Byeon-ho-in

English title: Attorney (The)

Genre: legal drama

With: Kang-ho Song* (Song Woo-seok, the protagonist), Kim Yeong-ae (Choi Soon-ae, the restaurateur), Jung Jae-min and Yim Si-wan (Park Jin-Woo, the restaurateur’s son, as a boy and as a teen respectively), Oh Dal-su (Park Dong-ho, Song’s assistant), Eun-jae Cha (Miss Moon, Song’s secretary), Jung Won-joong (Attorney Kim Sang-pil), Jo Min-ki (Prosecutor Kang Byeong-chul), Kwak Do-won (Inspector Cha Dong-yeong), Lee Sung-min (Lee Yoon-taek, the newspaper reporter), Cha Kwang-soo (Park Byeong-ho), Song Young-Chang (the Judge), Lee Hang-na (Jang, Song's wife)

o       Director: Yang Woo-seok

Screenplay: Yoon Hyeon-ho and Yang Woo-seok 

Release: 2013

Studio: Withus Film, Well go USA Entertainment, Next Entertainment World Inc. et al.

Rating: 14A

MBiS score: 8.5/10 

 

Money Can’t Buy Respect 

 

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Story-line: Busan (South Korea), 1978. Attorney Song Woo-seok is so ambitious and entrepreneurial that he raises eyebrows among colleagues of the local Bar. As soon as he was appointed judge – a feat in itself, considering he is only a high school graduate –, he quits his post because he doesn’t like it and it isn’t lucrative enough for him. Instead, he wants to become a real estate attorney, convinced that this line of work will bring in tons of money. It seems that Song’s only goal in life is to rake in the dough… but will it always be like this?

Pluses: vigorous performances by Kang-ho Song (showing great range as a tenacious, evolving protagonist), Kim Yeong-ae, Yim Si-wan and an evenly competent cast, restless direction, an intelligent, busy and colourful screenplay replete with good guys and nasty villains, superb cinematography, excellent production values, an attentive musical score and an awe-inspiring ending.

Minuses: none I can think of.

Comments: Yang Woo-seok’s admirable film begins as a lighthearted comedy but morphs into an increasingly potent drama – based on true events – as political tensions reach the boiling point in the cauldron of South Korea. More than a fine movie, THE ATTORNEY is a remarkable history lesson. If you do a little research on a man named Roh Moo-hyun – but only after watching the movie, of course!–, you will be amazed by what you discover. (Kudos to Rob Hunter, at filmschoolrejects.com, for recommending this important film.)

 

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*Please note that proper names in this review have alternate spellings and may have been reversed. My apologies to any and all concerned.