be about the lead and his problem and about his past. But I don’t understand what really happened in the past. So overall it’s lacking detail.
I don’t like the ending; don’t understand him why he does that? After all he does.
Well, if you like action and you like Cha Seung Wo you probably will like it.
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Delicacy and subtlety to, from black humor, address taboo topics: transsexuality, violence and death
Just hearing the premise makes one curious. Action films abound, but there can't be too many like 'Man of High Heels,' a moody, moving and violent Korean cop-gangster film written and directed by Jang Jin.Released in 2014, this South Korean noir film stars Cha Seung Won, who plays a homicide detective who hides a big secret.
Nicknamed Cyborg due to the metal plates on his arms and legs and his ability to make an arrest using only his formidable martial arts skills, even criminals are amazed by his toughness and physical prowess: gangster gang leader Heo -Bol (Song Young-Chang), was singing praises to Yoon Ji-Wook moments before the man appeared to beat him and his henchmen.
Skilled in hand-to-hand combat, Yoon Ji Wook is a tough homicide detective known for his ability to catch violent criminals using his own harsh methods. Revered as a legend among police officers, he is simultaneously feared among the mafia for his brutality in cracking down on crime.
However, beneath that macho and unscrupulous hard man appearance lies a secret that no one can know since the society in which he lives would not view him favorably: apparently the epitome of masculinity, Yoon Ji Wook feels that She is a woman in a man's body.
As much as she tries to suppress this inner desire, she can't fight what she really is: Yoon identifies as transgender.
The film is an intricate film noir story, and woven into the mask of the crime plot is the story of Yoon's decision to live his true life.
Upon finally reaching the point where he resolves to be a woman and decides to take the step of undergoing a sex reassignment operation and thus be able to see his teenage dream come true, he requests discharge from the police force.
This is when the turning point in the film occurs. Before having the opportunity to enter the operating room, unexpected situations begin to happen that interfere with their plans. His numerous enemies think his career change is also a perfect opportunity to take revenge. When some of his close friends are murdered and Jang-mi (Esom), a girl whose brother Yoon loved at school, is kidnapped, he realizes that he can't stand by and follow his dream any longer. How much will revenge cost him?
The members of a gang who had to go through bad times due to the actions of our narrative hero will come for him. Recognizing that it would be difficult for them to take revenge directly, they decide to endanger not only their dream but the people they love.
It is striking that in the history of cinema there has never been a film that deals with the issue of transgenderism in the way that 'Man of High Heels' does. Jang argued that he was inspired to write the script by friends who had encountered prejudice due to their sexual identities, and one of them had been forced to leave the police institution for being gay.
Furthermore, its subversion of classic action movie tropes typifies the irreverent approach of its director, who has built his reputation satirizing Korean society and mischievously modifying cinematic traditions.
With great delicacy and subtlety, the director addresses a topic that is widely carried and brought up by many people who are still full of prejudices who are not careful when it comes to pointing the finger at everything they do not know or do not understand.
'Man of High Heels' manages, with great elegance and good taste, to reflect transsexuality on the screen, and not only in an illustrative way but with a message to all those who dare to judge people who suffer this desire in their flesh.
On the one hand, the protagonist nails his role like very few other actors could have done. Cha Seung Won exudes masculinity from every pore. That is why it surprises many to see him dressed as a woman.
Reading comments from MDL users, one can notice the large number of people who are surprised to learn the premise of the film, and there are those who attack it because "I don't like it" and "I don't understand" or they simply attack it because they consider the way in which transsexuality is approached is crude.
The film is not only about seeing one of Korea's most mature actors transvestite, but also that 'Man of High Heels' debunks the idea, especially in the West, that South Korean cinema goes to the saga of what is produced in the rest of the world. Due to its story, its originality, its staging and, above all, its ability to surprise the viewer, Jang's film speaks for itself about the quality of the cinema of that Asian nation.
This is a film that will keep the most demanding viewer of the action genre in suspense, but seeks other audiences by incorporating the LGBT+ component. This is a violent film with a brutal staging loaded with scenes that will remain fixed in our retinas as a warm memory for life.
This film not only succeeds in the genre but stands out. The opening fight scene is a classic, beautifully choreographed with wit and crazy fun.
'Man of High Heels' begins with a bang that sets the stage for what is to come and introduces the protagonist whose presence is equally explosive and heartbreaking.
The film challenges our perception and reveals discrimination, love and acceptance, as well as tears in our hearts.
If someone believes that everything has been said, add that it is a different film in its history but that manages to combine all the ingredients and resources of an authentic Korean gangster film, with action scenes from the first to the last scene.
This is one of Cha's best performances, one that you can't help but get emotionally invested in.
But there's even more: this is a drama that will make your heart pound and make you feel restless in your seat and you will even want to help the tough homicide detective eliminate the gangsters without suffering a scratch, save his loved ones and until it makes it easier for you to get to the operating room on time.
This is a layered, multidimensional film about a real person, with a real career and reputation, real friends and colleagues.
This is a film that invites the transgender community to be smarter about accepting serious attempts to tell a nuanced transgender story.
'Man of High Heels' manages to dismantle all the concepts regarding what masculinity is supposed to be from the first sequence, without separating the humor from the action – sometimes crazy, but always precise.
A film full of messages and symbolism in every shot under masterful direction, a noir film emerges in all its expressions, an exquisite and suggestive black humor to address taboo topics such as transsexuality, violence and death itself, in a humorous way.
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Je to naprosto originální snímek, kde mě upoutal především hlavní hrdina - herec Cha Seung Won. Jedinečnost až divnost spojení dvou témat a hlavní postava naprosto přebily všechno a hodnotím celkově velmi vysoko a vůbec mi nevadí, že námět je takto skloubený (drsný policajt a operace na ženu) a mnozí diváci to asi nepoberou. Pro ty ostatní určitě doporučuji.
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This review may contain spoilers
Atonement or violence?
Am I allowed to say I did not like this?Maybe because I did not understand it? Maybe because I did not find the plot and the acting convincing enough?
The movie was all over the place:is it a police vs. gangsters movie, is it a human drama, is it an attempt at redemption?
The only moment I actually felt that the policeperson (the main lead) is maybe trans, was in the last 30 seconds of the movie when he lifted a little finger and looked wistfully at another trans person! Before that: he was a macho policeman,extremely well trained, killing without regret gangsters. Yes, women can be the same: just look at Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. He hid really well his true nature. Is it possible to be so convincing in real life? How exhausting it must be to pretend to be someone you are not for years....
But here his desire to change sex stems mostly from regret: when he was young he refused his best friends who ended up killing himself in front of him while he did nothing to stop him! Regrets can make a person do all sorts of things to atone for past mistakes. Maybe only at the moment he realized who he really is? Allow me to doubt. The actor, himself, looked highly uncomfortable wearing dresses and make up.
The movie is extremely violent, dark and unforgiving. The world is a scary place and happiness is not for people who make mistakes.
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