Stylish Tale Of Revenge...

Rating: 8/10 (24 February 2006)

I've heard a lot of mixed things about OLDBOY - Some consider it a modern violent masterpiece, others say it's MTV-generation garbage. I personally enjoyed this one, but wouldn't rank it up there as a modern "classic"...
OLDBOY tells the story of Oh-Daesu, a man who is kidnapped and kept confined for 15 years. He's given no explanation during his imprisonment, but is given food and a television to watch. After 15 years, he's released, and his captor gives him clues as to his identity and why he chose to kidnap him - and gives him 5 days to find the answers. Of course our "hero" is pretty irate, and begins his hunt for revenge. Along the way Oh-Daesu meets a young lady who accompanies and assists him on his quest. To say anymore about the plot or characters involved would give away some of the better "twists" of the film...
OLDBOY is a stylishly filmed take on an old subject - revenge. There are several (sometimes ludicrous) turns-of-plot that make this one a little more "unique" than your average revenge film. A lot of suspending of reality is going to be necessary to enjoy OLDBOY - but taken for what it is, it's an enjoyable film. The reason behind Oh-Daesu's imprisonment, and his subsequent handling of the information is strange and alarming. His relationship with his young female companion and how the situation is explained and eventually "resolved" also opens up some questions about Oh-Daesu's status as either a "hero" or very sick individual - but the end is ambiguous enough to interpret however you choose. OLDBOY is not as violent as many have made out (which was a disappointment in my book...) - with most of the more "rough" scenes being implied as opposed to actually shown. Anyone familiar with films like ICHI THE KILLER, BATTLE ROYALE, etc...won't see anything in this film that they haven't seen before. Definitely worth a look - 8/10