Those that describe Choi Dong Hun’s The Thieves as Korea's
answer to Ocean's Eleven are selling the film a little short, even though the
original George Clooney outing was a blast from start to finish. They certainly
share a lot in common – both films revolve around a casino heist and bring
together a highly skilled team of professionals each with their own agenda –
but The Thieves' blend of goofball humour, quirky romance, affecting drama and
inventive action sequences gives it an identity of its own.
There’s a good reason why The Thieves is one of the
highest-grossing Korean films of all time. Choi Dong Hun's return to heist
movie territory brings together a stunning array of Korean and Chinese stars.
Lee Jung Jae, Kim Yoon Seok, Jeon Ji Hyun and Kim Hye Su are joined by Kim Hae
Suk, Oh Dal Soo and Kim Soo Hyun on the Korean end of things, with Hong Kong
superstars Simon Yam, Angelica Lee and Derek Tsang completing a delicious
eastern flavour.
Professional thieves Popeye (Lee Jung Jae), Yenicall (Jeon
Ji Hyun), Chewinggum (Kim Hae Suk) and Zampano (Kim Soo Hyun) have a good thing
going, but things get out of hand when Pepsi (Kim Hye Su) returns to the gang
from a stint in prison. They go into partnership with an old colleague of
theirs, but former partners Popeye, Pepsi and Macao Park (Kim Yoon Seok) have a
turbulent history, a past that landed Pepsi in jail and saw the two guys go
their separate ways.
Money is a powerful tool though, and Macao wants to pair
Popeye's crew with four Hong Kong thieves – Chen (Simon Yam), Andrew (Oh Dal
Soo), Julie (Angelica Lee) and Johnny (Derek Kwok) – for one last score. The
thieves target a $20 million diamond known as ‘Tear of the Sun’, locked away in
a big time casino, waiting to be sold by a notorious Chinese fence. Before you
can type in the key code, hidden agendas are revealed, old wounds are reopened
and love blossoms in the unlikeliest of places.
A dazzling opening sequence not only introduces most of the
major players, it also sets the mood exquisitely, infusing a light, breezy tone
rich in character. Performances are spot on, with each of the big names making
their presence felt. Not a single character gets lost in the crowd, which is
something of an achievement considering the size of the cast. Standouts for me
were the irrepressible Simon Yam, capable of making a lasting impression with
the subtlest of turns. Key to that success is the relationship he forms with
Kim Hae Suk’s Chewinggum, which plays a part in one of the most memorable
scenes of the movie.
Jeon Ji Hyun is incredibly colourful as the devilish but
ditsy Yenicall, bouncing off both the characters and the walls while remaining
sexy and – somewhat crucially – entirely convincing as the teams wire
specialist. Kim Yoon Seok nails the role of Macao Park as well, finding the
perfect balance between charming, cunning, untrustworthy and conflicted. It’s
very hard to fault any of the performances, the only real criticism you could
throw at the writers is that maybe the Chinese characters aren’t as well
defined as the Korean ones, but with such a large cast – each with their own
unique part to play – that was always going to be a tall order.
Even at 135 minutes The Thieves doesn’t show signs of
stalling, but with such a wealth of character, conflict, double cross and
deceit, you will have to keep your wits about you if you’re going to keep up.
The Thieves certainly stands up to repeat viewing though, and if nothing else,
the infrequent bursts of action will keep you glued to your seat. Choi Dong Hun
certainly knows how to construct an action sequence, with one climatic showdown
in particular proving hard to beat. It’s a spectacular shootout; one that finds
our protagonist swinging from building to building – chased by enemy shooters –
guns a blazing. You’re unlikely to see anything else quite like it this year.
Other moments come with unexpected grace; a touching scene
involving Chen and potential love interest Chewinggum proves particularly
fruitful. An exhilarating car chase sets the scene but nothing can prepare you
for what happens next. Moments like this linger long in the mind, as powerful
and poignant as they are unexpected. Don’t let the light and breezy tone fool
you, there’s enough hidden depth here to warrant a further viewing… or four.
The Thieves is rich in character, confidence, creativity and cool, and if any
film deserves a sequel it’s this one.
I was wrong to say there’s a good reason why The Thieves is
one of the highest-grossing Korean films of all time. As it turns out there are
plenty. With great performances, memorable characters, spectacular action and
little excess baggage, Choi Dong Hun has masterminded one of the liveliest
films of the year. Great fun. AW
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