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Oldboy
But so what?
2003
Director: Chan-Wook Park
Starring: Min-Sik Choi, Ji-Tae Yu
Probably a good idea.
THE SETUP:
A guy is imprisoned for 15 years without explanation, then set free, whereupon he hooks up with some chick to find out why and get revenge.
DISCUSSION:
This movie is getting a lot of attention as winning second prize from the Cannes jury headed by Quentin Tarantino. That fact should tell you a great deal about this movie. Like most Tarantino movies, it’s got a lot of style, snappy dialogue, is too long, and you walk out saying “so what?”
The technique is exciting at first, but you know, I was watching Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song the night before, and saw much of the same thing going on there. And that was 30 years ago. The story is involving for a while, but as it grinds on one’s interest in the story drains slowly away, even as one’s determination to stay there and learn what this fucking secret we’re supposed to care so much about is grows. After a while I was just waiting for it to end. There are twists, and twists… not bad ones, but sadly by the time they’re deployed I didn’t care all that much. I will say that the film didn’t end in the way I expected it to.
Other than that, I just don’t have enough interest to bother saying anything more about this film.
SHOULD YOU WATCH IT?
If you’re a hardcore Asian cinema fanboy. And you have a fast-forward button. And nothing better to do.
