Director: Choi Yoon-jin
Notable Cast: Yoo Hae-jin, Lee Je-hoon, Son Hyun-joo, Byron Mann, Choi Young-jun, Kim Ki-hae
In 1997, a continent-wide financial crisis struck throughout Asia, eventually cutting deep into South Korea. Everyone was struggling to stay afloat, and even a company like Gukbo, the leading producer of Soju in the country, was quickly falling to the wayside. South Korea is one of the biggest consumers of alcohol in the world, so to see a company that is sort of at the heart of the average Korean adult's life taking a plummet... well money grubbers in the form of a global investment firm, step in to "help" the company out. The CFO and Financial Director at Gukbo is played by the great Yoo Hae-jin, one of the best cases of a character actor turned leading man in recent history, and the one pulling the strings at the investment company is played by the young and equally talented Lee Je-hoon. The two form a bond, and the complications of this last hurrah for Gukbo has dire consequences, and a rippling effect of money hungry individuals cause a great rift between the two parties involved, on a large scale, and down to a very personal, philosophical level.
So, right off the bat, this is a film that seemingly will only appeal to a certain crowd. I think Big Deal does a great job of taking a niche sort of actual event and turning it into something engaging, at times tense, and ultimately emotionally resonant. This movie takes a look at a company that is falling apart during trying times for a country at large, and shows the corruption and the hands that look to exploit, when even a giant like Gukbo, is falling to its death. Lee Je-hoon is trying his best to get what he can off of this company, looking to earn money hand over fist for not only himself, but his own company as well. Byron Mann, yes Ryu himself (you heard me!), plays the foul-mouth lead of the Hong Kong branch of the investment firm, and he is great. His character is totally a caricature of the money hungry, crazed evil suit and tie, but he is having a ball, and since this is all about soju, take a shot every time he says the "F" word in English. Actually, don't... for your own safety, and if you aren't of age and are reading this, don't drink period. Anyway, the baddies in this, both from the investment team, and the heir of the Gukbo company himself, played by Son Hyun-joo, unfortunately are all quite paper thin in terms of how they are written and portrayed. I do like that Son only appears in a handful of scenes, as it gives him this sort of mysterious quality, but he bangs around his flip phone to show frustration, reminds everybody his company will float on, and that's about it. He is great in said role, but there isn't a ton of depth to his character. Again, the investment firm is quite flimsy in how they are portrayed, save for Lee's character, which forms the core relationship that is the heart and soul of this film, alongside Yoo's character.
Yoo is the one making things happen at Gukbo, and yet he feels like Son's pawn in the grand scheme of things. He is a company man, through and through, and for better or for worse, he truly cares about his work and yearns for brighter days and redemption for Gukbo. He oversees many things and does all the heavy lifting, and while it takes a toll on him, he remains determined to see things get done. Lee has an interesting arc, and while I don't want to spoil things here in this review, I will say, once more, that the relationship between him and Yoo is wonderful and quite well realized. I found myself emotionally invested in what was going on between them, and I think that helped to elevate this film to a much higher level for me, when at times the screenplay seemed to have its shortcomings. Also, for fans of Korean directors, look out for a small cameo by one Jang Jae-hyun (Exhuma, Priests) in here.
On a technical level, Big Deal looks and sounds great. There aren't any big set pieces or flashy moments, but the film moves along at a nice pace, and it sure makes you want to crack open a bottle of soju. We get small glimpses into the manufacturing process, and those green bottles zipping down the production line are something to behold. Also, the small interactions where Yoo is showing Lee new products in the works and getting his "opinion" on their tastes are hilarious and add some levity to this overall sort of depressing tale. I do think the more dramatic moments are handled with a great level of realism and earnestness that give director Choi a good foundation for his directorial debut. He has worked on many solid screenplays over the years, so it's great to see him in the director's chair. I hope he gives it another shot in the future, as I think there's some great promise here.
Initially, I mentioned that I think this film will appeal to a particular audience, and while I stand by that, I also believe this is a very interesting piece of history that I wasn't aware of, and the story may resonate more deeply in its native South Korea. However, I think it's awesome to see a film like this getting released in the States. I like when a company takes a chance on a title that generally wouldn't be seen like Big Deal, so I have to give Well Go USA props for that. At the end of the day, what you get is a very interesting drama that unfolds amid an intense behind-the-scenes battle within a mega company that is set to crumble, and what emerges from it all is the question of morals and what the money behind our work actually signifies. It speaks on the working class, the everyday individual, and I wholeheartedly adored that element. I wish more films in this realm would explore the human condition just a bit more. I got to give Big Deal its flowers. By no means is it a perfect piece of cinema, but it is one with a lot of heart, and sometimes that is all a good movie needs!
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