See It: Seven Days

So I finally got a chance to sit down and take in the SK thriller Seven Days (which snagged Kim Yun-jin her Best Actress Award) and without a doubt, it was worth the wait. It was so good I'm even doing a semi-real review of the flick.

Flashy And Cool

I like to think that sometimes you can tell a good movie from the opening credits, especially in an action thriller. My thinking is that if the production/editing team takes the time to actually setup the movie in style and tone in the begining, that the rest of the movie will follow suit - and while it's not an exact science - Seven Days stayed true to that pattern. From the colors to the camera angles, to the soundtrack, everything just fit - it kept the pace moving like it should - and I didn't mind what I call the "flash burst" editing or the sometimes handheld look - to me it helped make it feel like I was more in the movie, versus being a passive watcher in a lot of ways.

You're A Thespian

Two things stuck out about the acting in the movie for me: One is that Kim Yun-jin really played the part well - from the emotional to the physical portions of the role, it was easy to see how she got the Best Actress Award - in a nutshell - she just kicked ass in the role. The second is that I don't think you can really go wrong with Oh Kwang-rok. He's just so - distinct.

A Twist Is A Twist Is A Twist

Actually that's not always the case - sometimes the twist you have at the end of a movie you can see a mile away and instead of "gotcha" it's really "we couldn't think of anything better" - but in Seven Days you really can't see it coming.

And On Another Note

Just for the record - if they don't have Kim Yun-jin in the U.S. remake of this film I'm going to be ultra-pissed - because there's absolutely no reason not to have her starring in the remake. She knows the role, she's got a built in fan base both here and abroad (and you know people would see the U.S. film not to just compare the movies, but also how she plays in each of them), and obviously - she speaks "fluent English" (so if that's an issue, it's not an issue at all). The only way I can see them not giving the role to her would be if they decided an Asian woman couldn't hold it down on the big screen in a lead role in big budget action thriller for U.S. audiences - and if that happens - OMG - I'm going to go off like I've probably never gone off before.