Review of Masquerade (2012) by Liam Neeson T — 08 Jun 2013

Immediately after reading the box I said Masquerade looked like a Korean "Prince and the Pauper", and it essentially is, but as I began to watch it, it seemed to play more as "Man in the Iron Mask" but a few minutes later, I realized that I had seen this film before as 1993's Dave, starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver. That was okay though, because I really enjoyed that film and found a lot of similarities between the two. In both the false leader (king or president) goes against their advisor, and makes some laws that are unpopular politically but are for the benefit of their people. In both there are hints at neglected love, and both have loyal bodyguard figures. Masquerade was primarily a historical drama/costume drama/period piece, but it still had its share of comic moments throughout. It was visually very well done, and the acting was top notch as well and that is what really made the film stand out from the others with the same plotline. Byung-hun Lee who plays the dual roles of Ha-seon and King Gwang-hae may be more recognized as Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe movies, and was also in The Good, The Bad and The Weird; which is another film that I highly recommend. Based on that resume, you may think that he would be showcasing some sort of martial arts but in fact he does not in Masquerade; he does however play the drama and the comedy of the King and the stand-in remarkably well.

If you're in the mood for a well acted, well filmed historical drama with a bit of comedy mixed in, don't let Masquerade hide from you. (I'm working on pun recommendation lines...) The DVD has both a sub-titled and a dubbed option so there really are no excuses not to watch a terrific film.