AllMovie

Judging by its storyline, Cruel Winter Blues would seem to be a typical Korean gangster drama, but first-time writer/director Lee Jeong-beom manages to wring many unexpected twists, and surprising emotional depth from the familiar subject matter. The dramatic tension is generated mainly through the interaction of these indelible characters, and Lee is greatly aided by strong, complex performances from Sol Kyung-gu as the bitter, gruff, and generally unpleasant Jae-mun, Jo Han-sun as the more kindhearted Chi-guk, and Na Moon-hee as the amusingly irascible, taciturn mother of Jae-mun's intended victim. While there's a competently executed, but fairly disposable subplot involving Jae-mun's dalliance with a sharp local prostitute, and another subplot involving a childhood friend of Chi-guk, the core of the story is Jae-mun's evolving relationship with Dae-shik's mother. Here, the two actors shine. Their initial response to one another is hostility and distrust, but Jae-mun gradually comes to admire the woman's strength and toughness. The film's comedic highlight occurs when the mother drags the bewildered Jae-mun along on a shopping trip to Sun-cheon. It's clear that the gangster is simultaneously amused, horrified, and touched by the woman's growing attachment to him. Jae-mun is a profoundly unhappy, genuinely antisocial, and seemingly irredeemable individual, but Sol finds his inner humanity, and the two actors makes the development of this unlikely relationship compelling, believable, and finally, as the inevitable showdown among these violent men occurs, heartbreaking.