A total surprise...in a good way.

Rating: 8/10 (17 February 2006)

A complete surprise for me.
I had heard lots of praise and acclaim for this film, and decided I needed to watch it. I had imagined a revengeful bloodbath in similar style to Kill Bill, but was pleasantly surprised to find very little bloodbath, but a whole lot of heart and storyline instead.
The idea of trapping someone in a cell for 15 years, and then letting them out, is quite original for its time, and its execution is just something to marvel. The cinematography and editing is fantastic, as is the entire visual scope of the film. The writing is superb, with many laughable moments coming to break the silence of the hugely dramatic moments. The much talked-about one-take fight scene in the hallway is something that will be remembered and ripped-off for years to come, as was the lobby scene in the first Matrix film.
The acting is excellent for everyone, especially the main character. His broken heart, and troubled mind lead to plenty of excellent sequences, as is his female co-star.
If I have anything bad to say, its that the movie goes on a bit long, and there should have been a bit more fleshed out of the past and why he was imprisoned without reason, just so the entire scope of the final act of the film doesn't hit you like a ton of bricks. Yes, it was probably meant to be like that, but there were more than a few scenes that could have been changed or replaced just to make the whole thing flow a touch better.
And just for the record, I can't even begin to imagine how they are going to pull off an American remake.
8/10.