Oldeuboi 2003

An average man is kidnapped and imprisoned in a shabby cell for 15 years without explanation. He then is released equipped with money a cellphone and expensive clothes. As he strives to explain his imprisonment and get his revenge Oh DaeSu soon finds out that his kidnapper has a greater plan for him and is set onto a path of pain and suffering in an attempt to uncover the motive of his mysterious tormentor.

Review

Oldboy takes a hammer and "batters" its American equivalents leaving them as pulped as a chewed up squid. Park Chan Wook displays what America misses with his ultrastylish ultraviolent thriller. Why watch Ben Affleck fail spectacularly to summon any displayable talent when Min sik Choi serves up a memorable role as the disturbed vengeful Dae Su Oh in the second of the Vengeance trilogy. Park skillfully creates a compelling plot that will have you guessing through the entire film up until the final shocking revelation. The Cinematography expertly done by Jeonghun Jeong who also worked on the follow up to this film Chinjeolhan geumjassi. Everything about this film is done in style and panache and creates a memorable experience and has many memorable scenes.

Many people accuse this film of being "unrealistic". These people forget that this a film not a documentary. No one complains About Star Wars being unrealistic and rightly so. Films have a right to stretch out reality don't forget the reason it does this is to be entertaining.

Although the film has strong violence of a graphic nature I advise you to watch it if only to broaden your perspectives of world and Asian cinema.