The Face's Reader : Short review

I just finished the movie and yes I enjoyed it. Let’s speak bluntly the movie was incredibly good.  As I said before (if you missed it I will kindly repeat it), I’m not a review girl. I like to read movies and dramas reviews but don’t ask me to do one. It’s too much work and I gladly confess that I’m a bit lazy. All my respect to the recappers and reviewers around the world, I know it’s not an easy thing guys!

That being said let’s go back to ‘The Face Reader’. Let’s start with the story: Kim Nae-gyeong (Song Kang-ho), one of the best face-reader of the Joseon dynasty, will found himself through a lot of circumstances (I won’t explain), mingled into royals plots to save the king. What’s a face reader you will ask? Someone who can interpret one’s face features. According to how your chin is drawn, how high is your eyebrow, how large are your eyes or the particular specificities you have, the face reader can predict if you’ll succeed in your business, if you will get married soon, if you’re afraid of something and most important if you’re full of good or bad intentions. And that’s the basic outline of the movie. The young crown prince (son of the dying King Munjong played by Kim Tae-woo) is aim to take the throne but as usual nothing’s easy and he’s surrounded by enemies. 

Kim Nae-gyeong will help Kim Jongseo (Baek Yoon-sik) to protect the future king against his first and most fearful enemy: Grand Prince Suyang (Lee Jung-jae), crown prince’s uncle. Portrayed as brutal, cruel, ambitious, devious but also intelligent and sharp, Grand Prince has one goal only: to take the throne. And it’s all part of the Korean’s history. Grand Prince will eventually kill his nephew and will become the king. So basically here the suspens is not to found out either or not Kim Nae-gyeong will nip in the bud all Grand Prince Suyang’s projects, it’s more to watch the games of power and the strategies both of them will put in place to succeed in their mission. And the spectacle is just good folks. As good as your favourite dessert, trust me. If you add in the equation, Kim Nae-gyeong’s son, Jin-hyeong (Lee Jong-suk), who wants to overthrow the established order of that period, his brother-in-law/assistant, Paeng-heon (Jo Jeong Seok) who’s capable of anything for his family and the gisaeng, Yeon-hong (Kim Hye-soo), you have a beautiful array of good characters and good actors.

To be honest Jo Jeong Seok brought me to this movie. I have an inexplicable and irrational crush on him. Since his bubbly character in ‘What’s up’, I just love him! I knew some of the other actors from diverse dramas, movies or just by names. And then I discovered some other through the movie like Song Kang-ho. He’s great and so fair in his interpretation of the face reader being at the same time sensitive man, a loving father and hero to the nation).The premise of the movie didn’t hooked me and I wasn’t impatiently waiting for English subtitles to see the movie. But I loved the movie proportionally as my expectations were low. Most of the time it’s the case with Kmovies! I’m sure you know what I mean!

Well written, well played, it’s definitely a worth watch movie. Put it on your list people, don’t hesitate!

Wikipedia page of the movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Face_Reader