Decision to Leave

Starring: Hae-il Park, Wei Tang, Jung-hyun Lee, Kyung-pyo Go, Yoo Teo, Jeong-min Park, Yi-seo Jung
Directed by: Chan-wook Park
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama, Mystery
2022

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A police detective (Hae-il Park) investigates the death of a hiker and begins to suspect and fall for the hiker's mysterious wife (Wei Tang.

Review:

Tim: I found myself strangely intrigued by South Korean Chan-wook Park's Decision to Leave. The movie isn't in his upper tier of films, but this slow boil detective drama impacted me in unexpected ways. I honestly believe in the hands of a lesser director, I probably wouldn't have been a big fan of the movie. However, Park does enough things right for the film to slowly get its hooks in viewers. I ended up enjoying the movie quite a bit.

The whole film felt unnecessarily obtuse and inaccessible at times. At 2 hours, 19 minutes, the film is unnecessarily long. Park is in no hurry, giving his characters plenty of time to breathe- almost too much, at times. It's a good film and it held my attention, although I have to admit it was challenging at times to get through. It's the kind of movie where you think, "That's really good" and "I'll never watch this again" simultaneously. It was interesting to get to know the characters and just when you feel your attention start to wane, Park throws in an unexpected curve which refocuses you for another stretch. The movie doesn't really have shocking moments, but there's plenty of reveals, which make you rethink what you'd been considering up to that point. That's really what keeps you focused on the film- you're consistently updating your thinking about these characters and their stories. Now, I will say the script does take far too many meandering turns- it's not nearly as focused as it needed to be. However, it does all add up to an intriguing viewing experience. The mystery at the heart of the film is a worthwhile one. It may not resolve itself in an especially powerful finale, but it holds your attention throughout.

I thought Park Hae-il did a nice job in the protagonist role. He gives a lived-in performance, a hint of world weariness to his character. His performance felt layered- at times, I loved the character, at times I was exasperated with him. It felt multidimensional, which is an achievement in a role marked by subtlety. As a whole, he worked well in the lead role. It's not quite great enough to make me want to see what else he's done, but I enjoyed his work here. The same can be said for Tang Wei- her performance really holds your attention and in small ways, you find yourself mesmerized by what she's doing on screen. Her character is so mysterious and much of the film involves the audience trying to make up their mind about her- what do we think of her? Do we like her? Do we think she's capable of a horrible crime? Is she a victim? Is she totally innocent? We never quite know what to expect with her, which is a testament to Tang's performance. Tang and Park work especially well together- they have real chemistry and many of the film's best moments involve the two of them, alone, interacting in various ways. They are really the driving force behind the entire film. The rest of the supporting cast work well, but it's really a two-person show.

The film is certainly made by an expert. The framing, the cinematography- it all is done in a way to engage the audience. It's the kind of film that is edited especially well, a movie that subtly shows the craft behind it. Many of my concerns come from how the narrative unfolded and the swirling periods where it needed more momentum. I really have no faults with how the film was crafted. It's impressive to see that aspect.

I've grown increasingly fond of Chan-wook Park over the years. The Handmaiden and Oldboy are exceptional films. Decision to Leave isn't really that close to those films. It's expertly crafted, though, and you need to give the film a ton of credit for that. The movie was nominated for two BAFTAs, but the Academy ignored it (and that was probably a solid call). While this is a very good movie, it only ever manages a tenuous hold on us. I was intrigued by it, but I never loved it. I wanted to see the mystery resolved, but I never really loved the characters. It's interesting, as I reflect on the film, it feels less effective now than when I watched it. I think Park has the ability to almost "cast a spell" on the audience. The idea of watching this again makes me groan, but I never felt dissatisfied while watching it. I was engaged, I was focused on the characters and story. I might not have felt a deep emotional connection, but I enjoyed watching it, to a certain extent. I could be slightly more forgiving of this film's flaws than I normally would (it's probably one of those films that would clock in at 7.25 if I was crazy with my rating scale). It does enough, though, for me to consider it an unwieldy but really effective film. It's still another success for Park and another thoroughly engaging South Korean film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Oldboy, The Handmaiden, Parasite