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Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
"Boksuneun naui geot" (original title)

R  |   |  Crime, Drama, Thriller  |  29 March 2002 (South Korea)
7.7
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Ratings: 7.7/10 from 42,736 users   Metascore: 56/100
Reviews: 126 user | 134 critic | 21 from Metacritic.com

A recently laid off factory worker kidnaps his former boss' daughter, hoping to use the ransom money to pay for his sister's kidney transplant.

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Cast

Credited cast:
...
...
Ryu
...
Ji-Eun Lim ...
Ryu's Sister
Bo-bae Han ...
Yu-sun
Se-dong Kim ...
Chief of Staff
Dae-yeon Lee ...
Choe
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
...
Peng
Ju-bong Gi
Gyu-su Jeong
...
Husband of Dong-jin's ex-wife's
Kan-hie Lee ...
Dong-jin Park's ex-wife
Kwang-rok Oh ...
Anarchist
Jae-woong Park
Seung-wan Ryoo ...
Delivery Boy
Edit

Storyline

In Seoul, Ryu, a deaf worker has a sister who needs a kidney transplant. He tries to donate his own kidney to his sister, but his blood type is not compatible with hers. When Ryu is fired from Ilshin Electronics, he meets illegal dealers of organs, and the criminals propose that he give them his kidney plus ten millions Won to obtain a kidney suitable for his sister. Ryu accepts the trade, but he does not have money to pay for the surgery. His anarchist revolutionary girlfriend Cha Young-mi convinces him to kidnap Yossun, the daughter of his former employer Park, who owns Ilshin Electronics. However, a tragedy happens, generating revenge and a series of acts of violence. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Revenge Was Never This Sweet

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong gruesome violence, strong sexuality, language and drug use | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Release Date:

29 March 2002 (South Korea)  »

Also Known As:

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance  »

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$9,827 (USA) (19 August 2005)

Gross:

$45,243 (USA) (10 February 2006)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

,  »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

All characters that used sign language learned alongside deaf and dumb individuals, having sign-language conversations with them about the movie. See more »

Goofs

In the ransom photo of Yoosun, she is wearing the necklace Ryu made. However, he hadn't given her the necklace when he took the photo, it was later, when he traded the necklace for her doll. See more »

Quotes

Park Dong-jin: I know you're a good guy... but you know why I have to kill you...
See more »

Connections

References Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968) See more »

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User Reviews

Genius...
30 May 2004 | by (Cardiff) – See all my reviews

Chan Wook-Park is for my money, the greatest film maker alive today. His recent work (the second part in his "Revenge Trilogy" just won the Grand Prix at Cannes) has seen him grow even stronger! But with this, we saw the director of S. Korea's biggest ever film for it's time (Joint Security Area) grow up, and do something he HONESTLY wanted to do. Sympathy for Mr. Vengance is not a nice film, it's brutal, cold and very bleak, but who said movies cannot be like this? let alone be... dare I say... "Enjoyable"?

The acting, the camera work, the cinematography... hell, the whole production set a new standard for new-wave Korean art-house cinema, it showed how art can remain with it's roots but still show it's mainstream tendencies. Hence, Chan Wook-Park being able to bring truly personal movies, that he has control over 100% to out big screens, with out any producer BS, proving that film makers CAN make what they want, if they have the courage and heart!

This movie will never be liked by many, as many may find it deceiving, how such a pretty looking movie can turn out to be so brutal and attack there moral sense, but hey, if they don't want to be challenged they can stay home and watch the far more violent "Bad Boys 2"...

Roll one Sympathy for Mrs. Vengance... the final part in the "Revenge Trilogy"


61 of 71 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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