[critical] HARD DAY

Hard Day is an original film, ultra-orgasmic, capable of holding in the breath by its action and mark the spirits by the ingenuity of its storyline.

Presented at the directors ‘ Fortnight at the 67th Cannes film Festival (from 14 to 25 may 2014), as well as the 9th Film Festival Korean in Paris (from 28 October to 4 November 2014), Hard Day is finally distributed in French cinemas. For his second film, south Korean director Kim Seong-hun took his time (8 years from his two works) to produce an amazing storyline. This action film police officer continually surprises with twists and turns always more crazy without losing credibility. Well taken away by two actors who are charismatic, Hard Day is a perfect blend of humour and tension, where its (anti)hero sees a succession of problems one after the other, to the great delight of the viewer.

There was nothing to suggest that’Hard Day could surprise both. Yet just a few minutes to take the viewer and hold it under tension for almost two hours. In a first time Hard Day focuses on the humor. The main character, Gun-su finds himself with a corpse on the arm at the worst time (if there is a good time for this). Between the unannounced inspection at the office of an investigator, who is about to find dirty money in his office and the funeral of his mother, who requires his presence as quickly as possible, it has little time to find where to hide the body he was struck. Not a lot of time to think so. The only certainty for him is that, having a priori not been seen at the time of the facts, if there is no evidence, the event could never have taken place. The bad luck that seems to pursue Gun-su, the shares of which are, to say the least unprincipled and destiny who refuses constantly to make life easier for him eventually arouse some pity. Alcohol Test on the road or phone the victim left it on this last, he and the viewer are not at the end of their surprises.

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Through this sequence of complications in the manner of a cartoon, Hard Day manages to never grow tired of it. Even more so with the arrival of a second character, Park Chang-min (Jo Jin-woong), apparently witnessed the accident. The comedy dims and the worry and the anxiety rise, while Gun-su must submit to the blackmail of which he is the victim, while investigating his own crime, and on this mysterious character out of nowhere. But with the arrival of the terrible Park the movie takes another turn. Now Gun-su has a real opponent. His weakness and his inability to stand up against this last is of particular concern, and the two actors who oppose holding the film in an incredible way. Lee Seon-gyoon causes empathy by his friendly face and attitude of a looser. In front of him and Jo Jin-woong is terrifying in a sociopathic manipulator. In addition to its imposing case, he shows two faces, and alternates between a quiet, cold and great violence. As much tension is palpable for the majority of the film, as the final scene which puts the spotlight on one fight, pushed to the extreme, reveals the physical power of the actor.

Thus the action is not left in the Hard Day. If it took six years to Kim Seong-hun to write the screenplay, the shooting lasted only 55 days. A speed and effectiveness that can be felt in the staging dynamic. The director is still perfectly between a realization boosted by the adrenaline and passages of investigation, offering the viewer a few moments of respite before setting off again. An intensity that is excellent that makes a Hard Day a little jewel. The mixture of comedy and suspense is one of the characteristics of the Korean cinema for several years. Even in thrillers and terrifying, as The Chaser (2008), we regularly find touches of humor amazing. Of course with a Hard Day Kim Seong-hun goes much further, to the limits of burlesque, without losing any of the saw frame basic police. So Hard Day is an original film, ultra-orgasmic, capable of holding in the breath by its action, and to mark the spirits by the ingenuity of its storyline.

Stone Siclier

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