Cool News
Copernicus studies OLDBOY and cries 'Eureka!!!'
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with our main scientific contributor, Copernicus, who is more than likely high as a kite after seeing OLDBOY. I know we've been bombarding you with coverage of this film, but trust me. It's really that good. Fucked up beyond compare, but brilliant nonetheless. Enjoy the by the book scientific dissection from the super-brain that is known as Copernicus!!!
OLD BOY
With OLD BOY, director Park Chan-wook doused us with audience lighter
fluid and threw in the match. And I'm still ablaze with a burning fever!
This is the stuff that cinematic orgasms are made of: auteurist
direction, mood-setting music, the slow resolve of a mystery, and savage
brutality in the pursuit of revenge. This is the best Tarantino-esque
film I've seen from anyone besides the originator of that subgenre. What
it lacks in Tarantino's snappy dialogue, it trades for a twisted plot
worthy of a Greek tragedy. I can see why Quentin loved it and why it
won the Grand Prix at Cannes.
Right from the outset we are catapulted into the movie by the drama of one
man holding another man over the side of a building by his tie, set to a
racing soundtrack. Just before we can figure out what is going on we
flash back to the story of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik). As he is on his way
home with a present for his daughter he disappears, only to find himself
imprisoned in what seems like a hotel room with only a television set for
company. From the TV he learns that his wife and daughter have been
killed and he is the prime suspect. But there is nothing he can do as he
rots away in his cell, tortured by his isolation and by the mystery of his
captor. After 15 years he escapes and the opening scene is revisited with
both a interesting twist and a hilarious resolution. Oh Dae-su's rampage
begins, but he quickly learns that he is not as free as he thinks.
The most stunning thing about OLD BOY is the way Park Chan-wook sets up a
compelling dilemma and delivers on its resolution with the skill that only
a master director can summon. In one scene, about 15 guys stand in a hall
between Oh Dae-su and an elevator. He fights his way down the hall in one
continuous take, fraught with drama, engrossing action, and wonderful
comic timing. At the end of the scene the audience just exploded into
hysteria. Interesting angles, well placed music, and vibrant colors
round out some of the masterful touches Park Chan-wook uses to embellish
his story. Everyone appreciates a well developed scene that serves the
plot, but when you supplement it with this much flair it invites not just
satisfaction, but awe.
In the tradition of ear liberation, there are some stomach churning scenes
packed into OLD BOY: an octopus eaten alive, the yanking out of teeth,
and even a severed tongue. These aren't just thrown in to be disgusting -
they serve the story through symbolism, to build tension, and to reflect
the internal horrors that the characters are subjected to. Violence is a
big part of OLD BOY, but Oh Dae-su isn't your stock badass hero. He screws
up, gets tired, and gets plenty of kicking administered to his ass as
well.
Even though the film gets off to a racing start, the middle third is the
slowest. But this is a small price to play as the pieces are put into
place for a stunning conclusion. In the final act the film reveals itself
to be more than just a by-the-numbers revenge piece, having more of the
depth of a classic tragedy. The ending hits you like a punch in the gut,
but as you're gasping for breath you'll be begging for more. OLD BOY is a
shining example of the wonders coming out of South Korea at the moment,
and is a must-see for any film geek.
-Copernicus
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+ Expand All
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Woojin is by far and away the biggest, believable, piece of shit I've ever seen in a film
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Was it an intended, poor pun to post this "olds" because the film is titled OLDboy? It certainly can't be called "news", since the film has been out on DVD for half a year. Now it's on VCD, too. And the "special edition" is coming up, available for preorders. "News"...
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It kicked the shiit out of me and I still had a smile on my face! Top flick and worthy of another review!!
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I'll start. "Blue Velvet."
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On comingsoon.net all the cast in costume.
Good try with the thing. -
The costumes actually don't look bad at all. Even Grimm looks better than I thought he would.
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how many fucking OLD BOY reviews can one site publish in a year.
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QT isn't fit to lick dog shit off of Park Chan-wook's shoes. Why is it that anything that comes out on celluloid, that is remotely edgy, has to be compared with that hack of a filmaker Tarantino. OLDBOY stands head and shoulders above anything Tarantino has done, or ever will do. When will you dorks ever get tired of Tarantinos recycled garbage.
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how many more reviews of this do we need?? yes its great but can we have news on newer korean films please.
I could review some far better movies but I am not part of the AICN clique. -
http://kr.imagesearch.yahoo.com/search/image?p=oldboy
A visual aide always helps. -
I like him but I would like him more if he didn't have this cloud of suspicion regarding his plagerism.
Like the claim that he ripped of scene-by-scene a Hong Kong movie named "City of Fire" I think and that was Resovoir Dogs. Or Kill Bill is very similar to Lady Snowblood.
It's vaguley reminescent of the time white musicians ripped of Jazz and claimed it as their own.
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Oldboy is definitely a classic. The feeling this film gives you at the end is akin to getting kicked in the balls. Great story, great soundtrack,just great moviemaking. President Evil says it sucks, but doesn't elaborate. To each his own, but I think most people would have a hard time disliking this film. don't dismiss it!
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Sep 22, 2004 1:19:45 AM CDT
Oldboy is great, but I like Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance more.....
by jarek
Still, it's like comparing apples and oranges. They are both revenge films, but something about Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance resonates with me more. Can't wait to see what this guy has in store next.
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Sep 25, 2004 11:59:07 AM CDT
'This is the best Tarantino-esque film I've seen from anyone bes
by brundlefly
Are you fucking kidding me? Tarantino is the fucking hack rip-off merchant, his first films were written with the aid of superior talent Roger Avary and he's never made a better film! - Chan wook Park is the real fucking deal - he's got more talent in his little finger than Tarantino has in his whole body!
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