Review of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) by Jean-Paul S — 20 Sep 2008

I had the misfortune of seeing this film after the other two in the "Vengeance Trilogy," and as such, I think my view of it is colored somewhat. "Sympathy" lacks the gripping twist of "Oldboy," the disturbing moral quandry of "Lady Vengeance," and much of the dark humor of both. What it does have is a genuinely sad, interesting story. And taken on its own merits--as opposed to an installment in a trilogy--it really isn't a bad film at all.

The choice of a deaf mute as the main character was certainly an interesting one, and led to a unique point of view for most of the story. And the story itself is less about revenge for most of the running time, and more about Murphy's Law. And that feeling carries through into the revenge section as well. I have something of a penchant for films with no happy ending, and "Sympathy" executes that very well.

That isn't to say it's without its faults. Certain plot points don't seem to fit together particularly well, (exactly how the kidnapping went through in the first place, the random retarded guy who wanders/lives down by the river, etc.) But if you take everything as a whole, this is at its core a pretty good film.