Cinema for Brunch THE OLD WOMAN WITH THE KNIFE Review

Playing an aged assassin haunted by grief and regret, Lee Hye-young’s standout performance fails to elevate the uneven, predictable thriller “The Old Woman with the Knife”.

Synopsis

An older assassin meets a young apprentice interested in learning the profession. They develop an unexpected connection as the experienced killer finds new motivation.

Review
For all its pros and cons, Min Kyu-dong’s South Koren thriller “The Old Woman with the Knife” starts off promising. After an intriguing expository intro, we meet the film’s protagonist Hornclaw (played by Lee Hye-young), a legendary assassin in her 60s who is coming face-to-face with a violent, scorned blast-from-the-past. “Old Woman with the Knife” follows Hornclaw as she works for an assassin organization that prides itself on getting rid of the scum of the earth (they refer to their assassin work as “pest control”, eliminating subjectively evil people from existence). She finds herself being forced to be a mentor to Bullfight (played by Kim Sung-cheol), a reckless new recruit she soon makes an unlikely bond with. Before long, the old skilled assassin soon finds herself at odds with Bullfight as well as other enemies and soon faces the choice to do what she does best (next to killing) – to survive. The film’s intriguing hook of an aged female assassin gearing up for her final battle of survival and conscience (as well as a debilitating disease on the horizon) may differentiate it from other thrillers from the onset but as the film continues and endlessly spins its wheels, the intriguing hook wears off real fast.

The character of Hornclaw is presented with a very brutal prologue – she is taken in by Ryu (Kim Moo-yul), the founder of the assassin organization “Shingseong Agency”, who trains her in her killer ways. Her “gift” is discovered as she brutally saves herself from a sexual assault and Ryu refers to the man Hornclaw has killed as “pest”. There is solid character development in the character of Hornclaw, a respected assassin within the organization who stays clear of the agency’s bureaucracy politics and sticks to her principles, even if it sacrifices not being aligned with the agency’s mission (“We must each save the world” – the self-important mantra writ large on the Agency’s walls). Lee Hye-young handles the role of Hornclaw confidently, bringing a gravitas to the role that makes the drama of the plot somewhat engaging and a little non-sluggish. In the role of Bullfight, Kim Sung-cheol handles the role well and carries solid chemistry with Hye-young but the role unfortunately falls into the trap of generic villain problems. Bullfight has an interesting connection to Hornclaw – which may push the emotional story – but his motivations are as predictable and bland as any villain can be. He’s reckless, he’s despicable and in some scenes, he’s bloody fun…but on paper, to the core of his character’s creation, there’s a lot to be desired.

While Min Kyu-dong’s direction is assured and engaging, the script co-written by Kyu-dong and Kim Dong-wan has a problem of carrying unnecessary fluff. The stakes involved – including a subplot of Hornclaw protecting good-hearted veterinarian Dr. Kang (played by Yeon Koo-win) and his young daughter from Bullfight’s sinister urges – aren’t as huge as they could be. The threats aren’t as dangerous as they are purported to be. When the film tries to delve into issues of morality, it hits a few high beats but then flops when it goes heavy-handed with its message of vengeance and redemption. When the films hangs onto its intriguing premise of an aged assassin battling both health issues and sins of the past, it’s just not enough to keep the audience locked in. The film’s climax is a whole other issue – there is an over-extended final fight (though well-choregraphed) that is more exasperating than exhilarating. The whole sequence is hampered with flashbacks, deepening an emotional twist that wastes the audience time rather than elevate the story. It’s packing in more and more exposition that the audience simply does not need.

Closing Thoughts
“The Old Woman with the Knife” is an uneven thriller with a unique, intriguing premise. The gravitas of Lee Hye-young’s lead performance tries its best to elevate the film past its narrative flaws but unfortunately, the parts are not bigger than the whole. Well-choreographed fight scenes and interesting themes of morality in the killing business form parts of what could be a good film…but these beats of a good thriller are too few and far in-between.

Trailer