No Mercy (R) 7.5

No Mercy (2010) 용서는 없다: Eager to spend time with his visiting daughter, forensic pathologist Kang takes one last job investigating the death of a woman found in a river. An environmentalist takes credit, but the evidence doesn't add up. (7.0)

Director: Hyeong-Joon Kim
Writer: Hyeong-Joon Kim
Stars: Frank M. Ahearn, Hye-jin Han, Nam Kyung-eub
Language: Korean (w/ English subtitles)

As with several other Korean movies, the story with many twists is at the center-stage here. Moreover, the cast, the acting, the cinematography, and the way the story unfolds, all help build up the suspense. The casualness of the conversations in office settings seems to be overdone, but the whole general mannerism and the flowing dialog lend a certain charm to the storytelling (and, that's why I like to watch foreign movies in the original language). Initially, you'd think that this is yet another crime thriller of 'who done it kind.' Then the unraveling of the twists starts, and shows that there is more beneath the surface. Good storytelling and good acting. Perhaps, I would have ended it a bit earlier leaving the audience to wonder about the future of the characters; then again, some foreign movies aren't afraid to show provocative scenes. (Yeah, don't watch if you are squeamish.) My Rating: 7.5