Commitment (2013 film)

Plot

Nineteen-year-old Li Myung-hoon (Choi Seung-hyun) never imagined he would become a killer. Born to a privileged life in North Korea, his dream was to become a pianist. But when his father, a North Korean spy, dies disgraced, Myung-hoon and his younger sister Hye-in (Kim You-jung) are sent to a "guilt-by-association" forced labor camp. Their father's superior, high-ranking military official Colonel Moon (Jo Sung-ha) proposes a deal to Myung-hoon: if he goes down to the South as a "technician" (an assassin) and finishes what his father had failed to accomplish, he and his sister will be released from the prison camp. Myung-hoon accepts the deal and undergoes two years of intense training.

Myung-hoon finally arrives in South Korea under the guise of a North Korean defector. He is adopted by a South Korean couple who are actually North Korean spies and enrolls at a local high school. He gradually befriends Hye-in (Han Ye-ri), a bullied schoolgirl who shares the same name as his sister and has aspirations of becoming a professional dancer. Myung-hoon then receives his mission: in order to rescue his sister and go back home to the North, he must locate and take out "Big Dipper" (Jung Ho-bin), a North Korean agent working for the opposing government faction. Meanwhile, a power struggle ensues in North Korea with the failing health of dictator Kim Jong Il, and Myung-hoon quickly becomes a liability and must ultimately cope with Colonel Moon's treachery.

Cast

• Choi Seung-hyun – Li Myung-hoon / Kang Dae-ho (cover identity used in South Korea)
• Han Ye-ri – Lee Hye-in
• Yoon Je-moon – Cha Jung-min, South Korean National Intelligence Service agent
• Jo Sung-ha – Moon Sang-chul, North Korean senior colonel
• Kim You-jung – Li Hye-in, Myung-hoon's younger sister
• Jung Ho-bin – "Big Dipper," North Korean agent
• Kwak Min-seok – North Korean agent, Myung-hoon's adoptive father in South Korea
• Kim Sun-kyung – North Korean agent, Myung-hoon's adoptive mother in South Korea; cover identity as pharmacist
• Dong Hyun-bae – one of the bullies
• Kim Min-jae – North Korean agent
• Lee Joo-shil – North Korean agent
• Park Ji-il – South Korean agent
• Kang Bit
• Park Sung-woong – Li Young-ho :Myung-hoon and Hye-in's father
• Dong Hyun-bae – as the troubled kid's friend
• Yoo Jae-myung – Kim Sun-myung :Head of Recon Bureau Unit 8. "Defected" in 1992.

Release

The film was released in South Korea on November 6, 2013, opening at number 2 in the box office. On its opening weekend, it sold 689,600 tickets, grossing . In total, Commitment grossed with 1,048,254 tickets sold nationwide.

Following its pre-sales deal to seven Asian countries (Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia), distribution company Well Go USA acquired the North American rights to the film and gave it a limited theatrical release on December 6, 2013. Commitment played in a total of 22 theaters and grossed on its opening weekend. In total, the film grossed during its North American run.

European distributor Splendid Film also released Commitment as Silent Assassin in German-speaking territories in 2014.

References

References

1. Ho, Stewart. (11 September 2012). "''The Alumnus'', Starring Big Bang's T.O.P, Finds New Director and Resumes Filming". CJ E&M.
2. Noh, Jean. (18 May 2013). "Showbox finds buyers not afraid of Commitment". [[Screen International]].
3. "Commitment (2013)". [[Box Office Mojo]].
4. Lee, Hye-ji. (27 September 2013). "Big Bang T.O.P Man Up in Posters of Upcoming Film". 10Asia.
5. Sunwoo, Carla. (26 June 2012). "T.O.P to play North Korean assassin". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
6. Ho, Stewart. (24 January 2013). "Big Bang's T.O.P Wraps Filming on ''The Alumni''". CJ E&M.
7. Lee, Tae-ho. (24 January 2013). "New Movie Starring T.O.P Wraps Up Shooting". 10Asia.
8. Sunwoo, Carla. (25 January 2013). "T.O.P wraps up filming movie". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
9. Lee, Eun-sun. (8 February 2013). "A Lonely Boy Meets a Lonely Girl in COMMITMENT". [[Korean Film Council]].
10. Sunwoo, Carla. (31 December 2013). "North Korea a major theme in movies' big year". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
11. Hong, Grace Danbi. (30 October 2013). "Han Ye Ri Talks about Being Able to Work with T.O.P and Park Yoo Chun". CJ E&M.
12. Hong, Grace Danbi. (25 June 2012). "Kim Yoo Jung and Han Ye Ri to Become T.O.P's Ladies in ''The Alumni''". CJ E&M.
13. Lee, Sun-min. (12 November 2013). "''Thor'' sequel leads box office in Korea, U.S.". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
14. "South Korea Box Office November 8–10, 2013". [[Box Office Mojo]].
15. "Korean Box Office". [[Hancinema]].
16. "South Korea Box Office November 22–24, 2013". [[Box Office Mojo]].
17. "Korean Box Office". [[Hancinema]].
18. Song, Soon-jin. (27 December 2013). "2013 American Film Market Report". Korean Cinema Today.
19. (21 November 2013). "K-Pop Crossover: T.O.P. Film ''Commitment'' Hitting U.S. Theaters, And Other Popular Korean Movies Which Have Hit America!". KpopStarz.
20. "Commitment (2013) – Release Info". [[Internet Movie Database]].
21. "Weekly Box Office December 6–12, 2013". [[Box Office Mojo]].
22. "Weekly Box Office December 13–19, 2013". [[Box Office Mojo]].
23. "Commitment (2013)". [[Box Office Mojo]].
24. Tae, Sang-joon. (29 October 2013). "COMMITMENT Commits to US, Europe and Asia". [[Korean Film Council]].