Waste of time

Dreadfully Boring

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Movie: The Attorney (15)Rating: 4.5/5Song Kang-ho: what an actor! There's no other like him. He nails it extremely well given any role or genre. In this critically and commercially successful courtroom drama, he transforms into what most protagonists of legal dramas don't usually, given the restrictions they are subjected to by the writing. The script of THE ATTORNEY or BYEONHOIN lets its protagonist stand, and has an even better character development as well. There are many reasons which make the film stand out, but Song Kang-ho is the reason enough to call this film excellent. The film has a decent storyline, and given the genre, you know what to expect. But the writing has a sweetish charm in the beginning, which continues for a longer duration. The film, of course takes its own fine time to build up the story, but it does the job by serving you with the scenes which turn out to be very engaging, inspirational and emotional as well. The screenplay gets stronger as time passes and you're hardly able to leave your seat. The film's highly engrossing and never bores for even a second.A large fraction of the film's excellence is held by Song Kang-ho. His courtroom scenes have been handled very well, and the execution is perhaps the best one for a film of this genre. After a point, it can be understood that he wasn't acting but being real: when he gets angry or emotional and delivers his dialogues with strong emotions - he isn't trying to act but straightaway speaking out his own heart. No doubt why he's one of the most respected South Korean actors. With A TAXI DRIVER this year and some more films which I saw, he became my favourite and this film only adds to more and more praise & respect towards him.The supporting cast holds its own and lends decent performances. The writing must also be praised for multiple clapworthy moments throughout. The climax is also a memorable one. Another major praise should go to the dialogues as they are another major highlight of the film. The emotions too are portrayed very well.I can't stop praising THE ATTORNEY for doing complete justice to reality as well as Song Kang-ho's acting talent.

The Attorney is about a self-studied lawyer who did not graduate from college. He makes a name for himself doing taxes but gradually his eyes start to open to the state of Korea's oppressive regime and he takes the fight to the National Security Act.The movie never says it is based on a true story but the events depicted have a sense of reality about it. A simple wiki told me that it is based on Roh Moo-hyun, the former South Korean president who did passionately defend the accused in 1981 and then became a notable leading figure of democratization movement since that trial. After his presidency and following tragic suicide in 2009, his name and legacy have been virtually tarnished and butchered by the local right-wing politicians including the current South Korean president. The movie doesn't depict his Presidency days onwards but focus on his days of political awakening. I remembered reading the tragic suicide in the papersbut had no idea what the man was about.The movie is not without its flaws. The transition from light comedy to full-on drama is hardly seamless (this is probably the case with most Korean films). The narrative in first act feels uneven and I wasn't sure what the focus was until it hits the second hour. Some characters also suffer from an illness of under-development. However there are two good reasons to see this. Number one is Song Kang-Ho. The actor is definitely the most dependable actor in Korean cinema. His portrayal of the shady lawyer smooths away all the rough spots and he gives the role a humility that will make your heart ache. The second reason is the superb rousing courtroom drama with lots of twist and turns.

THE ATTORNEY is must-see for anyone interested in what's happening in THIS country even as I write. The torture of suspected "communists" in THE ATTORNEY will no doubt bring to mind the very recent revelations regarding the "black site" discovered in Chicago (a place where suspected drug dealers/religious extremists/etc. were taken and tortured), as well as the facts uncovered and made known in MURDER AT CAMP DELTA, by Joseph Hickman. Song as Song THE ATTORNEY rivals Al Pacino as the idealistic lawyer in ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL; the major delineation between the two being Song's very low-key approach (one often finds oneself, watching better-made foreign films, feeling as though one is watching a documentary) (and, in fact, this movie I found in the DOCUMENTARY section of the local library and it's listed on HULU as a documentary). The plot is vintage Kafka: members of a book club gather to read and discuss what they've read- until a government goon gets wind of it and decides to go witch-hunting; no good reason, he just does it because he's a government goon and that's what government goons DO... It's the same the world over. From MURDER AT CAMP DELTA by Joseph Hickman: "It disturbed me that I had been caught up in a system that didn't seem to follow any rules and appeared to cover its actions with misinformation and lies." The often (at first) ridiculed Song has the same outlook in THE ATTORNEY. "I believe in American justice," Hickman writes. Says Song, when it looks like he might cave in to incredible pressure: "I will never give up!" THE ATTORNEY is an affirmation of The Human Spirit, nothing less.

It is not just about a desperate attorney. It is the portrait of Korean culture in its most aching and general aspect in the last 100 years. It depicts the most serious mental and social aspect of Koreans in terms of politics. To understand Korea, you need to be able to identify the different roles of the parties shown here. Mr. Song, the attorney, is the person who had the most typical life of 1970-1980s, as a social survivor in 1990s, and the political figure of 2000s. He is the late president of Korea who represented Korean minds in so many ways. If I have to pick the most Korean Korean in last decades out of media, he is the one. He is the very Korean boy, the young man, and mid-age uncle, and Korean system. This movie's value lies not on anything in its plot, shooting, or else, but it is so accurate in depicting the thinking of Koreans in the last 30 years. It is so reliably and genuinely Korean, any human being can see that it transcends the boundary of a region and country. It is well-done without much exaggeration and over acting. A master-piece and the best actors.