Rating of
4/4
Oldboy review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 08/29/11
Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) is a Korean businessman who was abducted and imprisoned for more than a decade. He is released after 15 years. Dae-Su meets a sushi chef named Mi-do (Kang Hye-jeong) after a cellphone and wallet was handed to him. Woo-jin (Yu Ji-tae) admitted to Dae-su that he had him kidnapped. Oh Dae-su discovered that Woo-jin attended the same high school and had an incestous relationship with his sister Soo-ah (Yun Jin-seo). Because of Oh Dae-su's rumor spreading, Woo-jin does the unthinkable to get back. A few memorable lines: Oh Dae-su - "Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone." "I thought I'd lived a simple life. But I've sinned too much." Wooj-jin - "And now... now, what joy will I have left to live for?."
Astounding performances from the lead protagonist and antagonist. Choi Min-sik showed his range in action, dramatic even a few light moments of humor during the film. Such a likable character and you feel empathetic because of things he had to endure. Not all revenge thriller are close to this good. Wonderful cinematography, timely score and amazing acting all around brought this flick to life. Its screenplay is one of the best I have ever witnessed. Themes of being merciful, regret, dealing with the past and endurance. Dae-su doesn't seem imprisoned in the room he was put in, Woo-jin was mentally tortured because of the past. It likewise shows humanity, how we can make mistakes and make amends. In the main characters words - "Even though I'm no better than a beast, don't I have the right to live?" Violent, powerful, thought provoking and entertaining until the very end. This is a quiet classic that not everybody would enjoy, but truly sends a message that it is one of the best created.
