[Lee Jong-gil's Movie Reading] A Worn-Out Revenge Drama, Filled with Desperate Faces...

Netflix Original 'My Name' Repeats Rough Faces and Inner Struggles
Simple Coming-of-Age Story Without Undercover Setting, Lacks Convincing Romance and Action

Undercover works are difficult to appeal as fresh. Many directors have already varied the plot to the point of wear and tear. The world of gangsters infiltrated through disguise has also been depicted tediously. The structure that highlights relentless action and psychological conflict has remained unchanged for several years. Netflix original 'My Name,' released on the 15th, is no different in the big picture. The protagonist Ji-woo (Han So-hee)'s setup is clich?d from the start. She joins a crime organization to find the person who killed her father. It recalls Cataleya (Zo? Saldana) in 'Colombiana' (2011), who becomes a killer to avenge her parents' death, Erin (Nicole Kidman) in 'Destroyer' (2018), who infiltrates a crime organization, loses her lover, and pursues the boss, and Josephine (Anne Parillaud) in 'Nikita' (1990), who is trained as a professional killer in a secret intelligence agency.

In a story whose development is easy to predict, the key lies in how differently the protagonist's growth and revenge are portrayed. Director Kim Jin-min showed the issue of sexual crimes among teenagers with bold storytelling and dense direction in his previous work 'Human Class.' The setting of eighteen-year-old model student Jisoo (Kim Dong-hee) developing an app for arranging prostitution and acting as a pimp attracted attention. Director Kim excluded environmental factors or justifications from undeniable crimes while refusing to translate it into a social problem. He made it clear that it was a catastrophe resulting from one's own choices and responsibilities. The achievement was highlighting Jisoo's shabby and cowardly actions while precariously crossing the boundaries of violence, melodrama, and prostitution depiction.

Such cynical illumination is not found in 'My Name.' Although it often reflects inner anguish, it almost follows the texture of existing undercover works. Some developments feel like a public broadcast drama. Sequences repeatedly show a blunt and rough face, then reveal a fragile inner self through flashbacks. The emotions drawn out by tensions generated from various roles and relationships all lead to revenge. Only the emotional highs and lows differ. Ji-woo shines at moments like when she learns the target of her revenge, but loses credibility in subsidiary plots such as romantic scenes.

The disappointment also appears in the action, where there is much room for differentiation. 'My Name' is a typical coming-of-age story if the undercover setting is removed. From the moment Ji-woo drops out of high school and vows revenge, she gradually reestablishes her identity. Action is the element that can best show that change. To complete the premise of revenge, she must be able to subdue opponents faster and sharper than anyone else. Naturally, Ji-woo fights well. However, the process of building her skills is simplified. Such gaps cannot be filled by Han So-hee's desperate and determined face alone. Since she must overcome physical differences with men, the training process should have been depicted more meticulously.

The color of the action in 'My Name' is also ambiguous. It is far from Lorraine (Charlize Theron) in 'Atomic Blonde,' who swiftly subdues enemies with her tall stature and dazzling gun skills. The boxing and jiu-jitsu she diligently practices are hardly used in actual combat. She mostly dodges and wields police batons or knives. Choi Moo-jin (Park Hee-soon), the gangster boss who trains her as a human weapon, orders attacks on vital points as a solution to overcome physical differences with men. However, action that fits the purpose is concentrated only in the early stages. As the difficulty of the problem increases, expectations rather decrease in proportion. The show forces Han So-hee's tenaciously enduring face to be a 'monster' without much else.