Spousal abuse is not a new cinematic theme, but "Punch Lady" takes a fresh approach to the tricky issue by portraying the psychological trajectory of a battered Korean woman. The question is whether the likely climax -- whatever triumph the victim will manage to get -- meets viewers' expectations in a swift manner, just like the bullet-speed punch of a professional fighter.
After all, this movie, the debut feature by Kang Hyo-jin, involves a professional K1 fighter, Ju-chang (Park Sang-woo), and his timid, shy, self-conscious 36-year-old wife Ha-eun (Do Ji-won). The opening is telling: the couple is engaged in a K-1 fight in the living room, with all the vicious tricks fully deployed ... well, at least by the seemingly crazy husband. What is hard to understand, especially when the film is set in the 2000s, is why Ha-eun still sticks around this monstrous wife-beater.
The level of violence is almost unbearable. We see Ha-eun virtually flying over into the corner of the kitchen, wi...|
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