Oldboy
Synopsis: A man is abducted from the street and locked in a small hotel room. He does not know why he was captured or who his captor is. After 15 years of imprisonment he is mysteriously released and given 5 days to find all the answers. He sets on a violent quest to not only find answers but more importantly revenge, employing the help of a young waitress he meets shortly after his release.
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Review
Oldboy is a fascinating movie that earned several awards and praise from critics all over the world. It is based on a Japanese Manga of the same name. This is not a movie for everyone, it has violent and disturbing scenes that show torture, self-mutilation and maybe as a way to compensate, a good amount of dark humor. It all fits pretty well with the tone of the movie, but some scenes may not be appropriate for viewers with weak stomachs.
The story is structurally divided in three parts. The first part takes us through poor Oh Dae-Su’s 15 year imprisonment, his struggle to understand what is going on, and his internal fight to keep his sanity (one could argue he was only partially successful at this, knowing what comes next). The second part is packed with action and violence. Oh Dae-Su, with some help from Mi Do, his newly acquainted friend and later lover, follows the leads that will ultimately take him to the man that orchestrated his capture and imprisonment. Armed with a claw-hammer, he takes on an army of men in an extremely well crafted single-shot scene that could have been taken out of a video game, while in a different scene he uses the hammer as a dentistry tool (don’t ask, just watch the movie). In the final part a shocking secret comes to light and things take an unexpected course. I’m going to stop right here, you will not forgive me if I spoil the ending for you.
I’m not a huge fan of horror movies, but if I were, this would probably be one of my favorites.
©2008 by Miguel Grinberg
Excellent
Fair
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Stinker
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