"Come back when you are normal and good," says the love of his life. After ten years in prison, Su-hyuk is ready to be the person that she wants and to live a normal life. However, the bar that she set is a whole lot lower than the one set by his former employer. When Su-hyuk spurns their offer of a bag full of cash and a new BMW, they send assassins to take his life. Failing in this, the would-be assassins put pressure on his lover and daughter. This is not a good move for anyone involved.

Construction sites and high-rises on the outskirts of Seoul become the battlegrounds for Su-hyuk and his micromanaging and highly possessive bosses in this cathartic action thriller. Jung Woo-sung is both the director and lead actor. The action sequences are unique as well as exhilarating. Vehicles, for instance, are used not just for crash scenes, but to knock people over. A turbo charged BMW carries more of a punch than a fist or a foot! Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Jung Woo-sung's directorial debut is a passable action thriller about a former mob enforcer trying to live a normal life, but his violent past won't just leave him be...

It's a familiar premise for sure, and one that might inspire a few groans knowing how many films used it for the most basic of plotlines. There's even a little girl our tough antihero needs to worry about... However, while the film does leave a lot to be desired regarding its script, it makes up for it in the purely cinematic department. There's a bunch of visually inspired scenes here with some great camerawork, following all the action with gusto. Jung knows what he's doing for sure, spicing things up regularly with stuff like high-powered nailguns and homemade bomb devices. There is a pretty well done car chase too.

Not much to say about the characters, though... They're all archetypes and cardboard cutouts just there to serve their purpose, although most of the actors play it well. Jung is relatively subdued here in the dramatic scenes, a bit surprising given that he's also the director. The plot is just very average overall, and I believe it won't be long before I forget all about it.

In short, A Man of Reason is an entertaining crime thriller that serves as a calling card for Jung's directorial chops, but I just can't see it attracting a wider audience. The action sequences do stand out a bit, but they shouldn't be the only thing to carry a film to its finish.

Watching the trailer might give you the impression that the entire movie is Jung Woo-sung's personal hero show. However, when you actually watch the film, you'll realize it's more like the John Wick series, where people with a criminal past, once they get caught up in conflicting values, please watch this movie with a clear mind. Just like what the big brother said at the beginning of the movie, after a long time, you start to hope that those who've been caught never get out of jail. This sentence really captures the reality of the underworld. Those who come out after serving time might not become bigger players; they often end up as a thorn in the side of the current bosses, and remember, to retire from the underworld, one would need to lose their memory. Don't ever think that the mafia values benevolence and righteousness; the mafia is all about dictatorship.