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The Man Standing Next

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The Man Standing Next

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Summary

In 1970s, Korea is under the absolute control of the president Park, who controls the KCIA organisation. Drama, starring Lee Byung-hun, Lee Sung-min and Kwak Do-won

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Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

Calum Baker

This gripping period potboiler tells the shocking story of the events leading up to the assassination of South Korea's president in 1979. A high-profile defection, government in-fighting and an increasingly restless populace all set the stage for reserved intelligence director Kim Kyu-pyeong (Lee Byung-hun) to gun down President Park (Lee Sung-min) in cold blood. Director Woo Min-ho presents the political complexities with impressive clarity, creating a terse atmosphere that occasionally bursts into action - a prolonged chase sequence around the mid-point is particularly involving. Lee Byung-hun is fantastic as the conflicted, impossibly cagey director Kim, smartly drawing out the nuances of a figure whose reputation remains under debate. The real Kim has been considered both a democratic patriot and a self-serving traitor, and Lee's performance, along with Woo and Lee Ji-min's screenplay, conveys this with admirable subtlety. A slightly protracted and dramatically mishandled climax rather undercuts the careful build-up, but, overall, the film's involving period detail and simmering intrigue allow it to stand alongside those classic American political thrillers of the 1970s.

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7.0/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameKim Kyu-pyeongLee Byung-hun President ParkLee Sung-min Park Yong-gakKwak Do-won Kwak Sang-cheonLee Hee-joon Deborah ShimKim So-jin

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Crew

rolenameDirectorWoo Min-ho

Details

Languages

English | Korean | Japanese | French

Guidance

Violence

Formats

Colour

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