What a beautiful film!!! Literally so beautiful: the cinematographer deserves all the praise! But once you get your fill of aesthetics, what remains? Nothing much, unfortunately!

The plot is basic: a game of cat and mouse between a policewoman (did they exist in late Joseon?) and an assassin while investigating a case of counterfeit money and corruption in high places. They meet a few times, the sparks fly and then they are in love?!?!? I guess... But the case she's investigating comes between them.

The film is a mixture of genres and very often that mixture is not correctly dosed. First of all there is random comedy: a lot of it in the first half of the film. Unfortunately that comedy is not a very funny one: cringy and full of unconvincing and exaggerated grimaces. Secondly, the action scenes were expertly choreographed. So much so they were not action but dance scenes: beautiful and ultimately, for the most part, empty of action. And finally, the romance was sorely lacking chemistry for me. And for that I mainly blame the actress Ha Ji Won who cannot act to save her life. She tries so hard but it is just too awful to watch. I kept closing my eyes and cringing inside so much especially when she was playing the "crazy bitch" at one moment: so much grimacing, twisted mouth and googly eyes tells me someone is trying too hard but the result is disappointing. Kang Dong Woo, the Sad Eye assassin, was almost just as bad: a brooding silent type. Opposites attract and clash, the sparks are supposed to fly: I could not see one single one!

The second half of the film takes place in the winter so there is snow falling constantly throughout this second half. That must have been expensive and difficult to film though the result is stunningly beautiful.

The relationship between the policewoman and her boss was almost a father/daughter one and i wish they explored and gave us more details about it. The same goes for the relationship between the assasin and the Minister: what hold did he have ove the young man. The characters are just superficially sketched.

The praise goes to the director, the cinematographer and the choreographer who decided to paint a beautiful moving picture in which they succeeded. But I need substance as well: a tightly written story and some chemistry between the leads. The music was all over the place: going from classical western music, circus music, tango, modern beats and more ordinary original music. The background score during the final battle between the police force and the assassin was poignant and tugging at heartstrings. The final credits song was really nice.

What about the ending? Did he survive the battle and they live happily ever after now? Is the final scene just a memory or the confirmation of him surviving and now working with the police? I don't know and frankly, by the end of the film, I was so fed up and bored that I did not care anymore!

I do apologize to the fans for not seeing things they love about this movie....