Continuing the small trend of Korean action movies about stories of locals outside of Asia, as in “Escape from Mogadishu” and “The Point Men” (ok, this is in Middle East but close enough), Kim Seong-je has come up with a story taking place in Bogota this time, with the film actually being shot there, at least until Covid forced the filmmakers to relocate in Korea. At the same time, however, the quality of these titles seems to deteriorate with each entry, and “City of the Lost”, unfortunately, is no exception.
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After his family is uprooted by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, 19-year-old Kook-hee (Song Joong-ki) arrives in Bogotá with his parents in hopes of a better life, only to be thrown into a brutal struggle for survival. Stripped of their savings and left to fend for himself, he takes a job under Sergeant Park, who has started as a lingerie smuggler years ago in Colombia, and has now become a man of significance, a powerful figure in Korean Merchants’ Association with ties with the local authorities.
His quick and heroic in an absurd way thinking during a high-stakes operation earns him the attention of both Park and Soo-young, a cunning customs broker who tempts him with a dangerous opportunity. As Kook-hee rises through the ranks of Bogotá’s underworld, his hunger for success transforms him from a desperate immigrant into a feared crime boss. But with desperate rivals like Lil Park standing in his way, his ambition comes at the cost of his past, his family, and perhaps even his soul. Especially when the government decides to crack down on all smugglers, essentially threatening the livelihood of many Korean families in the area.
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As it becomes evident from the story, Kim Seong-je had the option to move the film into a number of intriguing directions, including elements of family drama, themes of immigration and the overall package of the crime movie. Instead, he opted for impression rather than substance, essentially in a way that mirrors the state of Korean mainstream cinema at the moment. And in this case, it is even more ‘painful’ since the basis for a great story and subsequently, a film, was definitely there.
In that fashion, and in the biggest problem of the movie, the majority of characters are underdeveloped at best or just plainly unlikeable at the worst, with the latter category actually including the protagonist, who emerges as a brat from the beginning and never actually manages to shake this capacity away. At the same time, the locals are in an even worse situation, something that becomes even more problematic when one considers that the actors playing the roles seem good at their craft.
Essentially the only one who is salvaged from this is Sergeant Park, although even this is mostly due to the charisma and overall presence of Kwon Hae-hyo than the character itself. Song Joong-ki as Kook-hee and Lee Hee-jun as Soo-yeong definitely suffer here, particularly due to the writing, resulting in two characters that make it very hard to empathize with, even in the always appealing underdog arc of the former.
At the same time, the presentation of Bogota as a kingdom of illegality, with one Korean shouting at one point, ‘does anything that is not smuggled ever come to this country” setting the tone for an approach that is both excessive and naive, essentially mirroring the one appearing in Hollywood movies of the type.
Even the action scenes are unremarkable, despite the setting that offered plenty of opportunity for the opposite. Particularly the one with the police crackdown could have definitely been presented in a more impactful way that would add a dramatic essence to the film, but alas, this passes as just another sequence in the movie.
Lee Sung-jae’s cinematography, in combination with the coloring, is probably the best trait here, with the presentation of Bogota being impressive throughout. Kim Sun-min’s editing results in a fast pace that suits the style of the story. What to do with these, though, when what is actually depicted is so unremarkable.
“Bogota: City of the Lost” is a mediocre movie, with very few redeeming qualities, one of those titles you watch and then you forget immediately.
