Film Review: 'The Advocate: A Missing Body' Is A Stunning Legal Procedural With A Stellar Cast
"The Advocate: A Missing Body" takes the often droll genre of legal films into the territory of crime procedurals with stunning twists that are on-par with America's "Law and Order" franchise.
Lee Sun Kyun (Coffee Prince, Pasta) is Byeon Ho Sung, a hot-shot lawyer who is riding the best wave of his career, after defending a pharmaceutical company in a civil suit. He is a skilled defense attorney, who pulls out all the stops, to sway the jury, while enraging the prosecution.
The success of his prescription drug case is followed by a what appears to be an open and shut murder case, where the suspect has numerous points of evidence pointing against him, but the body of the victim is missing.
Ho Sung takes on the case, after meeting with Moon Ji Hoon, the wealthy CEO of the pharmaceutical conglomerate whose previous legal woes were easily solved. Jang Hyun Sung (Heard it Through the Grapevine) flawlessly portrays Ji Hoon, exuding charm as a corporate leader whose benevolence towards his employee who is accused of murder is seemingly generous, if somewhat heavy-handed.
Rising star Kim Go Eun (Coin Locker Girl, A Muse) is Jin Sun Mi, a prosecutor who has a fractured relationship with Ho Sung. Sun Mi is initially determined to place the suspect behind bars until Ho Sung challenges her to question the nature of the crime.
Hong Sung Duk (Assassination) portrays Kim Man Suk, the defendant whose guilt is readily apparent, but his situation turns when Sun MI and Ho Sung begin to fully investigate the case.
Ho Sung attempts to prove that his client is innocent, even after he is removed from the case. He is aided in his dogged pursuit of justice by Mr. Park, who is portrayed by In Won Hee (Crying Fist). Mr. Park is a former special forces soldier who works in a law office but is skilled in martial arts and self-defense.
"The Advocate: A Missing Body" is a non-stop thrill ride that keeps audiences guessing about the crime and its motives, up until its stunning conclusion. The film opens in select North American theaters on October 23. Showtimes and theater information can be found on the website for CJ Entertainment America.
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Adrienne Stanley is a contributing editor at KDramaStars. She is also a contributing music writer at KpopStarz, MTV Iggy and other publications. When she is not listening to "We Like 2 Party," she can be found on Twitter. (@retrogirladdy).
