Review of The Face Reader (2013) by Steve W — 09 Oct 2013
In another splendid period piece tale, The Face Reader tells the story of Kim Na-keong. He is a very talented "face reader", one who uses his talents to find out the personalities and secrets of others just by looking at them. After getting a job at a courtesan house, Kim Na-keong and his brother-in-law get in trouble by solving a murder, and getting in between two rival gangs. Their notoriety leads them to a meeting with the King himself, and the movie turns into one full of political danger and intrigue.
Kang-ho Song is back! He plays the role very well, a calm and collected man who quickly gets famous with his skills. Part detective story, part political thriller, the movie finds the right balance by having a sprawling narrative and story.
The movie ends in a way you won't see coming, and ultimately its about seeing a world one of two ways: Straight up as it is, or how it will be when the world changes. Full of nuanced performances (especially Lee Jung-jae), The Face Reader is a powerful period piece film and allegorical tale.
This review of The Face Reader (2013) was written by Steve W on 09 Oct 2013.
The Face Reader has generally received positive reviews.
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