Review of No Tears for the Dead (2014) by Daniel L — 24 Jun 2015
Fans of Director Lee Jeong Beom's Ahjussi, marketed as The Man From Nowhere abroad, may not have the same feeling when Somi connected with Tae Shik. The film follows Gon, a Korean hitman who immigrated to America when he was very young, and was subject to his mother's suicide at an early age.
He becomes an experienced hitman, but grows with a heart still, making time in the opening of the film to make a little girl smile...but unfortunately, soon after, that would be the same little girl he accidentally kills, along with her father, the intended hit.
Wracked with guilt, he decides to protect her mother, the next target. It makes for an interesting plot line, but it is regrettably overshadowed by excessive violence and out of place foul language. Where The Man From Nowhere succeeded is that it built upon emotion and was thought provoking, at times comical and heartwarming.
This film jumps into bloody action and sometimes sickeningly so, and at times, it's not even in the same league at all in any aspect, action or storyline, as The Man From Nowhere. Director Lee certainly did not make a memorable piece (in a good way) with this film.
Too focused on action that satisfies little, when he should have gone the Ahjussi route. Though Jang Dong Gun and the leading lady Kim Min-hee act wonderfully, along with a well acted brotherly role by Japanese Korean actor Brian Tee, the rest of the cast either overact, are killed off too early, or just curse too much.
It's a bit of a disappointment from Director Lee, but it's not to say I won't be expecting a comeback.
This review of No Tears for the Dead (2014) was written by Daniel L on 24 Jun 2015.
No Tears for the Dead has generally received positive reviews.
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