I don’t know where to put movie recommendations on this board, so I opened a new threat. Maybe there should be a sticky “Movies Forumosans like”.
Anyway, here goes:
Watched the movie a couple of days ago and it left me speechless. It is so intense and wonderfully executed. It was also the first time in a long while that when I left the movie theatre I had to think for an hour or so to understand the ending.
Looks at a sensitive topic from a very unusual perspective and contains some surprising shots. Watch it!
It is a 2003 Korean movie, but I don’t remember the director (too lazy to google). Basically there is a guy who out of the blue is being imprisoned for 15 years in some private facility. He has no clue why. One day he is released just as abruptly. Now he wants to find out what the hell all that was about.
The movie takes some surprising and sometimes funny twists and turns from there until it gives you a hint about the reason for the imprisonment. When you watch the movie, pay very close attention to the photo album, otherwise you won’t get it.
I don’t want to give too much away. If you want to know more, just google Oldboy.
Very interested in seeing this film. Anyone know if/when it is available in Taiwan? I’ve scoured high and low but can’t track down any info on its release here.
I loved this movie. It won the Grand Prize at the 2004 Cannes.
You can pick up the DVD in HK. It’s part of a trilogy. The third movie, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, came out in Korea earlier in the summer. The DVD will be out soon in Korea.
I just picked up the first movie, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. Gonna watch it tonight. Can’t wait.
I’ve been looking for it myself. Well I’ve been looking for the DVD without success. You can definitely get it in HK. Last time I went for a Visa run, I saw it at the electronics shop in the HK airport.
The 1st movie of the trilogy has been on DVD for sometime. I think even in the US. The 3rd will be soon in Korea and maybe other parts of asia. Best chance is to order the DVDs online.
I picked up the DVD in the mainland. Normally, I’m a big fan of bloody violent movies, but this one did nothing for me. The cinematography is great and there were some neat twists in the beginning. But the ending, where the guy finds out why he’s been locked away for 15 years, reaches for the Shakespearean, but comes across as way too implausible to have any sort of dramatic weight.
But it’s gotten a lot of rave reviews, so you might like it anyhow.
Yeah, I watched it a couple time already. I got a copy from HK and the english subtitles were OK. Awesome.
If you liked it, you should check out Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, the first in the director’s “Revenge Trilogy”. It’s also incredibly good. But be warned that some parts of it are rather hard to watch. it made me flinch a few times.
I’m waiting for Sympathy for Ms. Vengeance to come out on DVD. I read today it’s meant to be the best of the three movies.
The “trilogy” is not a trilogy, really. Just three films from the same director with vaguely similar themes. SYMPATHY FOR MISTER VENGENCE is the better of the three.
OLDBOY was originally a Japanese manga (comic book to normal folks like slick Ric) and you might do well to hunt it down. OB is overrated but not a bad film. The lead actor, Chae Min-shik is a great actor and does well in the films HAPPY END, CHIHWASON (spelling might be botched) and CRYING FIST. All three of those films are worth hunting down.
