"...And your remains will never be found. Why? Because I'm going to swallow every last bit!"
Dae-su Oh:
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| "Stop. It's hammer time!" |
Synopsis;
Oh Dae-Su is abducted off the street and held prisoner for 15 long years, his pleas for freedom and demands for answers ignored by his captors. Then, as suddenly as he was taken, he is released. Driven by an insatiable appetite for revenge Dae-su embarks on a twisted and danger filled journey into a murky criminal underworld, and even his one and only ally, the seemingly innocent Dae-su Oh, comes under suspicion.
Script Logic; 1/2
Bloody hell, it's hard to write about a film such as this in regards to logic, I doubt it was ever intended to be more than a surreal fantasy. On the face of it, overlooking a few stretches of credibility it holds up- within the constraints of it's own bazaar world, I guess Dae-su was just unlucky to make an enemy of such a supremely wealthy and influential head-case...
Pace; 1/2
Due mostly to the intentional shifts in tone and surreal intricacies of it's own plot, the film moves at a fair pace- but it does suffer for it's own art and many will find the film too disjointed to ever be completely absorbing, instead they'll sit through till the bitter end just to learn the truth behind Dae-su's captivity- which, ultimately, is reason enough.
Acting; 1/2
Again, it's difficult to criticize an intentional decision. Realism is not what the cast and crew are striving for here, instead we are treated to a hyper-stylized decent into insanity, a nightmare world painted in broad strokes and populated by warped caricatures. Min-sik Choi proves a charismatic lead- and if not necessarily likeable, his plight is worth supporting and you'll be engrossed as he aches his way ever closer to the truth behind his captivity.
Aesthetic; 1/2
Nothing really to get excited about, the direction in this sense is unremarkable, save for a few touches of odd inspiration and a strikingly-choreographed one-take fight scene along a narrow corridor (one of the film's highlights).
Originality & Intention; 2/2
I'll say this for old Boy, it's a pretty fucking unique experience. If you're a little warped then you're sure to find a few dark laughs (as I did), and if you're a feeling person, or expecting a 'happy' resolution, then the ending will be sure to scare. It's, well, it's... Different. Old Boy is more an experience than an entirely coherent story.
Final Score; 6/10
Love it or hate it, I'm certain that the finished product is exactly how director Chan-wook Park envisioned his film to be. Uncompromising, unflinching, unapologetic, anarchic, warped, melancholy, perverted and just a little bit funny. It should be on everybody's 'to-watch' list, but will unlikely be anybody's favourite...
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