Movie Review

Oldboy

Foreign films don't really excite me. Unless some kind of fancy wiring or Jackie Chan's impressive fight choreography is introduced, reading subtitles and trying to keep up with the story does not make a decent night out. Enter Park Chanwook, a storyteller with enough courage to take risks and a director who rivals Quentin Tarantino and David Fincher in packing an undeniable visual wallop. Chanwook's film "Oldboy" was a big hit at Cannes last year, and if people desire something raw and totally uncensored, it will be a breakout independent film. "Oldboy" is the shot in the arm this year desperately needed.

The story centers on businessman Dae-Su (Choi Min-Sik), whose name means, "To get along with everybody.? Chanwook shows an ironic sense of humor, considering that Dae-Su is a blabbermouth drunk who has a huge list of enemies. When he is taken off of the street and imprisoned in an apartment for fifteen years, his wife is killed and his daughter is sent away. Someone wants him to suffer, but who is it? His time in captivity is spent thinking about that question, along with why he has been imprisoned in the first place. He considers his own life, his obnoxious behavior and inaccuracies as a person. He also spends time watching television, mainly for the human contact, and training his body physically to get his vengeance when he is set free.

When the fifteen years are up, he finds himself on the roof of a building with an insane look in his eye and a long and mangled hairdo. The way he looks at people (especially women), sees the sunlight, or rides the elevator has changed. Dae-Su is a man reborn in innocence, but he also suffers from loneliness that has cast a shadow upon him. He finds solace in Mido (Hye-jeong Kang), a young sushi chef who takes him in and cleans his wounds. Even after finding out that he has been accused of murdering his wife, she still believes his innocence and finds herself falling for this shaggy haired prisoner.

Dae-Su is then given a cell-phone by a stranger. The voice on the other end is Woo-jin Lee (Ji-tae Yu), the man responsible for Dae-Su's imprisonment, and the torture is not over yet. He gives Dae-Su five days to figure out why he has been kidnapped; otherwise, Mido will be the next victim in Lee's little game.

"Oldboy" is a bleak and depressing looking film. The sleazy and grimy settings, the disturbing theme at the end of the mystery, and the gritty violence prove that this is not going to be a picnic for the easily upset. It's right up your alley if you love your violence extremely assembled and your sex scenes really graphic, though. This movie revels in morbid brutality, as Dae-Su pulls teeth out, cuts out his own tongue, and in the coolest fight scene of the year, he takes on more than twenty guys while a knife sticks out of his back. The movie has one sex scene, which becomes an integral part of the story later on. An R-rating is the only way to keep it memorable.

Chanwook is also one for style and symbolism. A scene on the train features one character sitting on one end, and a huge ant sitting on the other. The scene is another example of Chanwook's sense of humor, but it is also trying to say something about one of the characters. I also enjoyed a scene in which Dae-Su is about to hit someone over the head with a hammer, and instead of physically seeing it happen we are just given a direction arrow to the blow.

Chanwook does so much right that it's almost too bad that the end of the mystery is predictable. Luckily, it doesn't take away from the story?s power. Issues such as dignity, psychological trauma, and insensitivity turn it into an unforgettable morality tale and an emotional roller-coaster ride. Choi Min-Sik also gives a fantastic performance that hammers everything home, showing a fierce, tortured, and insanely mad man in search of vengeance. Dae-Su's rage and newfound innocence are given just the right balance, making this the most compelling performance of the year so far. "Oldboy" grabs hold of us from the first intense frame and refuses to let go. Some say that revenge is a dish best served cold, but this movie couldn't be hotter and I loved every second of it.

Craig's Grade: B+

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%