Hey everybody!
I can't tell you how hard it is to be a senior.
I thought it would be easier; however, it's not. Being a senior definitely means being busy:-D There's a lot going on in your life. Thank God that I still have time to watch movies. Recently, I saw a movie that definitely blew my mind. I mean, the way the movie represented… Gosh! Last week I saw this interesting revenge story directed by Chan-wook Park. The name of the movie is "Oldeuboi," or, in English, "Old Boy" (2003). It seems to resemble the "Kill Bill" series, but in fact it doesn't.   I mean, this kind of revenge story has been used many times. For instance, lately we have seen "The Punisher." The film was a total disappointment for many of us. Wasn't it? At least it was for me. But again we realize that it's not only the story that makes a movie flawless. How the movie is represented also plays a key role.

Let me give you some brief information about this movie. The story unfolds in the year 1988, and the name of our hero is OH Dae-su. He has a lovely wife and an adorable daughter. One day our hero is kidnapped and finds himself locked up in a private cell. Although he attempts to escape several times, OH Dae-su always fails. He tries to figure out why he is in this position. What has he actually done to deserve this? While suffering from these question marks in his head, OH Dae-su receives the news that his wife and daughter have been murdered. At this moment, OH Dae-su swears to take revenge on the mysterious person who destroyed his life.
Initially, this movie would seem really harsh to an audience not familiar with this type of genre (in terms of its violence). In my view, Chan-wook Park's style resembles Tarantino's (Tarantino rocks!).

The resemblance becomes evident as the story develops. Although "Kill Bill" is the movie that first came to my mind, this is not actually a "Kill Bill"-type revenge story. But there is a huge spirit of vitality throughout this movie. Min-sik Choi (OH Dae-su) in particular has this incredible acting ability and charisma running in his blood. His hair, his clothes, and even his speech fit perfectly with the story. Besides, we see here an interesting Far Eastern style of acting. The actors and actresses play their parts in a sharp and determined way uncommon in Hollywood films. Their acting makes me feel like I'm watching a film where each line of the script asks or answers a yes or no question. There is no exaggeration, no emotional exploitation, etc. The characters are just straight with you.

I believe the movie is definitely worth seeing, since it will give you something brand new, a taste of Far Eastern cinema. The movie is currently showing at all of Ankara's best-known movie theatres. So, have fun and stay cool!
FYI: "Old Boy" won the Grand Prix Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004.

Rating:

Atilla Karakurum (IE/IV)