A Man of Reason (2022) [Movie Review]

A Man of Reason is discovering a new American audience, however I’m not sure how big it will be. Mainly because it’s so flat. If you’re talking about the film from a bird’s eye view, it’s a workplace drama. Basically, the boss still likes the old employee, but his underling seem to hate them. So, when the main guy gets back into play, things start getting vicious as they all turn on each other.

Actors turned Director

Jung Woo-sung plays Su-hyuk. He’s recently been freed from prison after a 10 year sentence and is trying to get back on the straight and narrow. However, things aren’t quite working out. When he discovers that he has a young daughter, Su-hyuk wants to change his life. But, A Man of Reason excels in showing how some thing don’t change quite so easy.

This isn’t a dig at actors becoming directors, but missing plot builds is a recurring theme with every actor turned director not named Welles or Green.

Korean Cinema has fans

I’m not the biggest fan of Korean Cinema or Korean action movies. But, I appreciate the hell out of the effort. That being said, the narrative is flawed and it requires buying into an unknown criminal organization that allows underlings to have so much power. It’s like listening to your spouse’s office politics stories, but having to discern which one murders people vs. which one spoils The Golden Bachelor. But, what’s the real rub here?

In the last 15-20 years where everyone around the world has become a fan of Korean cinema, this feels like a step back. There’s no emotional connection to the root of the problem. But, we have to buy that a man 10 years out of the loop knows enough to keep his head above water and fight people that might as well be strangers to him. But, remember when Oldboy ate that squid? Cool, huh?

What stops me from loving A Man of Reason

A Man of Reason has one big point of detraction ruining it for me. There is never a reason for anyone to care. I’m not sure if it’s a cultural thing, but like I said above…our hero is fighting threats that have precious little to do with him. It’s on par if The Sopranos turned into a revenge story with Robert Loggia going after Tony for no real reason. I bet you forgot the Loggia was on that show near the end.

Bringing it all back home

The big walkaway from A Man of Reason is that it requires you being more invested in the world of the narrative than the actual characters. That is a big ask for a blind audience, so take that for what you will.

A Man of Reason is now on VOD