Subrat Jain
Circle of Atonement (English title) is a story about fate and repercussions of tragedy. It starts when Yoo-sin is killed by a deranged taxi driver,Shin Ji-Chul, who is depressed as his estranged wife doesn't allow him to see his daughter Jeong-hyeon. Yoo-sin had been left on the side of the road after having a fight with her fiancé Chul-Woong, who now blames himself for her death. Meanwhile Lee Sang-Won a detective who catches the killer decides to adopt his daughter, after her mother too is murdered, and protect her from the fate of being the "murder's daughter". After 10 years of the incident fates of Chul-Woong, Yoo-Sin and Lee Sang-Won collide again and the story focuses on the events thereafter as Chul-Woong finds out that Yoo-Sin now his student is the daughter of the murderer of his fiancé. The plot though not very new seemed pretty interesting to me. Its not a thriller as IMDb suggests but a pretty engrossing drama about how one copes with a tragedy. The aspect of holding a grudge against someone for a long time and withering inside with a hint of revenge has been portrayed effectively. The actors seemed natural and made the clichéd plot believable and engrossing. You see Jung-Hyun accepting Detective Lee Sang-Won as her father but at the same time despising him deeply. Similarly, Chul-Woong never finishes grieving and looks for some to blame for his fiance's death. The relationships have been investigated properly by the plot and the director's makes sure you know how each character feels. The strong editing and direction makes this over used formula into a pretty decent and worthwhile movie. Watch this if you like a good drama exploring connection between people and don't expect a thriller.
