Lost Reviews #4

Oldboy (2003)
Chan Wook-Park

--Here is a film that I remember fondly. Ironically, the only thing I really do remember about this film is that it was very disturbing so remembering it fondly suggests only that it must have worked.--

Oldboy made you ask "why?" Dae-su Oh (Min-sik Choi) was imprisoned for 15 years. Why? We don't know. Neither does he. Upon his release, he seeks revenge, that is until he realizes that he needs to first find out why he was imprisoned for all those years. Choi's performance is fantastic. He forces you to want to know why as well. You connect with his suffering, you understand why he wants revenge but even more so, understand why he needs to know why. When he finally finds out, the film becomes disturbing and at first seemed like a weak climax. Upon putting the pieces together, however, I realized that each detail was accounted for. Every subtle aspect was relevant to the answer of the question. This is what made it a good movie. For the majority of the film, I became frustrated with the lack of answers I was being given. Much seemed to be leading nowhere and I feared that the creators got themselves in too deep and wouldn't be able to find a smart way out of it. Fortunately, the end was great. The disturbing aspect of it was off-putting; however, it tied in so well that I don't think it hurt the movie. The movie is very violent and even on occasion, hard to watch. This is part of what allows the audience to really get involved. You can understand the characters pain and anguish. This is always a good quality in a movie and is, along with a smart story, what makes this movie a good one.
***1/2
04/24/05