Tazza The High Rollers Two-Disc Special Edition 2012 DVD Release Date
- Actors: Cho Seung-woo, Kim Hye-soo, Baek Yoon-sik, Yoo Hae-jin, Kim Yun-seok
- Directors: Choi Dong-hoon
- Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
- Language: Korean
- Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Number of discs: 2
- Rated: Unrated
- Studio: Bayview Entertainment/Widowmaker
- DVD Release Date: September 18, 2012
- Run Time: 140 minutes
Customer Reviews
I've long been a fan of the slick South Korean crime drama "Tazza: The High Rollers" and I'm pleased that it's finally getting a belated North American debut. The film was initially released in 2006 and did quite well both critically and popularly. When it played in America on the festival circuit, for example, it won Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Feature at the Newport Beach Film Festival in 2007. Not exactly the Oscars, I know, but someone besides me must have liked it! Gritty, excessively violent, and absolutely ruthless, perhaps "Tazza: The High Rollers" isn't for everyone. But for those that like to explore the seamy underbelly of the dark side of life, the universal concepts of greed, corruption, and power positioning remain intact. And, as you might expect, power and brutality in the criminal underworld are inextricably intertwined and "Tazza" doesn't shy away from an explicit gruesomeness this relationship creates.
Boiled down to its simplest elements, "Tazza" qualifies as a revenge thriller. A brash young gambler (an excellent Seung-woo Cho) never met a winning streak that he wouldn't ride. Impetuous and over-confident, he meets his match on a rigged game of cards. It seems, however, that manipulation is commonplace in this game (and our hero doesn't shy away from the same tactics so the moral ground of his dilemma is a bit shaky). As his life savings is ripped away, his life will be irrevocably changed. Bent on retribution, he enacts a complicated infiltration of the criminal organization responsible for the swindle. But the deeper he goes to close in on his ultimate target, the more it may cost him and those around him. Yun-seok Kim (from the excellent Chaser, another must-see film) scores as a legendary card player, and Hye-su Kim is absolutely captivating as a seductress responsible for setting up games. Almost everyone is a villain in this piece, to some extent or another, but you never disconnect from the unpleasantness due to great performances and a desire to see who can manage to escape unscathed.
Based on the adult comic "The War of Flowers," this is a film that has style and visual interest to spare. There is an abundant use of split screen and the narrative jumps back and forth through time at will. There is so much going on, one must certainly pay attention to appreciate the film's intricacies. It is not for a casual viewer, but someone willing to invest in the journey. One drawback, for me, is that I was not familiar with hwatu gambling. As much of the movie is centered around the cards, I really wanted to understand the game better to maximize my enjoyment of these sequences. I still thought that "Tazza" was tremendously entertaining as a slick and twisty thriller. Highly recommended. KGHarris, 8/12.
After losing his entire savings in an illegal, backroom card game, Goni (CHO Seung-woo, ''The Sword with No Name'') discovers it was all a set up - he was swindled by professional gamblers. Enraged and desperate, he sets out to get his money back by any means necessary. Impressed by the young man's determination, veteran gambler Mr. Pyeong (BAEK Yoon-sik, ''The Taste of Money'') takes Goni on as his apprentice and teaches him all there is to know about Hwatu, a card game also known as ''The War of Flowers.'' Now Goni is ready to make his debut in an underworld where the stakes are high and the rules are few: To win, you must be ruthless. The hand must be quicker than the eye. No game is safe. And there are no friends for life, just as there are no enemies for life.
''Tazza'' is the popular and critically acclaimed drama about master gamblers (''tazza'') and the games they play and features direction from CHOI Dong-hoon (The Thieves, The Big Swindle, Woochi) and an all-star cast including CHO Seung-woo (The Sword With No Name, Marathon), KIM Hye-soo (The Thieves, Modern Boy), BAEK Yoon-sik (The Taste of Money, The Big Swindle), YOO Hae-jin (Moss, Public Enemy), and KIM Yun-seok (The Chaser, Punch). Based on the comic illustrated by HUH Young-man and written by KIM Se-young, Tazza was produced by Sidus FNH and Charm Films. This special 2-DVD edition includes the feature film with upgraded English subtitles - plus almost 3 hours of video extras previously available only on the South Korean limited-edition release Extra features: Tazza: Comic vs. Movie, Adaptation of the Comic, The Making of Tazza: The High Rollers, staff and cast interviews, character discussion by the cast and crew, documentary about action sequences, Hwatu Explained, deleted and alternate scenes (with on/off director commentary), promotional footage, plus 5 Points Pictures trailers.
DVD Release Date on Tazza The High Rollers Two-Disc Special Edition 2012
