the fresh films reviews

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Oldboy (2003)

Director:
Park Chan-wook
COUNTRY
South Korea
GENRE
Mystery/Thriller/Action
NORWEGIAN TITLE
Oldboy
RUNNING TIME
120 minutes
Producer:
Im Seung-yong
Kim Dong-joo
Screenwriter (based on Old Boy by G.Tsuchiya and N.Minegishi):
Hwang Jo-yoon
Im Joon-hyeong
Park Chan-wook


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
Oh Dae-su Choi Min-sik ½
Lee Woo-jin Yoo Ji-tae ½
Mi-do Kang Hye-jung

 

Review

It's not often films stand out and excel on the basis of narrative structure, but the 2003 South Korean power-house Oldboy is one such example. This is a film that wriggles along like a species you probably haven't seen before, and it does so with an unusual and unnerving combination of grace and brutality. Without disclosing much of the idiosyncratic plot, let's just say the story contains most everything you'll ever want to know about humanity's dark sides – all of which are presented in chilling waves and with quite a bit of artistic merit by director Park Chan-wook, whose compositions, transitions, cuts and imagery give the thematic controversy an attractive filmatic foundation. Oldboy is a violence fest made valid and interesting by the remarkable psychological depth it covers.

Copyright © 19.9.2013 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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