Review of Oldboy (2003) by Amanda C — 03 May 2012
There's a lot to like about Old Boy, unfortunately there's also a lot to dislike. Largely the conclusion seems to overshadow the gorgeous cinematography, but it's also a very slow paced film that feels longer than its two hours.
There's a lot of gore and disturbing moments that don't seem to have a point other than to see how far the filmmaker can push it. It's defiantly too far, leaving a very unsettling feeling afterward, and not the good unsettling, the kind that has no point other than just subtle disgust.
That said, there is a wry and defiantly twisted humor at work, that is slightly enjoyable for the first half of the film. That plus the slick editing makes the first half reasonably enjoyable. The second hour, however, ventures into territory that is a tad too graphic and defiantly crosses the line in terms of disturbing and pointlessness.
The formal mastery is still there, but it makes Old Boy a damn hard film to enjoy or get anything out of.
This review of Oldboy (2003) was written by Amanda C on 03 May 2012.
Oldboy has generally received very positive reviews.
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