The Suspect (2013 South Korean film) explained

The Suspect
Director:Won Shin-yun
Producer:Yu Jeong-hun
Shin Chang-hwan
Starring:Gong Yoo
Park Hee-soon
Jo Sung-ha
Yoo Da-in
Music:Kim Jun-seong
Cinematography:Lee Sung-jae
Editing:Shin Min-kyung
Studio:Greenfish
Distributor:Showbox
Mediaplex
Runtime:137 minutes
Country:South Korea
Language:Korean
Budget:~
Gross:[1]

The Suspect is a 2013 South Korean action spy film starring Gong Yoo, and directed by Won Shin-yun.[2] [3] [4]

Plot

Ji Dong-cheol was once one of the top special forces agent in North Korea, but after a change in political system, he was abandoned by his government while on a mission. He goes on the run, seeking his wife and daughter who were sold as slaves to China, only to discover their corpses. When he learns that an ex-colleague was behind their deaths, Dong-cheol goes on a vendetta for revenge, defecting to the South to chase his family's killer. Now living incognito, he searches for his nemesis during the day, and at night works as a personal chauffeur for Chairman Park, a business executive with ties to Pyongyang. One night the chairman is attacked and killed by an assassin, but not before handing over a special pair of glasses to Dong-cheol. The South Korean intelligence service, a member of which frames Dong-cheol for the murder, goes on the hunt for the beleaguered former spy. The manhunt is led by Min Se-hoon, a colonel and drill sergeant with whom Dong-cheol shares a past, and Kim Seok-ho, a corrupt director of the NIS. Aided by a feisty documentary filmmaker, Dong-cheol goes on the run again while trying to recover top-secret materials that his dying boss sent him to find.

Cast

Production

Yoon Kye-sang was originally cast in the lead role, but dropped out after co-star Choi Min-sik left the project.[8]

Gong Yoo was eventually cast, and the protagonist's name "Ji Dong-cheol" is similar to the actor's birth name, Gong Ji-cheol. To create the right physique for his role, Gong went on a diet for three months to reduce his body fat. He learned the Russian martial art Systema for the film's fight scenes, and performed car chases, rock climbing and skydiving at the Han River without using stuntmen.

The film was partly shot in Puerto Rico in April 2013.[9] [10]

Release

The Suspect opened in South Korea on December 24, 2013. It was a box office hit, with 4.1 million admissions.[11] [12]

The film's distribution rights was sold to seven territories, including North America, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, the Middle East and German-speaking countries.[13] [14] [15] Will Go USA screened the film in 15 theaters in the United States on January 10, 2014.[16]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 75% based on eight reviews, with an average rating of 6.67/10.[17] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on five critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[18]

The Los Angeles Times praised the film's "inspired and teeth-grittingly determined" set pieces.[19] The Washington Post wrote that the film "should entertain any action buff,"[20] while Screen Daily, a film journal in the UK, also gave a good review: "the style of the action scenes is so explosive and immersive that the movie even threatens the reputation of the 007 series."[21] The New York Times reviewed that the "guns-or-butter dichotomy" is "more resonant than you'd expect."[22]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2014Best Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Critics' Top 10 The Suspect
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Film

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Suspect (2014). Box Office Mojo. 29 February 2016.
  2. Web site: Song. Soon-jin. Live showcase for December release THE SUSPECT. Korean Film Council. 2014-02-08. 29 November 2013.
  3. Web site: Sunwoo. Carla. Gong Yoo a Suspect in his first action role. Korea JoongAng Daily. 2014-02-08. 13 December 2013.
  4. Web site: Lee. Yong-cheol. WON Shin-yun, Director of THE SUSPECT "Something that action genre fans remember for a long time". Korean Film Council. 2014-02-08. 6 January 2014.
  5. Web site: Hong. Lucia. Gong Yoo to return to theaters as special agent. TenAsia. 2013-08-06. 21 August 2012.
  6. Web site: Tough guy hidden in image of sweet Gong Yoo. The Dong-a Ilbo. 2014-03-29. 12 December 2013.
  7. Web site: Jung. Ji-won. Gong Yoo shows off his serious side. Korea JoongAng Daily. 2014-02-11. 11 February 2014.
  8. Web site: Sunwoo. Carla. Yoon Kye-sang to star in action extravaganza. Korea JoongAng Daily. 2014-02-19. 1 March 2012.
  9. Web site: Hong. Grace Danbi. Gong Yoo Hits Up Puerto Rico and is Welcomed by Fans. enewsworld. 2014-02-08. 23 April 2013.
  10. Web site: Lee. Eun-ah. Actor Gong Yoo's New Action Flick Cranks Up. TenAsia. 2013-08-06. 5 June 2013.
  11. Web site: Conran. Pierce. THE ATTORNEY Reaches 8 Million Admissions, Spy Thriller THE SUSPECT Goes over 3 Million. Korean Film Council. 2014-02-08. 7 January 2014.
  12. Web site: Tae. Sang-joon. Box Office: January 2-15, 2014. Korean Film Council. 2014-02-08. 20 January 2014.
  13. Web site: Conran. Pierce. THE SUSPECT to Screen in 7 Countries. Korean Film Council. 2014-02-08. 31 December 2013.
  14. Web site: Lee. Cory. Gong Yoo's New Action Movie Sold to 7 Countries. TenAsia. 2014-02-08. 31 December 2013.
  15. Web site: Conran. Pierce. Buyers Target THE SUSPECT in EFM. Korean Film Council. 2014-02-20. 18 February 2014.
  16. Web site: Tae. Sang-joon. THE SUSPECT Receives Positive Reviews Following US Opening. Korean Cinema Today. 2014-02-08. 20 January 2014.
  17. Web site: The Suspect (Youg-eui-ja) (2013). Rotten Tomatoes. May 15, 2020.
  18. Web site: The Suspect Reviews. Metacritic. May 15, 2020.
  19. Web site: Kang. Inkoo. Review: North Korean refugee or spy? Right now, he's The Suspect. https://web.archive.org/web/20140304041010/http://articles.latimes.com/2014/jan/09/entertainment/la-et-mn-suspect-review-20140110. dead. March 4, 2014. Los Angeles Times. 2014-02-08. 9 January 2014.
  20. News: Jenkins. Mark. The Suspect movie review: Some jump cuts and gunplay with your subtitles. The Washington Post. 2014-02-08. 10 January 2014.
  21. Web site: Bechervaise. Jason. The Suspect. Screen Daily. 2014-02-08. 23 December 2013.
  22. Web site: Webster. Andy. A Korean Who's More Than He Seems. The New York Times. 2014-02-08. 9 January 2014.

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