Review of The Man from Nowhere (2010) by Mylene M — 29 Jan 2011

This one did nothing really wrong or groundbreaking. It essentially felt like a more emotional and better shot version of Taken. I'm a sucker for a good, violent rescue plot so this film gets a good rating from me.

This also marks the first time me seeing pretty boy Won Bin in a truly violent role. His acting ability can easily stand toe to toe with some of the best in Hollywood. The little girl who plays...The little girl was a nice surprise. Her being the driving force for the main character was convincing enough. The villains are easily the most vile I've seen in recent memory.

Humor is sparse in this dark film and when it does come up it's dry and deadpan. MFN's only real trouble spots were the Won Bin character's backstory and the ending--both were very cliched and predictable. Everything else though was good.

The beautiful photography is paired to a moody and atmospheric soundtrack. The piece that plays during the big final confrontation however explodes with emotion. It turned what could have been a generic high body-count scene into something quite special.

"Man From Nowhere" is also the one of the stranger international titles selected for a Korean film as this was called "Ajeosshi" or "Mister" in its domestic market.