Deep down there’s a great movie within “Brave Citizen.” The South Korean film by Park jin-pyo has a great premise, and a great cause to fight for that could serve as a catalyst for an interesting superhero tale. Instead “Brave Citizen” is bogged down in so much exposition and sub-plots and commentary that is loses sight of its original intent. There’s no reason a movie like “Brave Citizen” should be so long, and I say that as someone that almost never cares about run time.
But Park jin-pyo and the writers take so long to get to the actual point that by the time we do get an idea what they’re aiming in the realm of superheroes meets bringing down the affluent, the movie has already worn out its welcome.
So Shi-Min was a promising boxer during her student days. She now works as a contract teacher at a high school. Her only goal is to become a tenured teacher at the high school. To accomplish her goal, she maintains her tunnel vision and ignores troubling situations at the school. Nevertheless, she confronts Han Su-Kang, who frequently gets into fights and is the most troubled student at the school.
For all intents and purposes the direction is sharp and the performances are solid especially from Shin hae sun, Lee Jun Young is also very memorable as the film’s sadistic villain. It’s just “Brave Citizen” never really knows what kind of movie it wants to be. Sometimes it’s a teen melodrama, sometimes it’s a stern commentary about bullying, sometimes it’s a straight up superhero story, and other ties it’s a wacky tale of a young woman hiding her exploits from her friends.
And though I am all in on movies that tackle the themes about combating bullying and victimization of the weak, “Brave Citizen” repeats the same message over and over before moving the narrative ahead. Bullying is bad and hurting people is bad, and bullying is also bad. Granted. Now what? Once heroine So Si Min decides to slip on her cat mask and start busting skulls, it’s quite exciting and I was sucked in during those small, scant moments of action. The choreography is at least energetic but never gets enough time on screen.
“Brave Citizen” would have worked so much better if it picked one idea and focused in on it. Rather it’s all just so hazy and confused most of the time, to where the movie feels a lot like a chore.
This year the Fantasia International Film Festival runs in Montreal from July 18th to August 4th.