A detective investigating a man’s death in the mountains meets the dead man’s mysterious wife during his dogged sleuthing.
Sort of an “In the Mood For Love” by way of “Memories of Murder.” The sixth watching for Fantastic Fest today is the highlight screening for me personally and one of the best movies on the lineup. With director Park Chan-wook in attendance, the film earned vigorous applause. Typical of director Park’s storytelling, “Decision to Leave” has plenty on its mind, only this time it’s deeply romantic if a little terrifying. Park Chan-wook stays away from his added violence and narrows in on the drama between one super cop and a suspect of murder. The story unfolds like a police procedural, with many thinly veiled twists and turns focused on love. “Decision to Leave” feels dynamic when it comes to its romance and tells us many layers of the story to paint a thorough picture of twisted love.
Park Hae-il plays Hae-jun, the brilliant detective in Busan who avoids his suburban wife and home in favor of the murder cases that won’t let him sleep. When Hae-jun comes across what looks like a suicide or accident, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife, Seo-rae, played by Tang Wei, of “Lust, Caution” fame. As he interrogates Seo-rae, he starts to obsess over her. His interest in her burns brighter as he stakes out her home night after night shares deluxe sushi meals during interrogation with her, and cooks her dinner. The closer Hae-jun gets to Seo-rae, the more convoluted his moral code becomes, forcing him to compromise his distinct police morality. The two are set on a path that will interweave more criminals and potentially ruin their lives, all for finding your potential soulmate.
Park Chan-wook knows how to spin a yarn with twists and surprises. His vengeance trilogy demonstrates his adeptness at surprising audiences who try to predict his plot. Lately, he’s proved that this twisting narrative meshes well with romance. The twists and turns of a crime caper mimic the rotating affection two people have for each other as they fall in and out of love. 2016’s “The Handmaiden” demonstrates that powerful combination, and now in “Decision to Leave,” he’s favored romance over the narrative surprises he once favored. So while it’s fair to say the twists aren’t always that surprising, the reality is he never wanted us to focus so much on the crime plot but instead on how it affects the romance.
Park Hae-il and Tang Wei have such incredible chemistry as a pair. Director Park believes that chemistry developed naturally as the trio met to discuss and read for the film at Tang Wei’s home, where she cooked them all meals. Park Hae-il’s detective character plays straight-laced and by-the-books. He’s a model cop willing to take the extra step or two to find the bad guy. We get to see him play off of a few different police officers, all modeled off the stereotypes of the wild card investigator and the genius. Hae-il plays the genius. Still, his passion and intellect fall completely apart when he meets Seo-rae. Her demure seduction draws in our hero early on. Tang Wei delivers a tearful performance.
Park Chan-wook’s films are never without their long story. They jam plenty of story into such short runtimes taking us beyond what we thought the narrative would be, farther so we can see a more realistic timeline of the story. The first third can feel sufficient in storytelling terms, but Chan-wook goes further. He wants us to see what happens when the pair reunite thirteen months later. We have to understand what makes this duo tick. Thankfully he’s layered the film with rich symbolism and deep laughs.
“Decision to Leave” condenses many interesting elements together that I may have to see this one again to fully process every piece of the puzzle. The story begins in the mountains and ends in the sea. Every little detail folds in a new piece of this puzzle for the viewer. We’re so focused on the romance between the two that we only later realize what they really add up to. Its tragic finale unnerves us as Park Chan-wook has done before, this time in a more nuanced fashion.
Lastly, we must admit this is a very funny film. Director Park Chan-wook said it’s designed to make us laugh at times. The film’s comedy spills from its ancillary characters, hamming it up on the screen. Whether it’s the hothead detective Soo-wan or the dopey assistant, later on, both foils provide symmetrical alternatives to detective Hae-Jun’s suspicions while also making jokes of themselves as cops. Hae-Jun’s above-and-beyond approach to policework draws more laughs as he forces himself and his partner to climb the cliff of a victim rather than walk around the base. It’s not afraid to poke fun at Hae-Jun for bending over backward to suspect and admire his female suspect.
“Decision to Leave” is a tautly wound story centered on a tragicomic romance with a bit of crime procedural. The twists and turns feel less surprising to audiences willing to game out the narrative events, but it’s all in service of Park Chan-wook’s most romantic movie yet. Ophelia would swoon if she could watch such a twisted movie. With gorgeous cinematography to enhance the crime-solving and lay out the unfolding romance, it’s a dynamic film with little relaxation time. Audiences will be swept up in its melodrama and enjoy the added thriller on top. I highly recommend it, and I expect we will see many more awards coming this way.
“Decision to Leave” recently had its US Premiere at the 2022 Fantastic Fest
