By the middle of the last decade, several filmmakers had established themselves as the most influential and well known directors in Korean cinema. Now, five or six years later, as the filmographies of these directors have continued to expand, many of the people who worked under them as assistant directors have gone on to make their debut. The prolific Kim Ki-duk may have produced the highest number of working disciples, but Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, Lee Chang-dong, Hong Sang-soo and Kim Jee-woon can all point to former collaborators who have made distinctive films on their own. Now, Ryoo Seung-wan can claim his first alumnus as well.
Kwon Hyeok-jae has been a part of Ryoo’s creative circle since Arahan (2004), and was particularly involved in Ryoo’s 2008 feature Dachimawa Lee, serving as first assistant director and co-screenwriter. When it came to making his debut film, he remained “in-house” at Ryoo’s production company, working off a script originally written by his mentor.
Trouble Shooter is a fast-paced thriller set in Seoul centered around the character of Kang Tae-sik, a former cop. Played by the well-known actor Sul Kyung-gu (Haeundae, Public Enemy), Tae-sik now runs a private business carrying out various kinds of dirty work for whomever will pay.
One day he gets a call from someone who wants him to furnish proof of a couple’s extramarital affair. Arriving at the specified motel room with his camera, he is shocked to discover a recently murdered body on the bed. As police cars pull up outside the motel, he realizes that he is being framed. Sure enough, Tae-sik demonstrates ingenuity and skill in extracting himself from this clever trap, but the game is far from over, he is still wanted by the police, and the antagonist he faces is ruthless, powerful, and very well connected politically.
It should be said from the outset that director Kwon doesn’t display the same level of originality or inventiveness as his mentor Ryoo Seung-wan. The plot contains many twists, but few genuine surprises. Nonetheless Trouble Shooter never flags in energy or, to its credit, takes itself too seriously. The film’s chase scenes and confrontations are shot with a great deal of ambition, but not to the extent that it robs the film of its underlying fun.
Sul Kyung-gu has perhaps taken on a few too many roles of this type in recent years, but he brings a workmanlike competence to the lead performance. Lee Jung-jin imparts a well-groomed menace to the rather predictable role of the villain. Interestingly enough, however, it is two supporting actors who end up stealing the show. Oh Dal-soo has been a famous character actor ever since getting his teeth extracted in Oldboy, and recently he has even taken on semi-leading roles in films such as Detective K.
Song Se-byeok is a much newer face, but like Oh he has won fame with his distinctive manner of speech and his natural gift for understated humor. In 2010 he swept the best new actor prizes at all the local film awards ceremonies for his standout performance in The Servant. In this film, Oh and Song play a pair of policemen who pursue Tae-sik, but realize at the same time that something about this case doesn’t add up. Their offbeat conversations with each other in the office or in the squad car are some of the film’s most memorable scenes, despite the fact that their screen time is limited.
Either actor would have been engaging on their own, but together they are something more, each character’s rhythms and mannerisms complementing the other. Ultimately it turns out to be the perfect seasoning for what would otherwise be a slightly bland-tasting film.
Darcy Paquet