[KFCC] No.3 Review

Story: Tae-Joo is a gangster, ranked as No.3, but he wishes to be No.1. We follow the twists and turns of gangster life as Tae-Joo tries to use the balance of power to further his criminal career, but it's a jungle in the Korean underworld in which everybody wants their own cut of the money there is to be made.

Review: Made in the mould of many Western gangster movies, 'No.3' does not really have a central plot thread. At the start of the film, we are dropped right into the middle of an ongoing conflict between two gangs, and at the film's conclusion, few loose ends are tied. No.3 is more the story of a particular time period in one man's life, and the real story here is the personal journey of Tae-Joo. It isn't neccessarily the things that happen to him that are important, but the things which he learns.

Within the period we are allowed to follow Tae-Joo is an enjoyable experience, and there is a lot to take in. The plot can be at times quite complex, with a lot of characters spinning around the ambitious gangster, all with their own concerns and stories. His wife, for instance, is a poet, who early on in the movie, has an affair with a sleazy poet. In itself, this is an entertaining and almost a self-contained little story, which effects events throughout the film. There is also a sub-plot about the relationship Tae-Joo has with a public prosecutor who speaks to him in a way that he would not tolerate from anybody else. There seem to be few major plot points, but many smaller events and stories all contribute to the overall outcome of the film.

No. 3 is a very well conceived film from the outset. Cooler than the Fonze, it somehow manages to be a serious crime drama at its heart, but throws in enough comedy moments and bizarre characters to keep it away from being quite depressing, and somehow manages to make even some quite brutal violence seem fun. One character named 'Ashtray' commits some skull smashing and awful acts of violence, but the fact that his weapon of choice is, in fact, an ashtray, and he believes that it is the solution to most problems transforms him into a grotesque spoof of so many movie bad guys. This isn't a goofy comedy, it most definitely aims for the darker side of humour. At times it is explicitly violent, and even the 'hero' commits some very unpleasant acts.

The direction is also imaginatively done. Surprise attacks of style for the sake of style make sure that the story is told in an interesting way, and the actors have been given enough ticks and quirks to keep everyone interesting in their own right.

It's not a perfect movie, though. It is hard to follow on occasion, and sometimes drags, relying on some lengthy dialogue, the subtleties of which may not benefit from subtitling. It may not be a film to suit everybody's tastes, but for fans of gangster movies, it is well worth checking out. You will also consider swapping all your ashtrays for little tin ones.