Rough Cut

One of my favorite Korean movies of all time!

"Gang-pae, played by So Ji-sub, is a local organized crime leader who still wishes he could be in movies. Soo-ta, played by Kang Ji-hwan, is a haughty actor who is easy to provoke. Within his latest film, where he plays a gangster, he gets into the role too much and sends one of the stuntmen to the hospital. The two men meet by chance at a room salon and Soo-ta enlists Gang-pae to join the production. But this real life gangster will only join the production if the fights are real. The two main characters continue to try and one-up the other every chance they get."-wiki



Rough Cut aka  A Movie within A Movie was such an interesting film since the first time I watched it. It turned me into a So Ji-sub fan since he acting stood out in this film.


From the first moment that Gang-pae and Soo-ta meet there is conflict as well as tension. As the viewer knows Gang-pae could totally kick Soo-ta's ass but he has a calm demeanor and enough authority where he doesn't need to do that. Being the arrogant star that he is Soo-ta often tempts Gang-pae into using violence.

Soo-ta (Kang Ji-hwan) is a spoiled star known for his mistreat of his supporting cast and his anger issues. He is self centered and only cares about the money he earns rather than how he should act better. His girlfriend leaves him due to him being an idiot but it doesn't phase him until he spends more time with Gang-pae who almost acts like a big brother to Soo-ta later in the film.  Soo-ta is a character who goes through a drastic character change but it was well done which added to the success of the film.

Gang-pae (So Ji-sub) is a crime leader who is close to no one but has the loyalty of his men. Deciding to once again act he accepts the challenge of acting in a film with Soo-ta. He is a man of few words but when he does talk his words actually mean something. He gives off the impression that he has a lot of experience in life and he deserves respect.



The film was originally written by Kim Ki-duk for one of his former assistant directors Jang Hoon. You can definitely tell who wrote the film if you are familiar with the director. It felt like Jang Hoon was trying hard to overcome the script in order to establish himself. With a more serious supporting this film could have been better.
The more times I watch this film the more it is apparent that So Ji-sub stands out compared to everyone else. His acting was very believable and didn't need to be a pretty boy in this film which I appreciated. Kang Ji-hwan did a good job for the role he was given but standing next to So Ji-sub made Kang's character seem underdeveloped.

Overall this film was one of a movie to watch and continues to be one of my favorite movies from Korea.


4/5