Keeping it in the family

Rating: 7/10 (18 December 2004)

The family does seem to be a focus in Asian cinema, and this is no exception. Being imprisoned in a room for 15 years for no immediate reason is a very good start to an exceptional film. But the closeness of the interiors does not seem to stop once our hero is released to get his revenge.
The violence in the film while never meaningless does seem to weave a strong unpleasant backbone that gives the film its vivid consistency. But its not a logic - its never an and in itself. While there is a lot borrowed from the modern stylised thriller, which always involves some sort of identity problem, e.g. Seven, Fight club, Momento etc, the film is much more than the sum of its parts. The director has a sense of timing that can only come about from the strength of the written material.
But ultimately this is still Asian cinema, with Asian values, yet its fighting for Western cinema audiences. It will be interesting to see which culture makes way first.