Film (cinema): “OldBoy”

I think everyone in the world has already seen this one… you know the score: Korean businessman is kidnapped, held in solitary confinement in an apartment block for years and years during which time he is framed for his wife’s murder and his daughter taken into care. Then he is inexplicably released, and he resolves to track down those responsible and exact bloody vengeance upon them. Of course, there is a twist, and without giving it away, it does involve the jailor posing the obvious conundrum: “The question you should be asking is not why did I lock you up, but why did I let you out”.

So yeah, great film, beautifully looking, well plotted, great acting, etc. etc.. I love it and am looking forward to tracking down the director’s other two films in his trilogy of revenge films: “SYMPATHY FOR MISTER VENGEANCE” and “Lady Vengeance”.

One thing, though – a lot of people have said that while they thought this was an excellent film, they found it a bit extreme and would never like to see it again. I respectfully suggest that such people need to get out more, and in particular suggest that they check out the Japanese film “Audition”. That film has raised the bar on cinematic extremeness so high that with “Old Boy” I was continuously waiting for the incredibly extreme bit that never came.

I'm back from a weekend in Nottingham, by the way.