There are few directors working today, or possibly ever, with as impressive a resume as Park Chan-wook. This is, after all, the man behind The Vengeance Trilogy consisting of “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,” “Oldboy,” and “Lady Vengeance,” as well as “Thirst” and “The Handmaiden,” amongst other films and the television miniseries “The Little Drummer Girl.” Anytime a director of his caliber announces their next project, its cause for celebration, which is the case for “Decision to Leave.”
The film follows insomniac detective Jang Hae-jun, played by Park Hae-il (“Memories of Murder,” “The Host”), as he investigates the death of an immigration officer, which requires that he interview the man’s wife Song Seo-rae, played by Tang Wei (“Lust, Caution,” “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”). After interviewing her, not only does Haw-jun believe she may be involved with her husband’s death, but he begins to fall for her as well.
From the jump, there’s a darkly comedic throughline to the entirety of the film that in a bizarre way ends up enhancing the intensity and melodrama. While he is a good detective, Hae-jun is also played as somewhat of a buffoon. He isn’t an idiot, but Hae-il portrays him as a smart man simply pushed to do stupid things given his feelings for Seo-rae, and it develops into a fantastic character turn. It wouldn’t work though if Wei wasn’t absolutely phenomenal. One might initially wonder why she receives top billing, but after just a bit of the film it becomes strikingly apparent. As she commands each character’s attention, it almost feels as though she’s reaching out and doing the same to the camera and viewing audience, without ever showing her hand.
Working with cinematographer Kim Ji-yong (“A Bittersweet Life,” “The Fortress”), Chan-wook has crafted one of the most incredible looking films in recent memory. While it isn’t a colorful bonanza or a display of detailed visual effects, almost every frame seems as though it’s tricking the viewer or hiding something in some way. From borderline magical mirror shots, to zooms and backgrounds that defy logic, it's a visual feast only matched by the sumptuous performances.
If there’s anything to criticize, it’s the film’s length. While it is clearly a very deliberately plotted film, and Chan-wook leads the viewer along at exactly the pace he wants, it doesn’t take away from the fact that this is still a two-hour and twenty-minute film. Every minute is utilized, but again, a long movie is still a long movie, and this one unfortunately doesn’t have the distinction of feeling shorter than it is. One thing that does help though is the masterful editing, with transitions that feel like magic tricks and some of the best usage of texting and phone screen overlays in a film in years.
A film like this might be full of twists, but the twists do not make or break the film. Rather, they’re used in a smart enough way to enhance the characters they happen to. You don’t care about whether or not Hae-jun will actually solve the case or whether Seo-rae is involved or not because of the twists. You care about them because of the script, co-written by Chan-wook and Chung Seo-kyeong (“Thirst,” “The Handmaiden”), and then those twists further enhance or complicate those feelings to create a richer, more interesting tale, set to a gorgeous score from composer Jo Yeong-wook (“Thirst,” “The Handmaiden”).
It’s hard to talk about the best parts of “Decision to Leave” without fully spoiling the entire affair. Rest assured, if you’re a fan of noir style mysteries or even films following hapless protagonists, or, quite simply, really really good movies, you’ll have an absolute blast trying to trace the twists and turns along with Hae-jun and try to piece every detail together. You will have to settle in for a film that feels exactly as long as it is, but it is absolutely worth the stay. 4.5/5
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