Foreign Film Reviews: Oldboy (2003)

Oldboy (2003)-
Director: Chan-wook Park
Starring: Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu and Hye-jeong Kang
Country: South Korea
IMDB: 8.4
RT: 80
Box Office: $14.9 Million (Worldwide)

Summary-

Dae-su Oh is an average guy who one night is randomly kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years. He is finally released and wants to know why he was kidnapped and who was his captor. He soon discovers that the real question is not why he was imprisoned but why he was released.


Review (Spoilers)-

Over the past few years I have started to develop a love for Asian cinema. I have always heard this is one of the best and I finally got a chance to watch it last night. Wow is this an amazing movie!

The film opens with Dae-su in a police station for public intoxication. His friend comes to bail him out and they go to a pay phone to call his family and let them know he is okay. While his friend is talking to them on the phone Dae-su disappears. It then jumps to several months later and Dae-su is being kept in a prison like room. We see the routines that he is put through and what is life is like for the 15 years. Then one day they release him on a rooftop of a building. He goes to a restaurant and meets a girl working there and they both feel like they know each other. The first act of the film does a great job at establishing Dae-su as a character and really peaks your interest as to why he was imprisoned.

Dae-su's home for 15 years

The second act is all about Dae-su trying to figure out why he was imprisoned. This seemed like the weakest part of the film but I was also tired when I was watching the film so I might have missed a few things. I did like a couple of the action sequences in this part of the film although I would not say that this is an action film. There is one scene in particular where Dae-su fights a bunch of guys in a hallway that was really badass.

 
The film builds up the mystery more and more as you go along as Dae-su and Mi-do try to solve this mystery. It seems like everyone knows who he is and that he is not in control of what is going on. It all leads to a shocking and brutal third act and finale. Even if the movie moves a bit slow in the 2nd act, the payoff at the end is well worth it.

Final Thoughts-

I understand why this film has been so highly praised. Not only is this a well made, well acted and creative film but it also features a phenomenal story. I also really enjoyed the soundtrack to the film as well which always is a big deal for me. I tried not to spoil the plot too much because this is a movie that any film fan should see right away!

MY RATING-

4 out of 5

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart