West 32nd

Vancouver Asian Film Festival Nov.7 – Nov. 9

Reviewed by Christine Lee
Directed by Michael Kang
Starring John Cho, Jun Sung Kim, Jun-ho Jeong, Grace Park, Jane Kim
Based on director Michael Kang’s personal experiences with the Korean American community, West 32nd is a compelling story about Korean organized crime in New York City and the crossing of paths of two Korean Americans struggling to find their place in society.

John Kim (John Cho, Harold & Kumar) is an ambitious 2nd generation Korean American lawyer desperately seeking acceptance in mainstream white culture. When John takes on a case trying to exonerate a fourteen-year-old from a first-degree murder charge, he discovers the world of Korean organized crime and meets Mike Juhn, a mid-level gangster equally driven to gain acceptance and find his place in the underworld. Recognizing John’s ambition and daring, Mike cautiously befriends John and the pair soon become dependent on each other. Although they work together, the two friends end up trying to outsmart each other as both will stop at nothing to reach their goal. The movie also stars Jane Kim from The Sopranos and Grace Park from Battlestar Galactica.