Good beginning, weak ending

Rating: 4/10 (14 May 2005)

'Oldboy' has a very intriguing premise: A man has been locked up for 15 years in a private prison by unknown people. No reason has been given for this punishment. After he is finally released, he tries to find out who imprisoned him and what their motives are. The first part of the movie is very good. The plot is a little bizarre but you simply want to know what is going on. Once the puzzle start coming together, things are falling apart. The movie may still work for some as a morality tale, but those who desire at least a little bit of realism (and the first half of the movie certainly encourages this expectation) will be sorely disappointed. This is certainly not the first movie that uses hypnotism as a cheap and highly unrealistic plot device for mind control, but in the 21st century one should expect the authors to know better. This is a shame, as direction, photography and acting are fine. With a better resolution of the plot and a slightly less playful style this could have been a winner.