Heart of the fire
A very good romance thriller. I was surprised by the strong production values, this is actually on par with legit cop TV shows. It really took me by surprise as those romantic modern day minis tend to make do with scraps and feel amateur. Not here, this is Serious Fare baby, we are not here to play we are here to make you feel you are right there in the heat with our heroes. The actor's direction is on the same level : there is very little camp (you can even argue there is none), I found myself thinking Leo Yang (chosen more for his energy, talent and charisma rather than perfect skin or hair) could be playing this role on the big screen, and nobody would bat en eye. I think Han Ye Lao is one of the most beautiful actress on the mini/micro scene, and she can act ! Her character was a bit cliche and out of her depth but she's so charming I was forgiving of her naïvety. The tone and story reminded me of the dark tragedy A Bittersweet Life where Lee Byung Hun plays a gangster who falls in love with his boss' mistress played by Shin Minah. This version of two lonely souls connecting in society's seedy underbelly is less sad, and dare I say sexier. The way he looks at her and holds her is everything you want in a Noir-coded romance. If you want something a bit more classy and old school than usual with a sweetheart heroïne and rugged hero this is a fine pick.
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