The Man From Nowhere

The Man From Nowhere released in 2010 starring Won Bin who is seen as a mysterious man playing the role of a lonely pawnshop owner.

Plot

Cha Tae-sik is a man no one seems to notice or give proper attention to. He rarely speaks or makes eye contact with anyone unless it's So-mi, the little girl he befriended that lives next door. But even with her, it's seen as if Tae-sik finds it a bother when she comes to see him or wants to spend time with him. So-mi, seeing Tae-sik as a fatherly figure, refuses to give up. And leading a similar, lonely life with her mother being nothing short of a heroine addict, So-mi wishes dearly for Tae-sik to show her some form of compassion.

One day out of desperation, Hyo-jeong, So-mi's mother, steals a good sum of drugs from a notorious gang.

Underestimating the power of this group, Hyo-jeong and So-mi are kidnapped by the ruthless men sent to find the location of drugs and Tae-sik finds himself thrown into a world he tried desperately to forget and all so he can save So-mi from the vile underworld she's dragged into.

Overall

I seriously didn't think I'd love this movie as much as I would.

In the beginning, it starts off with Tae-sik as this mysterious, unnerving man that rarely speaks. It seems as if he's quite an intimidating character that no one simply wants to be around except this little girl, So-mi. She finds something beautiful and inspiring about him and suddenly claims him to be a fatherly figure, something she's never had. Tae-sik on the other hand never wanted to live up to her expectations which made me believe that maybe he was intimidated of showing his vulnerabilities or true feelings for the little girl who became a friend, something to quench his loneliness.

I feel like, naturally, a lot of people would claim that Tae-sik being "friends" with So-mi whose only just a second grader would be weird, but their relationship isn't even defined. So-mi and Tae-sik both share lonely, sad lives. Tae-sik suffered from a very traumatic past which has led him to lead this very low-key, depressing lifestyle. So-mi on the other hand has no father and her mother is a good for nothing addict. Naturally they come together and enjoy each others presence.

The character development in this movie is just phenomenal.

Tae-sik has to undergo changes that bring back his painful past, but unable to run from them any longer does he face his fears head on and overcome them in order to save So-mi. Saving her is like saving the innocence of his past coming back to form in his present.

This action-thriller honestly had me reeling. It was so emotional in some points (especially the ending) that I found myself crying. It wasn't out of anything absolutely heartbreaking, but more on a touching note.

This is the first movie I've seen starring Won Bin and I'm so looking forward to finding him in many more!