It’s simply South Korea taking the style and aesthetic of the casino theme to its peak. Tazza isn’t exactly original, but it’s a modern noir film that looks and sounds good. In the last couple of decades, the casino theme has been rocked and remixed in cinemas countless times. USA Today reports that it’s illegal for locals to play in them except for one casino that’s far from the capital – yet another reason why casino-themed cinema appeals greatly to South Koreans. Meanwhile, in South Korea where Tazza originated, there are 23 casinos, although. Expatbets’ extensive guide to Vietnam’s casinos explains that there are already 30 in the country. Vietnam has a booming casino industry that is growing. Macau and Singapore are internationally known for having some of the most luxurious, high-stakes casinos in the world. This popularity of casinos in Asian cinema is in fact a direct reflection of the popularity of the casino industry itself in the entire region. Tazza is just one of the many casino-themed Asian movies released between the latter end of the 20th century and today, a list that includes classics like 1989’s Casino Raiders and 2015’s From Vegas to Macau. The popularity of casino films is no coincidence in Asia where the casino industry has been booming for decades. A must-see classic, especially for fans and students of multi-genre, casino-themed cinema. Go-ni is a small-town guy with a big appetite for gambling. Despite the tendency to slowdown in the middle, Tazza is still a solid two and a half hours of action-packed entertainment. A guy with a talent for cards makes his way into the dangerous world of underground gambling in this crime thriller from South Korea.
Not that it’s a boring movie – it’s definitely not, there’s just too much downtime in between the many set piece sequences. And you’ll actually feel it being that long. Tazza is definitely a roller coaster ride, albeit a rather long one – two and a half hours long to be exact. The film is fueled by well-acted drama and comedy, intense action sequences, and the unbeatable pairing of Kim Hye-soo and Cho Seung-woo. He manages to pull it off, lose the money, get it back, and lose it again – obviously a metaphor for how these games work in the real world. In a Kill Bill-esque twist, the man spends several months training with an old master of sleight-of-hand, preparing for a swindle of his own, one that would allow him to get his money back. With nothing left to lose, he goes on a rampage that gets him the attention of other significant players in the story.
A man loses his sister’s alimony payments by being swindled by professional card players.
The premise is nothing but pure intensity. From the start, it’s easy to see why this film is considered a classic in the annals of Korean cinema. Such is the case with Tazza: The High Rollers, a 2006 classic that even today remains one of South Korea’s highest-grossing films. Whether it’s tragedy or comedy, South Korean filmmakers have a distinct and extremely effective way of pulling at our heartstrings. Long- time readers of The Game of Nerds know that we’re big fans of Korean cinema.