Gamblers
who rely on luck are just plain gamblers. Gamblers who employ “skill” consider
themselves “swindlers.” Somewhere in between, you will find “Tazzas,” the
legendary gamblers of Korea’s underworld. A poker-playing college student gets
burned by a notorious Tazza, but a less frightening Tazza will recruit him for
a potentially lucrative caper—and perhaps a chance for pay back in Kwon
Oh-kwang’s Tazza: One Eyed Jack,
which opens today in New York.
Do
Il-chool is more comfortable at a card table reading people and calculating
odds than taking notes in a lecture hall. Unfortunately, his luck runs out when
he meets a femme fatale known as Madonna. It turns out she is the deceitful
accomplice of the infamous Tazza known as “Demon,” or “Ma-gwi.” She throws Do
so far off his game, he winds up deeply indebted to loan sharks.
Fortuitously,
the Zen-like Tazza, “One Eyed Jack,” comes along at an opportune moment, to pay
off his debts and enlist his services for a big-time swindle. The mark will be
Mool Young-gam, an arrogant real estate mogul involved in some seriously shady
dealings. Mool also can’t resist a not so friendly game of cards. Do and
“Director Kwon” will worm their way into his confidence posing as his poker
mercenaries, while Kkachi the swindler and Young-mi, the “actress,” will bait
him masquerading as an obnoxious nouveau riche couple in the market for a
weekend home, with One Eyed Jack pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Based
on the third volume of the Tazza graphic
novel series, One Eyed Jacks is
considerably darker and more violent than the previous Tazza film, The Hidden Card.
However, it is still fully stocked with twisty-turvy Runyonesque deceptions and
betrayals. The con is most definitely on and on and on.
Park
Jung-min is certainly adequate enough taking over for T.O.P. as the latest young
new cardsharp in town. In fact, he is considerably steelier, which is a good
thing. However, films like this never belong to the leading man. Instead, it is
the colorful supporting casts that make or break them.
In this case,
Ryoo Seung-bum radiates coolness and rock-solidly anchors the film as One Eyed Jack. Lim
Ji-yeon and Lee Kwang-soo definitely lay it on pretty thickly, but they are
still amusing as the bickering scammer tandem, Young-mi and Kkachi. Yoon
Je-moon chews the scenery quite devilishly as Demon, but Woo Hyeon out-chews
him as the slimy, rat-like Mool. However, Choi Yu-hwa is problematically
passive and weirdly distant as Madonna. There is not much narrative connection
to the previous Tazza films, but Joo
Jin-mo technically returns in the tough luck prologue, briefly reprising the
role of Jjakgwi.
Tazza: One Eyed runs well over two
hours, but it never feels that long. Kwon keeps the fat out and maintain a high-octane
speed. It is tougher than the previous film, but it is still fun. The tone is
not unlike Rounders, but it deals out
far more criminal-thriller business. Recommended for fans of gambling and caper
movies, Tazza: One Eyed Jack opens
today (9/20) in New York, at the AMC 34th Street.
