2009 Lost Memories

Imagine that during World War II, Japan had allied with the US, and the bombs were not dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but on Berlin. In 2009 Lost Memories, that is the reality.

In 1909, a failed assassination attempt on a Japanese foreign minister Ito Hirobumi(which in real life was successfully done by legendary Korean patriot Ahn Chung-gun)has changed the course of history as we know it. Now Korea is just another part of the great Japanese empire.

After a successful foiling of a terrorist attack on a Museum displaying ancient cultural artefacts. J.B.I agent Sakamoto (Jang Dong Gun) begins to uncover information about a familiar looking relic known as the “Lunar Soul”. An item that the underground band of Korean born freedom fighters (the same behind the unsuccessful attack on the museum), are willing to sacrifice everything to obtain. As he starts to unravel the mystery behind the “Lunar Soul”, everything he thought he knew about the world he lives in suddenly gets turned upside down.

Time travel could be a very dangerous thing. Many people believe that everything, good or bad, happens for a reason. So the idea of time travel is scary because its very true that the slightest change, could have an enormous affect on the future. So imagine what would happen if the change that occurs is far greater then a slight one.

2009 is one of those films that kinda starts out slow, but once the story really kicks off, you are hooked. And there is quite a story to tell. The plot is a think one indeed, and there is plenty of time to tell it. The film clocks in at a 136 minutes. Luckily the thick plot is not hard to follow. In fact the story is so well told, that despite its many layers and twists, its easy to keep on track and understand what’s going on. The idea behind the film is brilliant. It truly makes you think, what if? What is someone went back in time and stopped JFK from being shot? What is someone went back in time and killed Hitler when he was a child?

The show stealer for sure is Dong-Gun Jang who plays the lead character Sakamoto, a Korean born agent of the J.B.I., who has forgotten his past. In fact his partner Saigo (Nakamura) basically thinks of Sakamoto as Japanese. At one point of the film he even says "Its strange to think of you as Korean". Dong-Gun is absolutely steller in his role, he plays his character with absolute conviction and by the end you actually care for Sakamoto. Who makes a very drastic change in character by the end of the film.

On the outside 2009 looks like it’s going to be an insane, sci-fi adventure, but despite some incredible action scenes, it’s a much laid back investigative thriller. A lot of plot unveiling. And even some great twists and "Oh my god" moments.
It goes without saying that if you have not seen 2009: Lost Memories. You really should. Its very much would you time (all 136 minutes of it) and even if by the end if you felt it went on too long. You will not be disappointed by what you have just seen.

8/10

A Film by: Si-myung Lee