I do not understand why (re)viewers always tend to add non related matter to reviews. This movies kicks in very slow, grabbed me by the chest, and left me with just enough breath to let me watch the credits. It’s brilliant by any means, and just because it gave me an absolute delirium it deserves a 10. It deserves this score just because I think we need to get back to feel movies instead of ‘judging’ it… all the extra information is nice, but it should not be mixed up with the feeling you experience during a movie. I think I will explore the Korean cinema for a while, that’s for sure!

Woman was roleplaying in real life and somehow got bored of it. The cinematography in this movie is well done as is the both romantic and tragic story told within this movie. Not as good as Oldboy, but still really good.

It's hard to rate this film below 8/10, although the story itself doesn't move me too much.
But the point of view from which this romance is told and this cinematography with such careful framing and staging, deserve more.

A great Park Chan-wook that I will have to see again on second reading, when so few things are left to chance in this "Decision to Leave".

Are you a mountain or beach person?
Despite the premise of a police procedural with goofy moments of comedy, “Decision to Leave” slowly shifts toward a toxic and unconventional melodrama. Although I can see why the film has been described as Hitchcockian, Park’s direction gives an entirely new taste to what could have been a typical vintage neo-noir plot centered around a femme fatale. This time the focus is on elegant visual subtexts rather than the quirky gimmicks and plot twists one would expect from a Park Chan-wook film.

Although I need to rewatch with better subtitles to give myself a better idea, the narrative felt a little messy and self-indulgent, especially when going through the investigations and side cases. This, paired with the highly conceptual nature of the film, ended up affecting my emotional involvement in favor of the enjoyment of my cinephile brain.

Watching such a movie, intricately constructed and at the same time written out to the color of the dress and the pattern on the wallpaper, with a melancholy nod inviting you to take the place of the heroes, to add details and feelings, as if an attempt to return the best day of life, when it is only important to remember it. Let not you. Someone

Yes it has great cinematography, photography and amazing direction, every comment says that but what about the actuall plot and script.

Is it a comedy ? a love drama ? a mystery ? and what was wrong with the music! at some points it was like watching a scene from Charly Chaplin trying to rescue the woman from the train. The music was not goind along with the scenes. Very overrated due the cinematography, take that apart and you have nothing spectacular.
It is not worth it to go through 160 minutes of a movie that cannot identify it self or know what wants to give to the viewer. What was the final purpose, art ? Artistic ? Very difficult to follow the plot, it was a mess (an artistic mess sorry)

The story has a fascinating development, with some twists and turns that give the plot greater complexity, making it all the more special.

Twisted from beginning to end, I had no idea who to root for only that I had to see what happened. With a haunting soundtrack and beautifully shot juxtaposed scenes where he investigated, this is a must watch if you enjoy Korean film.

Not sure what I expected, but what I got was a touching story. Yet I did not fully understand it all, since the blu-ray I have of it did not translate the phone calls and texts send on it and I think there was quite some plot evolving around it. Besides that, it was a good story, yet a little more action would be nice, not much more, but a little bit. It is more of a tension filled slow burner. And with that, it did a good job.

Park's Hitchcockian effort here simmers with tension and intrigue. This is quite deliberately paced so those not interested in a 140 min nuanced affair need not partake. There were scenes that were exquisite and others that seemed to linger beyond their welcome. Overall I thought the direction and acting was top notch. The writing; however, felt a little lacking in parts. It was also a difficult dynamic to accept on the whole. Regardless, I'm happy I finally watched this. 7.3.

Park Chan wook pays his particular tribute to "Vertigo" (1958), the romanticism turned into obsession. I'm not sure if the pieces fit perfectly, but this puzzle of mystery and ambiguity provokes curiosity. It seems that the film is made to need more than one viewing to capture all its details. Perhaps if the frills are removed, the story will end up being too simple, but it is a romance from the perspective of a director who always imagines the most surprising point of view.

It is boring in the first hour, then gets better. It is all expected, 6/10 didn't enjoy it.

Highly anticipated Korean film, but from the same country I have seen much better. The investigative part solves by itself, it could have been elaborated more. The psychological part instead was not overly original. The two together made the film less smooth than it could have been.

I am a big fan of Park, but I wish I liked this film more. I probably would have edited it down quite a bit. I enjoyed the visual style that was portrayed early on during his investigation (sort of a Hannibal/Will Graham feel) but that went away sadly. I think there is absolutely fantastic acting and the film is truly great at parts but a bit too meandering for me ultimately. It felt like it was going to be over a few times before it finally was. I would recommend it, but somewhat cautiously.

I voted this a 7 because a 7.5 isn't allowed. I'd maybe give this an 8 sometimes. It's uneven but the sum of its parts is good.

I'm giving this one a bonus half-star for a limited time only, so if you want to see it while I still recommend it, you better hurry!

I'm a Park Chan Wook fan. I loved the _Handmaiden_ when I saw it in the cinema and _Oldboy_ is one of my top 5 films of all time, so I was probably setting myself up to be let down by this and I wasn't disappointed.

Park Chan Wook's directing here is certainly inventive (he won Best Director for _Decision to Leave_ at Cannes this year) but sometimes it comes across as unnecessarily flashy, as though it's trying to blind us with his prowess so we don't see the plot is basically a 1980's thriller.

But the directing does paint a beautiful picture, the story line hooked me at the end and the film stayed with me for days, so while it may not be as impressive as some of his previous work, _Decision to Leave_ earns a 'recommend', at least for now.

Would I'd've preferred the ending to be 20 minutes shorter/more tightly edited? Yes
Would I'd've cut a single frame from the turtle thief B-plot? _Absolument non_

Park Chan-wook's "Decision to Leave" is the next cinematic gem from South Korea. I can't even define the exact genre. It is best described as a crime/mystery thriller with elements of a love story. In terms of plot, it's about a policeman who gets involved with the widow of an apparent victim of an accident during an investigation. On many different levels, the main theme is the recurring motif of obsession.

The plot is exciting throughout and is brought to life by excellent actors. However, there are also some lengths. But the film is really carried by its visual style. Everything here is in stark contrast to the usual viewing habits of American productions. Nowadays, you can watch a lot of movies while paying little attention. That is not something I would recommend to anyone with "Decision to Leave." Every frame is a work of art, and every cut is meticulously thought out. If you look away for a moment, you'll miss Park's next brilliant idea as well as important plot details. So put down your phone and just have a good time at the movies!

while i did like this latest Park Chan Wook movie, i had first given it a rating of 5/10, but after watching a recent film essay about Decision to Leave, it immediately made me bump the rating up to a solid 8, almost 9 tbh

Park Chan Wook's usage of the mirror and reflections in the interrogation scene, in part with the way the characters come into focus and out of it to aid the storytelling and give more subtle details to the viewer was a detail that i had missed in this movie at first; but now, i'm so thankful the film essay video that i watched pointed it out, it literally left my jaw DROPPED.

as well as the way they use a certain color palette, i loved that

it's a movie that i should definitely rewatch someday in the future, and try and notice all these minor details that give it it's beauty and complex nature

Park Chan-wook. This man manages to cram an insane amount of personality in his directing and editing, it’s something that you normally only get out of animated movies (or maybe a Tarantino/Wes Anderson joint).
Everything just feels so meticulously planned and storyboarded.
The story’s good, definetely above average compared to the average police procedural, but not as strong as some of Park’s other films. It reminded me of _Basic Instinct_, but where that film is aiming for superficial adults, this is more intelligent and artistic.
Love the music, acting’s great, it moves along very nicely, kinda hard to find any major flaws besides the mystery element not being as strong as it could be. It ends very well though, it’s the kind of ending that hits in all the right ways.


7.5/10

Wow talking about stylizing an idea into a portrayed cinematic rather than full on obvious retelling. This movie represented the conundrum of investigative work, rather than a movie about it, of your a typical story of characters and characteristics. Aesthetically cinematography pleasing with a dramatic infusion about how detective work and their relationships with cases make them be so enamored with the idea of solving a case that often the seeking answers where very obvious and in front all along and such, the finally represented such ideal within this artistic stylistic slow phased drama.

Cool transactions, spectacular shots, the plot takes a while to get going, so much so that I found the first 45 minutes quite boring. Also, I found that it often delves into points that are not entirely useful for the development of the main plot, but still it remains a beautiful film with a perfect ending.

Need a rewatch tho

7.5/10