Friend tells the story of childhood friends who take divergent paths in life, including one who pursues a life of vicious thuggery. Another also adopts to a life of crime though his manner is not quite as repugnant. Conflict ultimately engulfs these individuals, and this tests the depth of their friendship.
While at times an engaging story, Friend literally oozes sentimentality in its long drawn-out finale. Focusing intensely on the male bonding that takes place between its leads, Kwak attempts to give us a portrait of men driven to acts of violence that, despite their repugnance, cannot sever the ties existing between them. Indeed, women in this film are relegated to the background, the attraction between the sexes also failing to dampen the emotional connection between its male characters. The story ultimately fails to convince. In spite of the praise heaped upon this film from other viewers, this is a story so dripping in emotional content, (it is laid on far too thick), the movie ultimately becomes an overly romantic take on male-bonding.
One could also view Friends as an allegory on the North/South Korean divide. In spite of terrible violence in the past, the two Koreas share an inseparable bond, or so the allegory might suggest. But since the film doesn't quite deliver on its substance, an allegorical critique isn't really necessary.
While at times an engaging story, Friend literally oozes sentimentality in its long drawn-out finale. Focusing intensely on the male bonding that takes place between its leads, Kwak attempts to give us a portrait of men driven to acts of violence that, despite their repugnance, cannot sever the ties existing between them. Indeed, women in this film are relegated to the background, the attraction between the sexes also failing to dampen the emotional connection between its male characters. The story ultimately fails to convince. In spite of the praise heaped upon this film from other viewers, this is a story so dripping in emotional content, (it is laid on far too thick), the movie ultimately becomes an overly romantic take on male-bonding.
One could also view Friends as an allegory on the North/South Korean divide. In spite of terrible violence in the past, the two Koreas share an inseparable bond, or so the allegory might suggest. But since the film doesn't quite deliver on its substance, an allegorical critique isn't really necessary.