Boys Keep Swinging

Wow. What a freakin' punch to thuh gut, that movie Oldboy. Came out around 2003 in Korea but was finally just released state-side on DVD recently, and after trying to watch it in English dubbing I switched over to subtitles immediately because the dub sounded comically "off" to me for some reason. I generally prefer foreign films subbed over dubbed anyway, but I can usually muck through when there isn't much choice. However in this case it really does make a whole world of difference.

Based on the manga of the same name, Oh Dae-su is just a normal married man with infant daughter who is kidnapped and held prisoner in a tiny one-room apartment without human contact and absolutely no word of explanation as to why. When he is finally, mysteriously released after 15 years Dae-su is hell-bent on revenge against his torturer and with the help of a pretty young sushi chef named Mi-do he tries to piece together the mystery behind his unexplained imprisonment and torture, but although he may be physically free from that tiny little one-room apartment, his 15 year-long tormenter has only just begun to make Dae-su's life truly miserable.

This story unfolds like a fable, a Greek tragedy told with kinetic editing and special effects that enhance yet never overwhelm the picture or obscure the acting. One of those rare thrillers that keep you guessing all the way to the very last frame of the film, and for one as jaded as I that's quite a mighty fine treat to experience every now and then.

Oh yeah, the octopus scene? Ew.

And what with thuh teeth and all? I had a less squirmy experience watching Marathon Man.

Go git it, ya'll.