The City Of Violence review

Korean cinema has provided many treats in the last few years especially in the crime and thriller genres, with the likes of Chan-Wook Park's Lady Vengeance series as well as Ji-Woon Kim's under-rated A Bittersweet Life demonstrating exactly why this is one of world cinema's most exciting enclaves.

The latest offering to reach our shores, Seung-Wan Ryoo's The City of Violence, is another grime-ridden gangster affair which sets out its stall as a mixture of the comedy of Stephen Chow and the reality of Martin Scorsese. The jury is out as to whether or not this is a totally satisfactory style to try and achieve.

In an opening half which relies more on laughs than thrills, Tae-Su (Doo-Hong Jung), a tough city cop, returns to his home village for the first time in many years to attend the funeral of one of his high school buddies. Many drinks and high jinks later and he learns that his friend's death may not have been quite as simple as initially thought.

The mood takes a darker turn in the second half, and the film is all the better for it. Tae-Su uncovers a world of corruption involving his deceased friend and the gang plotting to take over the town and erect a supercasino. Some rather brutal torture sequences spice things up to give the film its 18 certificate.

There are some out-there sequences which should satisfy fans of the wackiness sometimes associated with such films, notably a scene in which our hero and his friends are attacked by hundreds of angry schoolchildren. But while it may appeal to those already converted to the way of Korean cinema, it's a little too light and a little too obvious to convert new disciples.

Paul Hurley