FeistyUpper
If you don't like this, we can't be friends.
UnowPriceless
hyped garbage
Caryl
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
MitchellKGetz
Fans of well-written stories and interesting spy/espionage films (similar in nature to the Bourne Trilogy) coupled with competent, convincing acting, smart direction, and sharp (but not dizzying) action editing should really appreciate this film.The character development unfolds in a manner that draws the viewer close enough to care for the 19 year-old North Korean spy (brilliantly played by Seung Hyun Choi) as well as several other characters who convincingly convey deep emotions with economical use of dialogue, non-verbal expression, and relatively limited screen time.The action film includes a balancing dose of drama by placing an equal emphasis upon character development; and, the story also gives the talented actors an opportunity to emote some cultural insight related to the feelings and hardships associated with the political division of a culturally homogeneous North and South Korea. I look forward to future films written by Kim Soo-young, directed by Hong-soo Park as well as films that include the young, talented actor Seung Hyun Choi.
Prashast Singh
Movie: Commitment (15)Rating: 4/5I didn't know about this film until I found that it was dubbed in Hindi. I saw it and found it to be unexpectedly good as most South Korean action thrillers are. COMMITMENT doesn't add anything new to the genre but provides a pretty great deal of action packed entertainment with a good portrayal of human emotions and relations, though the emotions slightly falter towards the end.Choi Seung-hyun is good in his role. This is his first film I've seen. Other actors too were good. The screenplay is decent, and there are a lot of impressive moments throughout the film. The action scenes and visuals are amazing, as is the cinematography. Editing is fine.Besides, COMMITMENT also has a great portrayal of emotions throughout. The story being realistic helps to connect to the characters and feel their pain. The heartwarming brother-sister relation is brought out very well. Full marks to the director for utilising and extracting great performances from his actors. However, the film falters in the end. The climax was a good one but the emotions didn't come out well. It's only here that it's hard to feel for the characters, otherwise there's not a single scene where you won't.But that being a minor flaw doesn't affect the film's entertainment quotient, and due to that I recommend watching COMMITMENT.
grandmastersik
The son and daughter of a falsely-accused North Korean traitor are imprisoned for their father's crime; one day, the son is given the chance to not only earn their freedom, but to erase the stain on their family name by becoming a spy.Sparing us the needless training scenes, our anti-hero enters the South, the Republic of Korea, as a refugee, where he is "adopted" by North Korean handlers (despite being an adult) and sent to school. Okay, so I've no idea at what age Koreans leave school, but this seemed weird... but not as weird as teachers bullying pupils with a wooden cane before leaving them unsupervised. Still, carry on...The lead soon develops an attachment with a classmate, and even though there's never any romance per se, there is a genuine chemistry, which makes their relationship feel more meaningful than just two horny teens bonking. And this is important, because we already know she'll most likely be kidnapped - but certainly used against him - later on by his enemies. This is an action flick, after all.But what's this? As our spy sets about his duty, a rival faction's bumping his fellow spies off as a major player seeks to usurp power in the North.Yeah, I really liked this part of the plot, just as I really liked how our young spy understood none of it, being naive to the ways of the world. Anyway, the story twists and turns, there are shoot outs, plenty of kick-arse fights scenes and then we get to the ending, which is either going to be the typical Hollywood ending (the hero rides off into the sunset with the girl) or the typical Korean one (i.e. everybody dies), because so far, the film hasn't broken any seriously new ground to elevate it beyond being a merely good action-thriller. And South Korea knocks them out by the dozen.So, if you're new to Korean cinema, you'll likely love this flick, but for fans who have seen it all before, there's really not enough here to recommend, even though it is very enjoyable while it lasts.
drjgardner
Commitment is a spy drama that takes place during the change of guard in North Korea where forces in the North are jockeying with forces in the South. Into this struggle, the son of a murdered spy is recruited to go to South Korea as an assassin, his reward being that upon the successful completion of his mission he will be reunited with his sister.The acting is uniformly good, especially from Seung Hyun Choi as the spy, Ye-ri Han as the girl he meets, and Park Ji-Il as the South Korean agent who hunts him down. Most of these actors will be unfamiliar to U.S. audiences.In recent years Korean films have been able to master the art of action sequences - "OldBoy" (2003), "The Chaser" (2008), "Bittersweet Life" (2005), "The Man from Nowhere" (2010). The current film does well, but at the heart of an action film one must believe that the hero is capable of performing the feats ascribed to him. In this case, it's only partially true. Neither by dint of his own physicality, nor the back story, are we able to believe that Seung Hyun Choi is capable of the martial arts skills he displays. In fairness to Choi , he does do OK, so it's not a question of disbelief, but neither is there an unquestioning acceptance.Apart from some good action sequences, the film is an interesting travelogue about life in South Korea, as well as a look at police work in that Country.
