A Bittersweet Life

A nod to the legacy of the noir crime films of 1970s French cinema in a twenty-first century guise. (01/09/2006)

Once again, a film that has charisma, a likeable main character, and a charming style all its own. The story isn't the point... it's simple and predictable. More important is the meaningful presentation and the quality of every minute. I especially admire the thoughtful dialogue, the character of Sun-woo, the perfectly accenting soundtrack, and the pretty badass fights. You can smell the revenge, determination, and the desire to see it through to the end. It's not perfect, but the individual parts certainly come close to perfection. A weaker 5 stars. (10/09/2011)

The film was saved by its adrenaline-pumping ending! Because before that, the creators served up a story that felt like a copycat. Don’t get me wrong, I’m quite fond of revenge films, especially recent Korean ones, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The main hero is pretty cool; Byung-hun Lee has shown in American films that talent is definitely not a foreign concept for him. However, A Bittersweet Life has a rather slow pace, which bothered me in some scenes. The first half, for me, was a solid six out of ten. The second half is much more engaging, with two top-notch scenes (the arms dealer scene and the bloody final epilogue); it really picked up at the end. I have it somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. For me, it’s 7/10. (05/07/2021)