bloody impressive

Rating: 9/10 (8 July 2005)

my filmgoing buddy & i really enjoyed this one. the story was a real trippy ride, and kept us wanting to know what happens next. yeah, so there are warnings about the language, violence, etc, but it wasn't sickening like i thought it would be... its usage was just enough to move the story along & in fact the viewer is spared of lots of the off-screen stuff. (for some reason, the gal in our row kept eating her popcorn during the more gruesome bits, but i needed both hands to cover my eyes for some scenes.)
why did this film blow us away? well, let's see. it was morbidly interesting. there was a mystery to be solved, like a puzzle. there were loads of unexpected things, even some surreal events. ooh, ooh! i know-- the score was beautiful, and the lauded cinematography was also worthy of its praise (even though it was filmed in a dark, overexposed gritty sort of way). all the Hollywood clichÃ©s in storytelling were mostly if not completely absent (i have to wonder if Korean natives found this movie to be ho-hum typical of eastern film-making-- prolly not, considering the awards it went for). so it was welcomely refreshing in that way.
the climax & ending offered some fine apres-theatre discussion, to try to piece together the events & what the meanings were. what is fun is that some of the mysteries can't be solved with a textbook answer, 'cos AFAIK the writer/director deliberately left in ambiguity. what was the glowing thing in the suitcase in Pulp Fiction? well, is that wholly important? it's whatever you thought it was... but you knew it was impressively valued. what does the final scene in Oldboy signify? well, you're in luck, viewer, b/c you aren't dictated to what to feel and how to interpret... like other types of art, you can interact with this film & come up with meaning yourself. but, you aren't cheated out of answers either.
can't wait to see this again!
P.S. if the threat about a remake is true & happening, my only hope is that it will inspire many other people to watch the original.