This review may contain spoilers
where the story and inner voice of the characters are more important than genre stereotypes.
Stereotypes of films like “The Count of Monte Cristo” have accustomed us to the standard plot lines of such stories: a strong hero/heroine, betrayal, years in prison that transform and temper their character, liberation, a plan for revenge, a cunning opponent whom the hero/heroine defeats due to their extreme coolness. In the South Korean “Revolver”, everything will be different: depending on your expectations, this will be either a cool feature or an annoying misunderstanding. The woman did not become stronger in prison - she is broken both morally and physically: as a former police officer, she was constantly beaten. The scene of liberation paints an accurate portrait of her: no family, no friends, no place to live, only scars on her body. She challenges the powerful villains who deceived the police, she decides to do so for a purely pragmatic reason - she has nothing to live on. The villains turn out to be not so influential and these are only bureaucrats whose “right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.” Moreover, they did not seem to be planning to deceive her - just, as happens in life, something went wrong. For almost two hours you will have to follow the chaotic actions of the heroine and her either friends or enemies. The outcome of such a story is unpredictable - having broken the initial axioms, we can end up anywhere in the finale. For some reason, this approach reminded me of Hayao Miyazaki’s stories, where powerful villains often turn out to be weak and worthy of sympathy. The film also has a detective component. This authorial and plot confusion seemed original and exciting. So I would definitely recommend “Revolver” to fans of non-standard action films, where the story and inner voice of the characters are more important than genre stereotypes.Was this review helpful to you?
Revolver with misfired bullets
An extremely classy looking loot revenge crime thriller that was made up of 100% pure melodrama without any action sequence. Despite its stylish appearance and full of dark conspiracy threats, the storyline never really takes off into anything worthy, it didn't had enough pressure or stakes to make it intimidating, and the side characters are mostly useless for the story. At the end the mission seems easily fulfilled without shock ending or huge fights, after all the extended buildups it turns out to just be an underdeveloped arthouse film that only feels like a revolver with misfired bullets.Was this review helpful to you?
Beware how you use a gun
First of all, I had no expectations about the movie and I didn’t know what kind of movie this is before watching it. It turns out to be a psychological thriller drama so if that is what you are ready for, this is a gem. But if you expect some intense action, twists and turns, shocks and thrills, you might be disappointed.Before watching the movie it came to my mind that Kim Ki-duk was making a movie about a gun, so if anything I was interested in the role of a revolver for this movie. Silently I hoped to see a little bit of Kim Ki-duk genre and I would say that I got it. Director Oh Seung-uk is exploring the human psychology in a unique way by showing us a few distinct characters and their clashing with one another. Revolver is still here to push them a little further than they would normally go. The story is simple but is developing in an intriguing way, actors are superb, the production and visuals truly excellent.
I remember the movie “Shameless” from the same director with a similar casting and a similar tone. And I saw other projects he worked on, but they are too few. I see here that all of them have a score around 7 but for me they are all 9 or 10/10. That means I am a fan.
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Revolver missed the target
The movie left me wanting more. There are things that I like and also don’t but overall it was an “okay-ish” movie in my opinion. Words is not needed for Jeon Doyeon and Lim Jiyeon, you just know they will slay. Madam Jeong is definitely a scene stealer. Lee Jung Jae and Jeon Hye Jin cameos is impactful, they brought mystery to the story. Their cameos could lead to more depth potential about the buildup but sadly it went stagnant. What I hope they can actually change is the villain’s “script”. Andy literally just kept cursing soooo. He also felt like a weak villain that I could crush anytime so i’m not scared at all. He redeemed himself towards the end so it was back to good. Still, I finished this movie, just don’t know if I will watch it again sometimes soon. I applaud Sooyoung for going after what she wants without stopping. Maybe it’s just not my cup of tea. 7.5/10Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Despite the movie having an A list of actors, the movie did not meet expectations. For instance, in the beginning, I thought oh yeah this is a slow burner but the storyline never really developed into anything. Like I still don't know who killed Lim. lol, However, the actors as always delivered their portrayal to perfection. Also, the music was lit; their soundtrack was beautiful and entertaining for my ears. Was this review helpful to you?
WHERE S THE SHOCK EFFECT?
this could v been an amazin film .. idk what the genre is called , but in some movies, plots start similar to this one , then sooo many random events happen and the wildest chaos ensues .. just for the denouement to be something simple and obvious ( like grace eventually givin money , which is something she could v done 10min into the movie lol).....Now this type of movies is always fun with strong shock value.... but this one failed the expectations in my opinion. They were so reserved .. it wasnt as chaotic and erratic and manic as i hoped . the characters needed more irrationality and just randomness in their actions..
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Bersaglio decisamente mancato
Film molto atteso....e carico di aspettative disattese. Brava la protagonista, ma la storia non ci sta: tutto si basa su lei che esce dal penitenziario e cerca vendetta nei confronti di chi l'ha ingannata. L'idea è chiara, lo sviluppo molto meno. Non c'è azione, non c'è suspence, non ci sono colpi di scena, neppure del finale. Il ritmo non incalza, i personaggi non vengono sfruttati bene... nemmeno il cattivo riesce a risultare un cattivo di rispetto. "Revolver" spara diversi proiettili, ma tutti risultano fiacchi e nessuno va a segno. Attendevo questo film soprattutto per la presenza di Ji Chang Wook, reduce da una serie di drama/film non propriamente riusciti, e spiace dover constatare che "Revolver" si accoda a questo elenco di produzioni insoddisfacenti. Sembra proprio che i tempi di "Healer" e "Suspicious Partner" siano sempre più lontani...Was this review helpful to you?