Big Bang’s T.O.P. (Choi Seung-hyun) is on the big screen again, starring in the new release, Tazza: The Hidden Card.
The film is about the underbelly of the gambling world, and while there are some violent and heavy scenes, for the most part the audience’s attention is kept rapt by humor and artistic camera techniques.
Called “Tazza 2″ after the 2006 South Korean film “Tazza: The High Rollers,” the film has a similar plot about a young man from a small town with a talent for playing cards who gets tied up in the dark side of gambling. I’m not sure how many direct links were made between these two films because I have not seen the 2006 release, but I didn’t need to have seen it in order to jump right in and enjoy Tazza 2. The director and writers of the first Tazza are different than this new one, but several of the cast have appeared in both installments. Directing this film is Kang Hyeong-Cheol, who had two films before working on Tazza 2 – both of which were the highest grossing films in the respective years they were released.
I first heard about the release of this film because of fangirling on the internet that T.O.P. would appear in it… topless. Born in 1987, T.O.P. has matured since his first days in Big Bang as a K-Pop star, so it is natural that his roles should evolve as well. He does indeed appear topless throughout a choreographed love romp from hotel rooms to beaches and again toward the end of the film. With other Big Bang group members appearing topless in music videos such as Fantastic Baby while T.O.P. remained fully clothed, I can see why this evolution of roleplaying is exciting to some, but as a fair warning, the scenes are not very explicit and during the rest of the film he remains fully clothed.
Shirtless comments aside, I very much enjoyed this film, but did begin to tire slightly toward the end. One must keep their attention throughout, as the plot gets more and more convoluted as each High Roller and their associates tries to backstab the other. I felt as though the film could have ended a few backstabbings sooner than it did, but I still walked out of the theater amused so at least although it was long, the plot did not become dry.
Shin Se-Kyung plays a convincing love interest role in the film with a fine set of witty lines. She experiences some misfortune in the film, but in fair warning, no one who gets involved in the Tazza world of gambling comes out unscathed.
There are many villains in the film, all of whom play very convincing roles, with varying levels of manipulation, including Lee Ha-nui, Kim Yun-seok and a valiant performance by Kwak Do Won.
Yoo Hae-jin, who I definitely look forward to seeing the performance of in the original Tazza, plays T.O.P.’s mentor and presents quite an authentic quirky-seeming character. A very brief appearance is also made by young actor Yeo Jin-goo, who is introduced as the shadowy apprentice of Kim Yun-seok before quickly exiting the scene. Perhaps foreshadowing for more Tazza installments to come?
Tazza 2 runs 2hrs 27min long and is now playing at CGV Cinemas in Koreatown.
Eva Cohen
www.evacohenmedia.com
