Oldboy Review
Imagine waking up one morning imprisoned in a studio apartment with only a television as your source of outside information and a stack of empty notebooks as your means of self expression. Every so often a plate of dim-sum is slid through a trap door and every so often you are gassed and wake up; your clothes changed, hair cut, and apartment immaculate. You plead with the stoic guard as he slides your next meal through the trap door: “Why am I here? What have I done? How long will you keep me?” After one gassing, you notice your water glass is missing. The television reports your wife murdered. Your own face occupies the television screen; DNA evidence identifying you as the sole suspect; strangely missing.
Every suicide attempt results in more gas and excellent medical attention. You fill dozens of notebooks with lists of people you have wronged and your theories on why they would do this. You spend hours everyday training your body to fight in anticipation of exacting your revenge. You spend your nights wittling chop stick after chop stick to the nub against the concrete behind your bed. 15 years pass.
Then, one day, you wake up in a new suit and are free. You are given a cell phone. It rings.
“Who are you? Why have you done this?”
“This is the game old boy. You have five days to figure it out.”
This is the synopsis of a wild ride of a movie from director Chan-Wook Park.
With the wince-inducing violence of “Resevoir Dogs“, the fight/comedy of “First Strike” and a twist much more twisted than “The Crying Game“, when the credits roll you are dumbfounded and exhausted…. having been thoroughly entertained.
Showing in the Boston area at:
Kendall Square Cinema
One Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 499-1996
April 16th, 2005 at 10:10 am
Like the ticket guy told us as he ripped up our tickets: Be Prepared. The movie is nuts, but good . . . and take the advice