Lee Byung-hun shines in Masquerade. I've only seen him in two other films, I Come With the Rain and A Bittersweet Life and his performance in both amazed me. In Masquerade, Byung-hun shows his acting range and his ability as a chameleon actor to do 1) drama 2) comedy 3) action 4) romance all in one film. I cannot tell you enough how impressed I am watching him here. How accurate is the historical portrayal here? I cannot say for sure. But I do think that the initial plot of having a simple man pretend to be king is nothing out of the ordinary but one that's deeply fascinating to see especially if the difference between the imposer and the real one is huge. Byung-hun mere change of tone and way of speaking already had me so impressed. I absolutely did not expect comedy to be in a historical film like this and that caught me by surprise. Was it weird? No. Because it worked. Did it work well with the drama? It did. It was able to show the change and characterization and ultimately, the actor's acting ability. It is a fun watch as much as it is a dramatic watch. Ultimately, what kept me glued isn't the plot but it's the character. The visuals are stunning. The ambiance, the setting, down to the little details of the clothes, the hair, the scroll -- everything is so beautiful to look at. Not to mention the music framing, especially when Byung-hun is giving his speech. Perfect. With matching feels. Not to mention the incredible supporting cast including Han Hyo-joo, Ryu Seung-ryong, Jang Gwang and Kim In-kwon that creates a grand ensemble. Masquerade (as I've heard) as a 100% rating in Rotten Tomatoes, 6th highest-grossing film in the industry and sweeping the 49th Grand Bell Awards, this film woos you. I laughed, I (almost) cried, I felt the subtle romance and I felt the feels.