THE BIG SWINDLE

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THE BIG SWINDLE

Oct 24, 2017

Writer by Pierce Conran
View1321

2004｜116 MIN | Thriller

DIRECTOR CHOI Dong-hoon

CAST KIM Yun-seok, PARK Shin-yang, JOO Jin-mo, YUM Jung-ah

RELEASE DATE April 15, 2004

CONTACT Mirovision Inc.

Tel : +82 2 3443 2568

Fax : +82 2 3443 4842

Email : jason@mirovision.com

Long before he entered the vaunted 10 million viewers club (twice!) with his megahits The Thieves (2012) and Assassination (2015), director CHOI Dong-hoon was already filling theaters with twisty caper thrillers. The director debuted in fine form with The Big Swindle, the 10th most successful Korean film of 2004, through which he quickly cemented the heist formula he would become known for. It’s no accident that his production company, which he runs with his producer and partner AHN Soo-hyun, is called Caper Films.

A month after fraudster Chang-hyuk is released from jail he finds himself in a high octane chase from the police after leaving a bank with KRW 5 billion (USD 5 million). The chase ends in his fiery demise and thus begins an investigation into the major theft. As the detectives close in on the true story they discover a group of five co-conspirators led by Mr. KIM and also the existence of Chang-hyuk’s brother, while Chang-hyuk’s girlfriend warms up to him as well, hoping he might lead her to the stolen cash.

CHOI’s commercial chops would increase dramatically with his next projects, but all the pieces were already in place for his debut, which kicks off with a dramatic car chase that launches the story with a bang. The film kicks off by combining explosions and a bouncy style while also giving us an intriguing intro for the film’s main character, played by star of the day PARK Shin-yang.

In addition to the energy of its appealing cocktail of investigative thriller, flashback mystery and heist thriller, CHOI’s truly special ingredient is his skill for dialogue, particularly the effortless nature of his cool comedy as characters spit lines back and forth at each other.

PARK Shin-yang gets two of his best roles playing the brothers while YUM Jung-ah (A Tale Of Two Sisters, 2003) sets the template for the femme fatales that would follow in CHOI’s films (like KIM Hye-soo in 2006’s Tazza: The High Rollers) and then of course there’s BAEK Yoon-sik as Mr. KIM. Made during his prime, between Save the Green Planet (2003) and The President’s Last Bang (2005), BAEK is at his best combining the character’s smooth confidence, drawling dialogue and slightly unhinged behavior. Future star and frequent CHOI collaborator KIM Yun-seok is also one of several top actors in the supporting cast, along with KIM Sang-ho (Haemoo, 2014), PARK Won-sang (National Security, 2012) and more.

With five films under his belt and just over 40 million tickets to show for it, there’s no doubt that CHOI knew what he was doing since the moment he got started and even 13 years later his debut remains a compelling and twisty thriller that entertains at every turn.

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