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[Guest Review] "The Berlin File"

Ryoo Seung-wan's ("The City of Violence", "The Unjust") new film "The Berlin File" is certainly a must see for all film fans. The movie stars some of Korea's most talented actors, Ha Jeong-Woo ("The Chaser", "Nameless Gangster"), Jeon Ji-Hyeon ("My Sassy Girl", "The Thieves") Ryoo Seung-Beom ("The Servant", "The Unjust") and Han Suk-kyu ("Forbidden Quest", "Eye for an Eye"). The film revolves around Ha Jeong-Woo's character, a North Korean spy, as his own country turns against him and he must find a way out not only for his sake, but for his wife's as well.

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The film kicks off within the first few minutes of the film and never really lets down. There are a few moments where the director allows you a minute to breathe, but there is never a dull moment. The action sequences themselves are brutal and very realistic. On several occasions, I really felt the actors were no longer acting and the pain you saw on their face was very real.

Along with the terrific action, all of the actors did a superb job of portraying their characters. Of all the actors though, I believe Ryoo Seung-Beom did a slightly better job. He played another North Korean spy who was very calm, collective, and very methodical. However, once things began to deteriorate, Ryoo Seung-wan does a great job of showing the character slip from one of calm collectiveness to one of chaotic rage and leaning more on brutal force to get things done.

The film is a wonderful spy-thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The action is raw and you can almost feel their pain. "The Berlin File" is a must see in my book and is a very easy 5 stars.

*Side-note: Even the foreign actors in the film did a great job. Several Korean films with foreign actors tend to fall flat with their acting but Ryoo Seung-wan did a wonderful job with directing his cast.

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