Oldboy

The more I think about OLDBOY, the more I like it.

I knew the movie's premise going in: a guy's imprisoned for 15 years with no explanation, no words from his captors, and no clue why such a fate has befallen him. Upon gaining his freedom, he sets out to exact his revenge. Armed with this knowledge, I expected a Korean version of the THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, only with much worse food. Initially, OLDBOY reinforces this expectation, even referencing the novel at one point. Before long, however, the film subverts both the Monte Cristo story and many of the tropes of popular narrative film, taking us to wholly unexpected places. Events pile on events, decisions on decisions, and soon we find ourselves in a story that has more in common with Aeschylus than Dumas. Gripping, provocative, and thoughtful to the end, OLDBOY succeeds on every level.

48 Lines About 17 Movies

Long business trips often translate into many nights alone in hotel rooms. Here's a brief rundown of the pictures with which I passed the time.

OLDBOY. Every time I see this movie, I see something new. This time around, I focused on color composition. Once again, I came away dazzled.

MR. 3000. A mildly entertaining, by-the-numbers comedy about a Barry Bonds - like baseball player who learns an Important Life Lesson while trying to make a comeback.

DAZED AND CONFUSED. Linklater creates teenagers who actually think, talk, and act like teenagers. His slice-of-life picture gives us big moments disguised as small ones and small moments that feel right. This one's a winner.

BOILER ROOM. An indictment of get-rich-quick culture, BR boasts interesting characters, compelling situations, and terrific dialogue.

KISS KISS, BANG BANG. My wife put this on her queue, and I can't wait to see it again. I missed half the movie the first time because I was laughing so hard.

THE BEST OF YOUTH. Actually, it's an Italian miniseries that has been loosely redefined as a very long movie. Regardless of its length, this one made me lose track of time as I bonded with its characters and developed a keen interest in their respective life paths. I may purchase this one.

THE DA VINCI CODE. A reasonably entertaining adaptation of a reasonably entertaining book.

SYRIANA. This just in - the business of America is business.

RUNNING SCARED. The more I think about it, the more I like it. RS is a layered, sophisticated tale disguised as an over-the-top, ultraviolent cime picture.

SUPER TROOPERS. I don't understand why this isn't a cult hit of Lebowskian magnitude. It's riotously funny, particularly when viewed with a roomful of people.

THE BIG LEBOWSKI. This movie gets funnier every time I see it.

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE. This mean-spirited film expects us to laugh at, not with its (alien) people. I hated, hated, hated it.

REMEMBER ME, MY LOVE. This domestic drama traces the lives of a nuclear family at a moment of profound transition. Interestingly, you wind up feeling the most for the one who almost tears everything apart.

VAN WILDER. I reasonably amusing college picture that pretty much coasts by on the Ryan Reynolds' charisma. Look for the inspired casting of Tim Matheson as the titular character's father.

MEAN STREETS. Early Scorcese featuring Keitel and DeNiro before the latter descended into schtick. Very nice.

REVENGE OF THE CREATURE. All gill-man, very little Amazon. This one did not capture my imagination.

TOUCH THE SOUND. Evelyn Glennie overcame deafness to become a professional musician. She uses her gifts to create music I don't care to hear.