Ron’s Review

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Finally got to watch No Other Choice. Saw it at an absolutely packed hall despite the fact it’s been in cinemas for a little while. Crowd was certainly appreciative of the film; we all laughed at the same time, and the tension in the final act could have been cut by a knife.

This film is multi-layered. It’s comedic, yes, but also dark, and quite sad. There’s a running theme about progress, particularly technological progress, and the impact on people. There’s an even subtler undertone about monopolies and the ensuing destruction to industries, and of course, jobs. What does a person do when they’re desperate? When they know their self-worth, social status, and the security of their family relies on a stable job and income?

We may not all react as extremely as You Man-su does in this film but we can hardly blame him. After 25 years in the paper industry and his company, You’s job disappears overnight following a merger with an American company. You is certain he can get a job in 3 months. 13 months later, and his family is forced to make hard choices to make ends meet. You feels like a failure and decides to get rid of his competition at the only paper mill left in town. Let’s just say, murder doesn’t come easy to him.

This part of the film illicited a lot of laughs. You is a disaster, even as desperation drives him to continue his attempts at murder. Meanwhile, the shenanigans he sees his competitors get up to only make him more suspicious of his wife, and the people in their lives. Which only leads to a lot of awkward moments between him and his wife.

But besides the murder plot, I loved You and Miri’s relationship. The chemistry between the actors feels so natural, you immediately believe they’re a couple. Even when they’re arguing and fighting, it never seems like their marriage will end. Come hell or high water, these two are sticking together.

For a wife role, I was surprised and delighted by how much Miri drives the plot and acts as the heart of this story. She could have so easily been in the background but her reactions are so natural, and she’s proactive in making hard family decisions, even when You is reluctant to do the right thing.

Even the two children add such a dynamic to the family and the story. Of course, they’re stakes characters, but they have so much personality!

The acting is superb. Even the characters who are over the top feel real. Of course, the main cast are unbelievably good. Lee Byung-hun is so real that one forgets he’s an actor. He emotes like a human being—every emotion made complete sense. His comedic timing was spot on. Spectacular work and it’s a crime he hasn’t been nominated for an acting Oscar.

Near the end of the film, the farcical elements take on a darker, more malevolent note. I actually closed my eyes during the last murder because it seemed too gory. But by that point, You’s gone from desperate to determined. He has no other choice but to continue on this path. It was honestly heartbreaking and a very sad indictment of the world we live in.

Park Chan-Wook makes some fascinating directing choices which I absolutely loved. There are some camera movements that I have no idea how he accomplished. He also chose to include some juxtapositions that added depth and emotion that we may have missed otherwise. His use of match cuts was old school and highly effective. Really loved the directing in this.

Part of me is frustrated that the Oscars didn’t nominate this film. How did F1 and Marty Supreme get nods ahead of this? But I doubt the Academy voters understood the gravitas of this film in the way that we, the average day job-having viewers, have. A lot of us are living You’s life right now—sans the murders—so this film is both deeply relevant and playing out a dark fantasy for us. Hollywood isn’t going to recognize those aspects, is it?

I’m glad I watched this film. It was funny and often a very hard watch. I hate how believable it is and I hope that films like it will be better recognized by award shows in the future.

Mon’s Review

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Wow, what a movie. We don’t get enough films from Hollywood about people working regular jobs, desk jobs, trades, management, etc. We often need to look elsewhere for such authentic storytelling, and that’s where No Other Choice comes in.

We have a family living their best life and then a merger happens and the dad is laid off. Despite their best efforts to be optimistic, as his unemployment continues they have to start making some tough choices.

Now, this is a Park Chan-wook film so things go to unimaginable extremes. That being said, it all makes a terrible kind of sense. When you’re desperate, how far would you go? That’s the question the film poses to both hilarious and disturbing ends.

This film was so good. It was so funny at times but man, it gets dark. But it works, mainly because the writing is tight and fraught; the direction is on point and just a smidge bizarre to keep us off-kilter from time to time. And it’s all brought together by spectacular performances.

Lee Byung-hun is compelling as an Everyman. But Son Yi-jin is the scene-stealer. Her character arc surprised me but it’s particularly memorable because of her performance — funny, adorable, stoic, with a touch of mystery.

The supporting cast were also great, but huge credit to the two kids whose roles were small but utterly remarkable. They made the family dynamics work with their personalities.

The film isn’t as gory or gross as I had expected, though I’d have toned it down a smidge more in the third act for my tastes.

A fabulous look at the injustices of corporate life and the hamster wheel that so many people are stuck in. This is a darkly funny, and sometimes just dark, film for our times. Unmissable, and a truly shocking snub by the Oscars.