3-Iron (Bin-jip)

Before you read further, I'd like to warn you about the spoilers that are heading your way. I'm afraid that it'd be hard to review this film without giving details that would somehow reveal what it is all about. If you're okay with it, go ahead and read this one. If not, then skip this now. Watch the movie and come back to read this. Be advise, though, that it'd be better to see the film first before reading this. If you just want to know if you should watch this or not, I'd say that YOU SHOULD!

Tae-suk is a young man who rides a motorcycle. Every morning, he puts in flyers of restaurant to different houses. In the late afternoon, he would come back and check which door still has the flyer untouched. Then, he breaks in and gets inside the house to spend the night. In exchange for his stay, he does chores for the family who lives there: laundry, cleaning, or repair. He doesn't take anything with him except for food or tea that he consumed during his stay. With his digital camera, he takes picture of him inside the house as a souvenir (of some sort).

One night, he got inside a businessman's house not knowing that his wife was there. He does his usual routine while the wife, Sun-hwa watches him. Realizing that he isn't a thief, Sun-hwa lets him know her presence inside the house. Tae-suk took off but came back to the badly-bruised and beaten wife. Her husband arrived and tried to hurt her once more. Tae-suk saved her from her husband by hitting him with the golf balls. As he left the house, Sun-hwa joined him.

Smitten by him, Sun-hwa led the life that Tae-suk was living. However, they were soon discovered by a family. They were sent to the police. Sun-hwa was taken back by her husband while Tae-suk remained in prison. In prison, Tae-suk managed to channel his anger and pain to something more powerful. Because of that, he was able to return to Sun-hwa without her husband knowing his presence. Thus, enjoying their lives together.

"3-Iron" is a very powerful movie that really deserves a recommendation! Not only because of how it was done but because of the mixed reactions that it has been getting from its audience. It is the kind of movie where people inject their own interpretation according to how the film affected them.

It is amazing how the two leads remained silent all throughout the film (except for some words uttered by Sun-hwa in the end). Ironically, they had effectively conveyed the emotions of their characters with the slightest movements and less facial expressions.

The film boasts of many symbolisms and metaphors. Amongst them is how Sun-hwa and Tae-suk found solace in each other. They need no words to express whatever feelings that are inside them. Till the end, they remained shadows in other people's lives by not participating actively as the world turns.

Now, whether Tae-suk achieved a higher metaphysical being or became part of the other dimension remains unanswered. The important question is whether you agree with how they live their lives or not. 'Cause I surely don't. For someone who is educated, skilled, and talented as him, Tae-suk is definitely a waste of life!