Friend

During my descent into my favoritism of Korean films, it is obvious they have a knack for cinematography and amazing character development. It's a matter of fact, not opinion. If you don't believe me, you can just check out The Host, Memories of Murder, Save the Green Planet!, or Tae Guk Gi! My personal favorite Korean film is also my favorite gangster film.

FRIEND shows the upcoming of life-long friends from the roots of many various families. Some stay straight, some go crooked, and some become sociopaths. The film opens up similarly to City Of God with godly cinematography and also takes the reigns of being a self-autobiographical film of a rough childhood with bold decisions thrusted at our youth at a tender age.

Friend is a peg holding the gangster film bar up waiting for films to spread the weight. The only one even worth mentioning in this review would be The Departed. With the word's of Coffin Joe echoing in my mind "There's the most perfect creation of nature: children! Pity that they grow up to become idiots. In search of nothing. Lost in a Labyrinth of egoism... and dominated by a non-existent force: the faith in the immortality of the spirit.", Friend has new meaning.


The situations these perfect creations face of that of unspeakable atrocities. Classroom violence, gang wars, rivaling schools, disastrous love, and having nonsupporting parents are only a few of the obstacles this group of four friends face. Each of the four main leads brings a distinguished charisma to their roles. Emotions ranging from goofy, yet hiding his sorrow,to the "bad ass" troublemaker who is victim to his own persecutions. These are just a few of the quirks of these personalities.

Friend on the entertainment level is monstrous. It also features one of the most epic fight scenes ever. This one doesn't use slow-motion digitally captured effects, just a couple teenage gangsters against an entire school. Friend is a film to redefine film. That is me putting it simply. You must do everything in your power to view this film. At all costs.

-Maq