Even
during the Joseon Dynasty, trouble came from the north. A conspiracy of court
officials eager to protect their power and privilege will foment and exploit northern
unrest, but the king is unusually learned and assertive. Of course, that is
exactly why they started plotting against him in the first place. It will be
king versus court in Moon Hyun-sung’s The
King’s Case Note (trailer
here),
which opens today in Los Angeles.
This
will be pie-faced Yoon Yi-seo’s first day as a court historian chronicling King
Yejong’s wise rule. After passing the civil service exam with the highest
score, Yoon assumed such a position would be an honor, until he meets the King.
His Majesty likes to keep officials on their toes, Yoon most definitely
included. However, Yoon comes to respect the loose cannon precisely because of
the enemies he has earned.
Northern
official Nam Gun-hee is definitely one of them. Following a keep-your-enemies-close
strategy, the King has just appointed him defense minister. Unfortunately, Nam’s
men will still cause all sorts of chaos through rumors, especially after they
kidnap the King’s popular adolescent nephew and inevitable rival for the throne,
Prince Jaseong. There are also reports of a mysterious “ghost fish” sea monster
wreaking havoc in northern rivers. However, the coup-plotters misunderestimate
the King’s deductive skills and early forensic investigational techniques.
Although
billed as a comedy, it is really the intrigue that drives Case Note. Granted, the King constantly hits poor sad sack Yoon
over the head with whatever might be handy, but it is far less shticky and slapstick
than a lot of Korean comedy imports (that generally play awkwardly for American
audiences). Instead, Case Note is a
fast-paced, action-packed tale of Joseon skullduggery.
Slightly
playing against type, Lee Sun-kyun (the roguishly corrupt cop in A Hard Day) is electrically charismatic
as the stubbornly virtuous king. As his Watson and Boswell, Ahn Jae-hong
provides the comic relief without going excessively over the top. Jung Hae-in
shows off some impressive action chops as the King’s nick-of-time bodyguard,
Black Cloud. However, Kim Hee-won might be too understated as devious Nam.