Film Review: ‘The Divine Move’ Will Change Your Impression Of The Game GO
“Cold Eyes” star Jung Woo Sung makes his return to the silver screen with “The Divine Move,” an action film which examines the revenge plot of a professional GO player.
Jung Woo Sung portrays Tae Seok, a man who is wrongly accused of murdering his older brother, following a botched con game. Tae Seok survives a brutal game of GO, only to develop the skills of a level player and assassin, while he is imprisoned.
Upon his release from prison, Tae Seok immediately begins to build his own team of professional GO players. As opposed to embracing life as a free man, Tae Seok is hell bent on avenging his brother by taking down The Killer.
Veteran actor Ahn Sung Ki is one of the standout stars of the film as the blind GO player, Drinking Christ. Ahn Sung Ki has had an illustrious film career which began while he was a child in 1957.
Choi Jin Hyuk abandons the endearing persona he has developed for K-Dramas such as “Emergency Couple” and “Fated to Love You” to portray a ruthless GO player Sun Soo. While it is a supporting role, Choi Jin Hyuk leaves a strong impression throughout the film, demonstrating his potential to become one of Korea’s top film stars
Actress Lee Si Young (Golden Cross, Playful Kiss) is the female lead of the film, but is not necessarily a heroine. She portrays Navel, a former professional GO player, who presents the illusion of a nightclub impresario. Navel is an accomplice to The Killer, whose curiosity about Tae Seok develops into romantic interest.
Child actress Ahn Seo Hyun (Golden Rainbow) portrays Liang Liang, a prodigy who is unwillingly caught the snare of Sal Soo.
“The Divine Move” opens as Tae Seok (Jung Woo Sung) and his older brother (Kim Myung Soo) are deeply involved in a high-stakes GO game. The game begins to take a turn for the worst as their opponents discover that the sibling duo is attempting to cheat the gambling house.
The opening scenes are gritty as Tae Seok struggles to survive the clutches of The Killer, whose justice is doled out by his thugs including Sun Soo (Choi Jin Hyuk).
Following a bloody battle, Tae Seok is imprisoned with an injured eye and blood lust for the gang that killed his brother.
Tae Seok was the weaker of the two brothers, both physically and in terms of GO. While he is imprisoned, he begins to train in martial arts and develops better gambling skills from master GO players.
Fans of Jung Woo Sung and Choi Jin Hyuk may find their fight sequence to be the most visually arresting scene in the film. Choi Jin Hyuk demonstrates that he is a worthy adversary in the action film realm as he faces off against seasoned movie star Jung Woo Sung.
The most interesting aspect of “The Divine Move” is the fact that the film focuses on the dark side of GO. The overall impression of GO, from a Western perspective, is that it is a quiet game played by math enthusiasts and the elderly.
“The Divine Move” brings to light the nefarious realm of career GO players, who transition from playing the game as children to become hardened pros.
GO is an intellectual game, which is highlighted by the incorporation of the childhood prodigy Liang Liang and the brilliance of Drinking Christ.
The nuanced portrayal of GO as one of Korea’s most beloved games, which is also incorporated into organized crime, is intriguing. After watching, “The Divine Move,” I feel compelled to learn GO.
The film is not rated, but audiences should use caution with young children due to violent sequences.
“The Divine Move” opened in select theaters in North America on July 25.
