Green Fish is a film I've been wanting to see for years, and only finally caught it earlier. This is the first directorial effort from Chang-dong Lee, whom some may be familiar with, as he's done some other great emotional dramas such as Peppermint Candy, Oasis, and Secret Sunshine.



The movie follows a man just released from his mandatory military duty and returns home to no job and essentially no life. He eventually gets mixed up with a local small-time gangster, and ends up being one of his henchmen. The first half of the flick details the mans meager existence and introduces him to a different way of life when he meets the gangster and his thugs. The second half of the flick slowly builds up into a romance, as the man begins to fall for the gangster's woman.
Though the plot sounds rather similar to other films, the way it's all played out is purely through Chang-dong Lee's creative style. It gets very emotional, especially towards the end, and I have to admit that there were some really slow-paced and dull moments, but the movie for the most part is a good watch, especially for fans of gangster-type flicks (though that aspect isn't the only focus here).

There are a few familiar faces in the pic, namely that of Kang-ho Song, whom many may recognize from Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Memories of Murder, The Host, Thirst, etc.. He plays one of the key thugs under the gangster. I believe this is actually his second role in a film at the time, so his part isn't incredibly big, but he does still get a decent amount of screen time.

Overall -- if you're familiar with the director's work then I'd recommend giving this a check. Otherwise, I'd advise checking the director's more recent efforts (like the ones mentioned above) before viewing this, as his style is better understood with them and are better watches (in my opinion).

7/10

http://imdb.com/title/tt0126838/
http://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_Green_Fish.php