Dark, violent, and kinetic, director-writer Yoo Ha's A Dirty Carnival takes place in a gangster world where no one can be trusted and the hierarchy is carefully defined, with everyone answering to someone farther up the ladder. The central character, Byung-Doo Kim (Zo In-Sung), isn't exactly on the bottom rung—he has minions who call him “boss”—but must play the sycophant himself to his chiefs. Byung-Doo also has a family to support, including a sickly, long-suffering mother and a punk brother who's a gangster wannabe, so when he sees an opportunity to win his superiors' favor by offing an obnoxious attorney, he does. Complications ensue, some due to Byung-Doo's old high school chum, an aspiring film director who pumps Byung-Doo for background information in order to make his own gangster film. Yoo Ha directs with a sure hand and considerable style—the numerous fight sequences are staged with fists and knives instead of guns (brutal yet balletic, these scenes are the highlights of the film). Sporting believable characters and cool music, A Dirty Carnival is consistently entertaining. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a “making of” featurette on the action sequences (36 min.), and deleted scenes (8 min.). Bottom line: a decent extras package for a solid gangster flick.] (S. Graham)
A Dirty Carnival
Genius, 141 min., in Korean w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $24.95 Volume 23, Issue 5
A Dirty Carnival
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