It seems that this director has lost the skill to make good films. Compared to other Korean thrillers such as New World and Yellow Sea this is a rather poor effort. By trying to charm simultaneously both Chinese Censorship bureau and European festival board members, the director has made a film which is unable to decide which audience group it wants too target and at the end fails to satisfy either.
The presence of Tang Wei was probably a calculated move to guarantee the film will hit the Chinese screens. Most of the time, Decision to Leave plays like a less edgier version of modern Mainland noir such as Wild Goose Lake and Black Coal Thin Ice. Storyline is ludicrous perpetuates lots of old fashioned cliches from Asian love stories. Tang Wei is good, but there is no chemistry between the two leads, and the male protagonist is too bland in terms of appearance.
Flawless production design is nothing new in Korean cinema. As a matter of fact you will spend more time ogling over those speckless interior spaces rather than the personal dramas unfolding before your eyes.
One a positive note, at least there is the presence of former pop idol Lee Jyun Hun. Not that she does anything special in this film, but she is always good to look at.