Movie Review
It’s 2006, a time when Taliban terror is rampant and allies are ally after citizen threats against supporting the United States. South Korea, along with 37 other countries, deployed troops to support America after the 9/11 attacks. But it’s not the military that’s in the thick of it at this point. They are 23 Korean leave missionaries who went to Afghanistan to spread peace. Before they can save a single soul, they are kidnapped and given a kidnapping message.
In the dusty golden desert, the ministers and representatives of Korea come for negotiations. Most importantly, there is an emphasis on the safe return of people and the country’s reputation in such situations.
A divided government approaches this in two different ways. Government ministers were sent without much authority and an under-the-radar National Intelligence negotiator who had previously been held hostage.
Everyone is out of their element, misunderstanding what is possible and how far they can go. As the insurgent deadlines pass, the hostage sacrifices begin.
Hyun Bin Crash Lands On You (Netflix), Memories of the Alhambra (Netflix) and The Negotiation (Prime) plays a National Intelligence Service officer who isn’t perfect, but knowledgeable about Afghan culture.
His less influential counterpart is Hwang Jung-min, as is Jung Jae-ho, a well-known diplomat who runs the government’s negotiating side. A superstar in Korea, he recently appeared in Hostage: Celebrity Gone (Prime) and Deliver Us From Evil (Netflix).
While both leaders are focused on taking care of their citizens, there is a persistent theme of what the South Korean government will look like as the talks become increasingly sticky. As the stakes get more complicated, we see how this real concern plays out. It is not only about these 23 people.
As is probably quite true in life, the team fails several negotiation attempts, which again leaves them reeling and wondering what they have left to offer. But instead of adding tension, the conversations begin to feel tiresome as they circle. Like, ugh, now what? Although, you can’t help but admire the unsupported team as they try to forge a trail.
Kang Ki-young provides some comedic relief as the first undercover translator joins the mission. He often plays comedic characters such as the supporting best friend in What’s Wrong With Secretary Who (Viki) for which he won a supporting actor award.
Directed by Yim Soon-Rye, she is best known for her fictional true story Little Forest (Disney+) and Whistle Blower (Prime, Apple TV), both of which won awards.
It’s not a million miles away from last year’s Korean war drama Escape from Mogadishu , but while it has the star power, there aren’t any moments of great camaraderie or celebration during victories, big or small. Add to that the “we can’t really win here” feeling, and while the ending is more enjoyable than that (thankfully), the backslapping fades away with the next thing waiting at every turn.
The cinematography is cute and interesting in its own right, but the constant politics and pile-on failures slow it down. While the issue of how countries make decisions in a crisis is worth raising, getting there is difficult. In international government relations, one day it probably feels that way.