Review: A Bittersweet Life (2005)

I watched I Saw The Devil last month, so I thought I had an idea of what I’d be in for with A Bittersweet Life, given it has the same director and star combo of Kim Jeewoon and Lee Byunghun—and I wasn't entirely wrong, but I was still pretty wrong. A Bittersweet Life is less graphic and more balanced, the beginning is a little soft and the ending is a little soft, but everything in between goes hard. While it’s still not necessarily a feel-good watch, it is very satisfying.

The movie is built on the premise of a high-ranking mobster, as his boss’s trusted right-hand, being tasked with observing his young girlfriend while he's abroad—and to kill her if it turns out she’s cheating. Sunwoo (Lee Byunghun) has been in this business a long time, and he's appropriately robotic with seemingly no emotions and certainly no friends. Slitting throats and busting jaws is all part of a day's work for Sunwoo, and while this task is much different from what he usually does, it won't be a problem.

A fun thing about A Bittersweet Life is that, while everything that happens can be predicted from a mile away, the execution is so detailed and so stylish that experiencing it is still worth it. That said, of course Sunwoo falls for her instantly, and he suffers the repercussions for it. But his feelings are never spoken and they're never returned, but the feeling alone is something new—he notices the way she tucks her hair behind her ear, and there's a subtle awkwardness in their first interactions. Lee Byunghun's performance is perfect, and I don't know how else to describe it.

Now, that's not all there is. It's an action drama and, sure, we get a glimpse at some humanity buried deep within Sunwoo, but the second half of the movie is completely different, as that's when his foundation crumbles. Sunwoo finds the girlfriend, Heesoo (Shin Mina), was cheating—and he suspects she's not a voluntary participant in her relationship with his boss to begin with— so in a momentary lapse of judgement, he lets her go on the promise that she and the man she's with never see each other again. Needless to say, his disobedience is found out and his boss turns on him, along with a rival crime boss and their respective underlings, and Sunwoo ends up even more alone than he was before.

From here, Heesoo is no longer involved, and Sunwoo re-enters his comfort zone where he buttons his suit jacket as he approaches to effortlessly kick your ass. Part of what makes this movie so much fun to watch is that it really leans into the fantasy element of “mobster is so cool, collected, and strong, he is always in control,” the satisfaction of seeing him win even at the expense of himself is rewarding just because it’s great storytelling.

A Bittersweet Life leads many Top 10 Korean Movies Ever lists, and that's a spot well-deserved. The combination of fast-paced action with the quiet depiction of Sunwoo daring to feel something is obviously tragic, and it lends itself well to a story that might otherwise feel relatively soulless. This is an instant favorite that I would recommend to just about anyone, not necessarily just action fans, and will be watching again.