"A Dirty Carnival" is an engaging gangster tale.

The plot: A 29 year old gangster named Byung-doo is struggling in life. He is basically a low ranked thug who is struggling to make money not only to eat, but to support his family. When an opportunity arises to move up in the ranks, he takes it. Unfortunately, it involves murder. When his family and friends (especially the woman he adores) learn of his job, Byung-doo's personal life begins to crumble. To make matters worse, a former schoolmate of his is studying his life as he wants to direct a gangster film. Unbeknownst to Byung-doo, his friend's film could cause serious problems for him.

As I popped in "A Dirty Carnival," I have to admit that I did not have much hope for the film. From the description, it sounded like your average gangster film. Thankfully, I was proved wrong. "A Dirty Carnival" works on many levels. First off, there is plenty of action to keep your interest throughout the 141 minute run time. The most notable scenes invove a massive brutal fight scene under a tunnel and in the mud, a fight/chase in a bookstore, and even a skirmish in a casino game room.

Along with action, the movie offers plenty of characterization. At its heart, this is essentially a character study of a young man wanting a better life for himself and his family. Unfortunately, the only route for him to achieve this goal is by being a gangster. We know Byung-doo is a murderous criminal, but we are able to partially sympathize with him. I also have to say that the supporting characters are very well developed. Virtually every character has a role here. There's no throwaway characters to be found.