THE STORY – An older assassin meets a young apprentice interested in learning the profession. They develop an unexpected connection as the experienced killer finds new motivation.
THE CAST – Lee Hye-young, Kim Sung-cheol, Shin Si-ah, Yeon Woo-jin, Kim Mu-yeol & Yang Ju-mi
THE TEAM – Min Kyu-dong (Director), Kim Dong-wan & Min Gyoo-dong (Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 134 Minutes
The seasoned assassin (or person with a particular set of skills, as regular subgenre practitioner Liam Neeson would put it) is a well-worn trope in the action cinema realm, with many an actor having embraced the opportunity to flex their performing muscles in a context perhaps not usually associated with their work (the aforementioned Neeson, for example, rarely acted in such films prior to his late 50s). Such was probably the case for South Korean actress Lee Hye-young, a veteran of stage and screen who, internationally at least, is best known for her roles in a recent string of titles by arthouse darling Hong Sang-soo. A world far removed from the one she inhabits in “The Old Woman with the Knife.”
Based on the novel of the same name by famed genre author Gu Byeong-mo, the film starts with a blood-soaked statement of intent as we witness the beginnings of the character we will come to know as Hornclaw (played in her younger years by Shin Si-ah, a rising talent in South Korea after her performance in the successful horror sequel “The Witch: Part 2. The Other One”). Having killed a man in self-defense, she rapidly enters the world of contract killing, making a name for herself over the course of several decades.
In the present day, she’s in her 60s, still as skilled as ever. One day, she’s approached by Bullfight, a skilled young hitman who would like to team up with her. Having no reason to suspect something’s afoot, she agrees. Far too late in the game, she realizes he has an ulterior motive tied to a shared past she’s not immediately aware of, and their working relationship gradually morphs into a violent, grudge-fueled confrontation that will put their professional capabilities to the test like never before in their lives. And while Hornclaw may have the upper hand when it comes to experience, Bullfight is no slouch in terms of stamina. Who will make it to the end?
The film is directed by Min Kyu-dong, one of the more versatile South Korean filmmakers, with a résumé that includes horror, romantic comedies, queer-themed dramas, and period pieces. Frequently drawn to stories about women (his previous feature film, 2018’s “Herstory,” dealt with a landmark court case against the Japanese government in response to the sexual slavery inflicted upon Korean women during World War II), he may seem like a natural fit for this take on the aging assassin plotline. And he does, indeed, have an eye for making Lee Hye-young look as majestic as possible while highlighting her character’s vulnerability and getting a performance from the actress that adds just the right amount of gravitas to an overused premise.
Kim Sung-cheol, best known to Korean viewers for his role in the drama series “Prison Playbook,” comes from an extensive background in musical theater (most notably, he played Tobias Ragg in a production of “Sweeney Todd”); it gives him a certain grace when it comes to the choreography of the action scenes, which he tackles with gusto and precision, not to mention a special flair for malevolence in his acting, especially in the second half of the film when all the cards are on the table. He’s free to chew the scenery, which he does with carefully measured bouts of hamminess. Even when the material isn’t particularly strong, he usually finds the right note to accentuate, adding a dose of fun to what is a pretty thin characterization on the page.
Indeed, the writing is the biggest obstacle both actors have to overcome. Their characters’ rapport is set up against the backdrop of a mystery element that is drawn out over the course of the film’s 132-minute runtime and unfolds in a very clichéd fashion, so predictable one ends up spending a large chunk of time waiting for the characters to catch up with what the audience has most likely already figured out. The dialogue scenes become interminable interludes between the exquisitely choreographed action beats, which are balletic and brutal at once, showcasing the skills and also the very human weaknesses of the competing assassins. It is in those moments that the film truly comes alive, in no small part thanks to editor Jung Jung Eun, who brings out the controlled lethalness of this world with meticulously calculated cuts, not unlike the characters themselves.
Fans of Korean action films may get their money’s worth via the well-crafted moments of pure spectacle. For Hong Sang-soo aficionados, they might justifiably be curious to see Lee Hye-young in a different cinematic environment. And perhaps, as has been the case with Liam Neeson and other actors similarly involved in this subgenre, her skills will meet the matching material further down the road if this is not to be a one-off on her rich and varied résumé.
