Yu Hae-jin Movies

A guy with a talent for cards makes his way into the dangerous world of underground gambling in this crime thriller from South Korea. Go-ni (Jo Seung-woo) is a small-town guy with a big appetite for gambling. Convinced he's on a hot streak one evening during a card game, Go-ni bets his life savings on a hand of hwatu, only to lose to a crooked cardsharp. Determined to get revenge, Go-ni sets out to find the guy who cheated him and win back his money. Go-ni's travels lead him to Pyeong Gyeong-jang (Baek Yun-shik), an unusually gifted card player who has gotten out of the game. Pyeong sees a talented protégé in Go-ni and takes him under his wing, introducing him to Madam Jeong (Kim Hye-su), an equally gifted female gambler. Jeong is attracted to the young and handsome Go-ni and takes him on as both a student and a lover, but the young man soon learns how dangerous a gambler's trade can be when he wins a hefty bankroll from Kwak Cheol-yeong (Kim Eung-su), an underworld kingpin who doesn't take losing lightly. Go-ni also foolishly breaks off his affair with Jeong when he falls for Hwa-ran (Lee Su-gyeong), a beautiful woman who runs a nightspot, and makes an enemy of A-gui (Kim Yun-seok), a thug with a hair-trigger temper who holds a grudge against Pyeong. As the various characters come together for a major hwatu tournament, Go-ni struggles to keep his mind on the game as he's forced to keep his eye peeled for enemies prepared to claim his life. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Detective Kang Chul-Choong (Sol Kyung-gu) is a tough, hotheaded cop. He is also as corrupt as they come. He never makes an arrest because he'd sooner take a bribe. But when an internal affairs investigation threatens, Kang's older and more circumspect partner, Song Haeng-gi (Kim Ju-bong), commits suicide, leaving Kang slightly unhinged. Cho Gyu-hwan (Seung-jae Lee of Attack the Gas Station!) is a wealthy fund manager and family man who also has a problem controlling his temper. Cho gets angry when his elderly father calls in a loan in order to help a struggling orphanage. Cho has the money invested in a can't-miss stock, and will lose millions if he pays his father back, so one rainy night, while Kang is nearby on a stakeout, Cho brutally murders his parents. While making his escape, wearing a hooded raincoat, Cho has his first encounter with Kang. He literally bumps into him on the street, and when Kang upbraids him for it, Cho, not realizing Kang is a cop, slashes Kang's face. When Kang hears about the vicious double murder, he realizes that he was attacked by the killer, and joins the investigation. Suddenly, police work isn't about the money any more for Kang. Kang didn't get a good look at Cho that night. But after questioning the vain, supercilious young man, Kang immediately suspects him. Cho uses his powerful connections in the police department to thwart Kang's efforts, but Kang is determined to deliver his own unique brand of justice, no matter what the cost. Gongongeui Jeok (Public Enemy) was directed by Kang Woo-Suk and was shown at the 2002 New York Korean Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Kim Ki-duk's Haeanseon (The Coast Guard) is set on the South Korean coastline. Kang Han-cheol (Jang Dong-gun) is an eager military private who wants nothing more than to shoot a North Korean spy. The villagers in town are at odds with the military presence because they claim there are no more spies. One night Kang sees two people on the beach who turn out to be a local girl and her boyfriend engaged in sexual intercourse. Kang shoots the young man and is celebrated by his fellow officers even though the villagers are outraged. The Coast Guard was the opening film at the Pusan Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi