Why 'Te3n' might be better than the original Korean film 'Montage'

Ribhu Dasgupta’s Te3n, is officially the remake of the 2013 Korean thriller Montage. The story of the Korean thriller by director  Geun-seop Jeong  is one of the many crime thrillers devoured by the Korean audience. What sets it apart though, is the sudden plot twists that are reminiscent of a Hitchcock film. The plot follows police detective Cheong-ho (Kim Sang kyung) on a very unpleasant mission: it’s his job to break the news to a mother (Uhm jung hwa) whose child was kidnapped and murdered 15 years ago. The statute of limitations on the crime will expire and the criminal can walk scot-free. [caption id=“attachment_2833790” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Movie posters of both the films. Images from Facebook.[/caption] But there’s a twist in the plot as another girl is kidnapped with the same modus operandi and Cheong-ho leaps into action to try and redeem himself of his past failure at cracking the earlier case. Both the movies have their pros and cons, but Te3n is visually more appealing. Te3n, along with Amitabh, Nawazuddin and Vidya Balan also guest stars Kolkata. Tushar Kanti Ray’s cinematography of Kolkata’s tiny by lanes, trams and old royal houses showcased in the movie have their own character. Plot-wise, Montage is stronger; the twists and turns are more believable. However, the cinematography of the Korean masterpiece, while slick, and edited superbly, fails to lend character to the story in the same way Kolkata adds magic to Te3n. This is the reason the Indian remake becomes the winner among the two. While Uhm jhung hwa and Kim Sang Kyung play compelling leads, they cannot top Amitabh’s role as a grieving grandfather hell bent on getting justice for his dead grand daughter. This might not be Nawazuddin’s best performance yet, but the actor stills shines as an escapist cop who turns to religion in order to redeem himself. Still as storyline goes, Montage is brilliant. It’s a great story packaged well with a slick lens and seamless edits. But Te3n distinguishes itself from its original with a brilliant cinematography and a well adopted plot.