Tazza: The High Rollers

Goni works in a factory and loses his sister's money gambling, then realises he was cheated. For revenge he attaches himself to Pyeong, a master of card play, and learns to cheat. Then he sits down at the table. The subject is not gambling but the knowledge at the table. The game is hwatu, played in Korea with flower cards, and the film does not try to teach the rules. What it shows is who is reading whom; the cards themselves barely matter. The form is fast and stylish: quick cutting, voice-over narration, close-ups pressed onto the table. Choi Dong-hoon would go on to be known for crowded ensembles and sly plotting after this. The source is Huh Young-man's comic. Madam Jung, played by Kim Hye-soo, became one of the most discussed female characters in Korean cinema of the period; she is never a victim in any scene and is the most dangerous person at the table. Baek Yoon-sik plays the master. Cho Seung-woo plays Goni. Who it is for: viewers who like Korean crime cinema and stories of the con. Who it is not for: anyone uncomfortable watching without understanding the rules; the film assumes you know hwatu and does not stop to explain.