Clarisse Loughrey reviews the latest cinematic offering from South Korea's acclaimed director Park Chan Wook, a film that masterfully blends brutal violence with dark humour in a story about the cutthroat world of employment.
A Tacky and Adhesive Cinematic Experience
Emerging from a Park Chan Wook film often leaves audiences feeling complicit, as if their hands are stained by the on-screen events. This sensation is powerfully evoked in his new black comedy, No Other Choice, which has a peculiarly adhesive quality. Viewers might feel the need for a lint roller to scrape off its lingering effects, so potent is its impact.
The film delves into a near-universal modern sin: active participation in the gladiatorial arena of the job market. To emphasise this point, Park adapts Donald Westlake's 1997 American novel, The Ax, previously brought to screen in 2005 by Greek-French director Costa-Gavras, to whom this new version is dedicated.
Setting and Characters in a South Korean Context
Set in Park's native South Korea, the story introduces Yoo Man-su, portrayed by Lee Byung Hun, in an eerily blissful domestic scene. He is barbecuing an eel sent by his employers, Solar Paper, for his beautiful wife Lee Miri, played by Son Yejin, and their adorable children Si-one and Ri-one. The family, including their golden retrievers Si-two and Ri-two, shares a warm group hug, painting a picture of idyllic happiness.
However, this tranquillity is shattered when Man-su learns that Solar Paper has been acquired by an American conglomerate, rendering him redundant. A throbbing blood vessel in his head signals his distress as he promises his family to secure a new job within three months. As severance pay dwindles and Miri discusses cutbacks, Man-su's desperation escalates dramatically.
In a poignant moment, he drops to his knees before Choi Sun-chul, a manager at rival company Moon Paper, pleading, "My wife cancelled Netflix!" This line encapsulates the film's darkly comic take on modern economic anxieties.
Innovative Cinematography and Intimate Storytelling
Park Chan Wook collaborates with cinematographer Kim Woo Hyung to bring a galvanising curiosity to the lens. The film constantly offers new, unexpected angles to view Man-su's world, whether from the bottom of a beer glass or through a phone during a FaceTime call. Park's skill in depicting technology on screen, evident in his previous work Decision to Leave, fosters a creeping intimacy that draws viewers deeper into the narrative.
This intimacy becomes crucial as Man-su devises a plan to kill Sun-chul and assume his job. Audiences find themselves with no other choice but to invest in his madness, as the title suggests. Realising that eliminating one competitor is insufficient, Man-su creates a fake paper company to advertise the same position, luring and then murdering his biggest rivals, Bummo and Sijo, played by Lee Sung Min and Cha Seung Won respectively.
Slapstick Execution and Comedic Brilliance
The ensuing events unfold as a slapstick affair, executed with Park's trademark finesse and leveraging Lee Byung Hun's comedic talents. While Man-su meticulously plans each murder, he proves entirely unfit for their execution, stumbling, panicking, and even shielding his eyes during the act. This contrast highlights the absurdity of his situation.
Lee's performance, with expressions resembling a wilted flower, poignantly conveys the loss of identity and humanity in the face of ruthless competition. The film suggests that in such a competitive job market, survival necessitates the failure of others, a theme explored with both humour and brutality.
Timeless Themes with a Modern Twist
While the subject matter feels timeless, Park weaves in contemporary threats, such as the looming presence of AI, to deliver a final, gut-wrenching blow to the audience. This addition prompts reflection on what happens when everyone is forced to lose in an increasingly automated world.
Directed by Park Chan Wook and starring Lee Byung Hun, Son Yejin, Park Hee Soon, Lee Sung Min, Yeom Hye Ran, and Cha Seung Won, No Other Choice is certified 15 and runs for 139 minutes. The film arrives in cinemas from 23 January, offering a provocative and unforgettable cinematic experience.
