Directed by: Jeong Ji-yeong Starring: Jo Jin-woong (조진웅), Lee Ha-nui (이하늬), Lee Kyeong-yong (이경영), Kang Shin-il (강신일), Heo Seung-tae (허성태) Release Date: November 13th, 2019
For Black Money, it might be helpful to think back to the film Default (2006) two years back. The film was about the economic crisis that led to the IMF bailout, an event that brought many foreign investors into the Korean marketplace in an attempt to stabilize the economy. The results impacted the average Korean family in a multitude of ways, especially to the tune of price hikes and large-scale unemployment. Black Money, also based on a true story, was born out of the lingering residual effects of that crisis.
Amidst the controversial sale of a major Korean Bank to a foreign investment firm, District Attorney Yang Min-hyuk (Jo Jin-woong) is accused of sexual harassment in a suicide note left by a worker involved in regulating the sale of the bank. In an effort to clear his name, Yang uncovers a scandalous financial conspiracy set to rock the institutions of power. Along the way, he finds mutual understanding in the lawyer representing the foreign firm, Kim Na-ri (Lee Ha-nui), and the two of them set out to expose the truth behind the shady dealings.
After a fairly dramatic opening, almost thriller-esque, Black Money is rather light in its overall tone, aiming to entertain above all else. The film is even quite over the top in its portrayal of the money hungry foreign investment firm set to buy out the bank. CEO’s are seen eating breakfast in their bathrobes or half-naked getting massages during high level conference calls complaining that there is only so much booze, women, and gambling they can take on while waiting for sales to go through. But Black Money also hopes to inspire a bit of activism around a topic that remains very relevant to citizens of Korea.
With the plot centered around the true story of an extremely high-value and shady sale of an enormous bank, its easy to get lost in some of the intricate details of the various white-collar crimes at play. And either thankfully or annoyingly, depending on one’s taste, there’s plenty of helpful expositional dialogue at times from the characters that should aid in following along.
Black Money is also a very bright, day-time investigation type of movie. I found this rather fitting for the “crimes in broad daylight” aspect of white-collar crime. So don’t expect some kind of gritty underground beat-em-up style of procedural here. For the most part, the lawyers, prosecutors and activists generally make solid efforts to work within the bounds of the law in their quest to uncover the crimes. Black Money shines a spotlight light on the institutional corruption and power of elites.
While the real story of corruption and elitism at the heart of Black Money is frustrating, it doesn’t translate that well with the general entertainment approach the film takes. Ultimately, Black Money may only hit strong chords with those closely in tune with Korean domestic politics or with those who harbor stronger than average resentment towards the kind of white-collar corruption at play here. Great performances from its lead actors Jo Jin-woong (Believer, Intimate Strangers) and Lee Ha-nui (Extreme Job, Heart Blackened) will keep most viewers engaged despite the somewhat lackluster intrigue and complex nature of the plot.
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