The Man from Nowhere - 大叔

The Man from Nowhere (大叔) is a 2010 film out of Korea. The movie stars Won Bin. This was the top domestic grossing Korean film of 2010.

Cha Tae-sik, played by Won Bin, is a loner who owns an pawn shop. So-mi, played by Kim Sae-ron, is a loner girl trying her best not to stay home with her mother, a drug addict. So-mi's mom was in on a heist and the people they stole from want find her. They take So-mi and her mom hostage only to kill the mom in a most deplorable way. So-mi is than sold into slavery as a child drug runner. Cha and So-mi build a uneasy bound as she pesters him daily so she doesn't have to go home. When So-mi leaves the drugs at his pawn shop, he's dragged into the chase against his will. When So-mi goes underground, Cha makes it his mission to find her and all those that stand in his way will pay the price.

This was an awesome movie. The story was a dark from the beginning and you knew you were dealing with thugs with no conscious. Cha has a tragic past and avoids people at all cost. However, So-mi pestered her way into his life. Much like many action oriented Korean movies, it takes the gritty nature laced with the darkness in all humans. Are all humans as dark as this movie makes people out to be? I have to believe not or society as a whole has no courtesy. However, this film dives into the So-mi yearning for love anywhere away from her mom and Cha's reclusion from his tragic and deadly past.

This film has been compared the the Liam Nelson film Taken, but I haven't watched that film so I can't say if that's true or not. However, this film reminded me a lot about Man On Fire with Denzel Washington. Man On Fire was gritty and explored the business of human trafficking for profit. Man From Nowhere was a little less investigative, but had that same gritty feel and shady characters to boot.

I can see why this film was a major hit in Korea and has been picked up for limited release in the US last year. Won Bin's heartthrob past isn't a hindrance nor the super cuteness of So-mi. A must watch for all Korean and Asian movie buffs.