From South Korean, Noh Dong-seok's GOLDEN SLUMBER is a fun conspiracy/chase thriller that boasts a delightful lead performance

Several smart things distinguish the new South Korean action movie GOLDEN SLUMBER, the first of which is the fact that the film's success rests upon its unusual idea of friendship and kindness as the twin columns that hold firm its fast-paced plot via the character of its hero, a sweet young delivery man suddenly enmeshed in a political conspiracy that goes right to the top of the government. Friendship and kindness in a conspiracy thriller? Yup. And how bracing, enjoyable and finally even moving this is!

South Korea has come into its own as the purveyor of slick, entertaining and fast-paced action movies -- sometimes transgressively sexual and violent movies, too -- but this may the first I remember that relies on the positive and kindly characteristics of its hero, rather than his fighting skills, to see him through the crises. And as portrayed so beautifully and skillfully by Gang Don-won (shown above and below, and earlier seen in The Secret Reunion), this unusual performance wins us over in a flash and keeps us rooting for our hero throughout.

The film was directed by Noh Dong-seok, (two photos above) who appears to be a first-timer in the "action thriller" realm. If  true, his work here is pretty extraordinary. He is able to give us oodles of necessary exposition in a zippy pre-credit sequence that sets up just about everything that's necessary for us to know, and once this set-up is in place, the movie keeps unfurling at break-neck speed, with much of the dialog, too, full of plot points dished out with brevity and wit. Do pay attention.

Along the way, the movie also deals with some rather profound questions about why the state might choose to use and toss away so blithely, if nastily, a model citizen such as our hero. The reason given here will make you think and then wince.

The arc of the friendship that anchors the movie goes back to a rock band -- named Golden Slumber -- made up of our hero and his friends from a decade past. How and why these friends come back into his life help propel the film and give it some extra surprise and oomph. "Trust no one," one of his old friends tells him near the film's beginning, and while may be words worth honoring, he finds that he must finally trust someone. But who?

One of the major questions/caveats of these conspiracy thrillers always hinges on how one human being can go up against the powers-that-be with any hope of success. That problem is addressed here via an older character (Kim Eui-sung, above), who initially helps our hero out of revenge and avarice but is eventually won over -- as we've been, too -- by the young man's extraordinary decency and commitment.

The movie is evidently a remake of sorts of the 2010 Japanese film of the same name. I have not seen the Japanese version, but if it's any better or more entertaining than this one, that's quite an accomplishment.

From CJ Entertainment, in Korean with English subtitles and running a relatively short (for South Korean films) 108 minutes, the movie -- after opening theatrically earlier this year in a limited engagement -- hits home video via Amazon, iTunes and Google Play tomorrow, June 5 -- for purchase and/or rental.

Stephen Cone's PRINCESS CYD is joyful, genuine and, oh, so un-movie-like...

..and if that seems odd for TrustMovies to be congratulating a film for its un-movie-like appearance, so be it. There are times when you want the magic of movie-making (Wonderstruck is one such) and others when capturing characters of unusual reality and grace seems like the kind of miracle that you almost never see. So it is with PRINCESS CYD, the latest from writer/director Stephen Cone, who has already given us worthwhile films such as The Wise Kids and Henry Gamble's Birthday Party.

That latter movie had much of the good stuff that Cone's new one possesses -- the filmmaker is shown at left -- but toward its end it piled up incident so heavily that it suddenly descended into melodrama. There is none of that here, and his latest is all the better for that lack.

Instead we get a cast of characters who think, speak and act in ways that seem remarkably honest and real -- and yet at the same time so unaffected and unusually thoughtful that it is almost shocking to see them on the same movie screen that most often offers us stupid superheroes, over-the-top violence, and thoughtless, by-the-numbers action. Oh, and there's one more thing, too. We get some sex.

In Mr. Cone's world, however, sex is a fine, good thing, especially when it's accompanied by caring and thoughtful questioning about its importance and place in one's life.

The movie opens on a black screen, as we hear a 911 call being made. This lasts only moments, but it is enough to put us in a very dark place. But then we cut to a pretty young girl on a soccer field and a title card that reads "Nine Years Later." This quick, rather quiet set-up introduces us to the title character, played by a stunning and incandescent young actress named Jessie Pinnick, above, who is every bit as believable, if unusually poised, as she is beautiful.

Cyd has come to the Chicago area to escape a depressed dad and visit her aunt, played by another talented and beautiful (and a generation older) actress, Rebecca Spence (shown above), whom she has not seen for some years. The two bond a bit warily but hopefully, as they begin to simply "talk about" things. Mr. Cone's particular skill, I think, comes in writing dialog that flows naturally, even as it probes so many interesting areas and raises questions that linger in our (and his characters') minds and gently push us (and them) into further thinking and questioning.

Cone is never judgmental, nor are most of his people. His characters love reading, and in fact get together for occasional evenings at which they simply read to each other from their favorite texts. They're nicely diverse, too, without pushing the point. In fact, you'll wish you had more people like them in your own life.

When sexual desire and lust raise their attractive heads -- both straight and gay -- you'll root for the participants and enjoy their time together without ever feeling like you've leered or intruded. This is another of Cone's accomplishments. And this time, when the chance for melodrama and a heavy hand appears, he wisely and believably circumvents it. The fellow can tackle religion, too, and make even an agnostic reprobate like me listen and ponder a bit.

America -- hell, the world -- needs more of this kind of thing, but there are damned few filmmakers able or willing to create it. Mr. Cone is clearly stretching and growing. I hope we'll see a lot more of him and his work.

Meanwhile, Princess Cyd -- from Wolfe Releasing and running 96 minutes -- opens this Friday, November 3, in New York and Chicago, and then in Los Angeles on December 1. For those who want to get better acquainted with this filmmaker, from November 3-12, The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens will present "Talk About the Passion: Stephen Cone's First Act," which doubles as the NYC debut of his new film and an early career retrospective of his work (click here for the schedule). In Chicago, his new film will play the Gene Siskel Film Center, and in Los Angeles, it will open at Laemmle's Music Hall 3. More cities around the country? Not sure, but as Wolfe is releasing, a DVD debut is scheduled for early December. And maybe there'll be some streaming soon, as well.