Oldboy - 2003

Only the Koreans deliver top notch revenge flicks... and this 2003 romp is generally considered the best, or at least, the most popular. Directed by Chan-wook Park from the Japanese anime of the same name, Oldboy received critical acclaim when it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 - most significantly from director Quentin Tarantino.

The story follows business man Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik; previously seen in I Saw the Devil) who on the night of his daughters birthday gets into a brawl and held at the local police station. After getting bailed out from his friend Joo-Hwan, Oh Dae-su goes to a pay phone to call his wife and tell her that he'll be running late.

Before he gets a chance to talk to them Oh Dae-su is taken and held in a small room. Without any knowledge of who has taken him and why, Oh Dae-su is held.. fed dumplings and forced to sit alone for the incredible period of 15 years. Attempts at suicide and self harm are useless, as whoever is holding him periodically gases the room... and during this time, the captors clean, and maintain his health with a dosage of drugs. Time passes, and Oh Dae-su spends his time getting fit.. and preparing himself for his release, so that when the time comes... he can find out who did this to him, and "rip him from limb to limb".

Oh Dae-su is released with a brand new suit on the top of a building and begins to piece together just where he was and who held him. Given a mobile phone and wallet full of cash by a man on the street, Oh Dae-su goes to a local restaurant where he meets Mi-do, a sweet young chef...

That'll do for the plot... any more would probably delve into spoiler zone and this is one film that I'm glad I wasn't told anything about. At a running length of 2 hours, the film just speeds along... and I think it's mainly due to the work of actor Choi Min-sik who transforms from this slightly stupid drunk into a man that will stop at nothing to find the man responsible for turning him into a beast.

The photography and edits are all great... One scene in particular that involves a hammer is exceptionally outstanding... and as expected with most Korean cinema, it's slick and stylish and violent. Not as bad as I was expecting, but a few scenes of teeth pulling did get my attention and make me sound like a little girl. If you're a fan of revenge films.. such as Kill Bill, I'd totally send you straight to the shops to pick this film up. You won't be disappointed.

The fun with all these movies is piecing together the puzzle and trying to figure out who is responsible for this horrible crime. There are plenty of twists and turns in this film and I can guarantee you that you won't be able to take your eyes off the dazzling work that's on display in this amazingly fun... but surprisingly depressing and miserable film. Loved it.

Naked - 1993

Next up on my cinematic smorgasbord... Mike Leigh's 1993 masterpiece.... Click here for my video review!! Happy Valentines Day... HAHAH

Machinist, The - 2004

Most well known as "that film where he lost all that weight", The Machinist is an excellent psychological thriller that will keep you guessing and staring at the stupidly skinny Christian Bale.

Directed by Brad Anderson (who's work you'd know from many HBO series) it follows the life of Trevor Reznik, a machinist who has been suffering insomnia for the past year. His massive weight loss and odd behaviour has caused his work colleagues to distance themselves from him... and when he is responsible for one of his co-workers to lose an arm they turn on him and things begin to get crazy!!! After trying to find the man who was distracting him at the time of the accident, it is revealed that not only is there no record of this man (Ivan) working at the plant, but no one else has seen him before. Convinced that this is all an elaborate plan to drive Trevor insane, he goes on a journey to discover the truth and find out what the visions he's been having mean.

I won't go too far into the plot of this film, because part of the fun I found was just going along with the ride and discovering things as Reznik does.

The film was shot in and around Barcelona and looks incredible. I found the cinematography to be incredibly beautiful... and even though it used a monochromatic palette, it totally captures the dark and twisted world that Trevor is living in. Blues, greens and greys are used so effectively here ... and it's almost jarring when something red or bright comes onto the screen... I'm assuming that was a deliberate choice of director Brad Anderson.

It was reported that Christian Bale lost 28 kilo's for the role... stating on the DVD commentary that his diet of 1 apple and a cup of coffee helped him achieve such a scary weight loss. It pays off... with many of the scenes in this film Bale is topless and or running around in clothes that just drape off him. Bale portrays the insanity and struggle of his character very well, and also invests you emotionally in his downward spiral... Jennifer Jason Leigh also stars in this film as a prostitute that develops feelings for Reznik and does a standard job.

It runs at a brief 97 minutes and I feel it's a perfect length. Whilst I did pick the twist at the end, it was still an enjoyable film and reminds you that beneath all the yelling that Bale does in films like Batman and Terminator, there is a really talented man here... that can not only lose shit loads of weight in films... but act his pants off.

Leon (aka The Professional) - 1994

Look, I know this is a 90's classic... and I should've already seen it... but whatever ok... jeeze. Get off my back!!

This slick film is directed by the talented Luc Besson; who is best known for giving us Milla Jovovich with fluoro orange hair and tight white stripping... But in this film, he has given us a break-through performance by an incredibly talented Natalie Portman.

If you're not familiar with the story, it follows Leon (played by Jean Reno) a "cleaner" (hitman) living a solitary life in New York City. He spends his time looking after his pot plant, watching Gene Kelly films and working out. He receieves his jobs from a man named Tony, who runs an Italian restaurant. One day, he meets Mathilda (Natalie Portman) who lives in the same apartment building. The two instantly strike up a slightly odd connection. Mathilda lives with her trashy family with her father who stores drugs for crooked DEA agents. When they find out that her father is taking a certain percentage of drugs for his own personal use, they execute everyone... except Mathilda who is out buying milk. When she arrives back, he walks straight past her door, seeing her father face down and pumped full of bullets... Realising she has no way of being safe, she rings on the door of Leon. After some hesitation, he lets her in and begins training her how to "clean" (be an assassin).

I always knew this movie was regarded by the geeks as a classic genre film, but I was hesitant in watching it because my expectations were high. Having know watched the Director's Cut, I can say with all certainty that this is one kick-ass film.

It's stylish direction just threw me in and I was blown away by Portman in his role. The whole film relies on her for you to invest in her character... She is sweet and kind, but you can also see deep down inside that she is a broken soul. Jean Reno is also great fun as Leon. He portrays a serious and deadly killer and his methodical nature to his life is perfect for the character of someone who "sleeps with one eye open". Playing the baddie in this film is a Gary Oldman, who gets some golden moments of cheezy acting in this film. The scenes where he takes some pills and does his little shiver are brilliant.

The music choices are all excellent, and used effectively through-out the film... although I was kinda wondering why Sting was used for the closing credits... it did feel a touch out of place. The film was shot mostly in New York and the city looks great and really adds to the chaos and craziness that the characters are living in. As I said at the beginning, the film is slick... The camera angles and cuts are all pretty fine.. there were a few shots in the film that I'd never seen before... and that's always fun to discover. I was lucky enough to see the Director's Cut and knowing the scenes that were left out, I'm glad I did... At a running length of 2 hrs and 12 minutes it zips along...

There were a few moments of predictability and some scenes of sentimentality that I probably could've lived without... But overall this is a great ride and a pretty enjoyable film. Portman is ridiculously good in this role... and it's no wonder she's gone on to do great work in Black Swan. If you wanna see the inspiration for Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass .. then look no further.

Great 90's action!!!

Katyn - 2007

Kinda not the movie I wanted to be watching at 10am this morning, but nevertheless, I stuck with it and gave it a go... And while is was not the best viewing or the easiest, it was certainly something that stuck with me and shed some light on a moment in history that I had no idea about.

For those of you out there like me, shocking with history, Katyn is a town approximately 19km west of Smolensk in Russia where in 1940 it's estimated that 22,000 people were murdered and buried in shallow graves by the Russian Soviet Secret Police. Some really heavy fucking shit.

Now, I won't go into the details of all the history of that... firstly because I would probably be the worst person to talk to... and secondly, this is a film blog... not a National Geographic blog.

Directed by Academy Award winning director Andrzej Wajda and based on the book Post Mortem: The Story of Katyn (by Andrzej Mularczyk) the film is told through the eyes of the mothers, wives and children of the officiers that are killed. The plot is fairly straight forward here... and i guess Wajda isn't really interested in detailed and heavy narrative to get the message of the truth out there...

When father Andrzej is captured by the Soviet Army, he keeps a detailed journal of the events that are taking place; complete with the names and rankings of people being taken away. On a particularly cold night, a man named Jerzy lends him a jacket that just so happens to have his name sewn into it. When Andrzej and Jerzy become separated, Jerzy is sent home just before a Nazi Propaganda list is released, showing that Jerzy in fact died... and Andrzej is still alive. In 1943, when Germany discovers the mass graves, they blame the Soviets... However, in post war Poland, history was re-written by the Russians... Finally, the truth can be told.

Enough of my shocking attempts of history lessons... I haven't seen any of Wadja's previous films, although his name is definitely one I have heard of. Considering he made this film at the ripe age of 81, he is a true craftsman.. and his efforts are all on display here.

This is a fine film, an important one... One that you can't really fault. The cast are all superb and convey all the horrible emotions of the time... The film looks and feels amazing. I was lucky enough to have bought this on blu-ray and the HD transfer makes everything look incredible. The locations are all beautifully photographed with some great tones of grey, blue and brown and the shots are all classically and choreographed elegantly.

The music reminded me a bit of a Hans Zimmer score... Although that would be the only thing I could really fault... As I said, this is an extraordinary film maker at the top of his game... I think you can honestly tell the emotional investment in this film that Wadja has... (his father was an officer killed in Kaytn) so, the film has that honesty and isn't really pulling any emotional manipulation strings. It simply speaks for itself.

So, if you're a fan of Schindler's List, Downfall or just history in general, this film is certainly one that should be seen... And now thanks to Andrzej Wadja, a new generation will know the truths behind one of histories greatest lies.

Julia - 2008

Just when you thought there couldn't be any more flicks about desperate chicks needing money and going to great lengths to get said cash... I proved you wrong with this indie film starring Oscar winner Tilda Swinton.

Co-written and directed by French film-maker Erick Zonca, it premiered at the Berlin Film Festival where it was widely regarded as one of the highlights of the festival and Swinton's performance the best the panel had viewed. I remember a few years ago critic Roger Ebert was campaigning for the Academy to acknowledge Swinton's performance also... Unfortunately it didn't do much good, but thanks to all the recognition, I found myself buying this film and overall liking it.

As I mentioned, Julia is the story of an alcoholic, reckless woman; who's one night stands and drunken bursts contribute to her losing her job as a real estate agent and back into AA meetings. It is here where she meets Elena. After Elena finds Julia passed out on the road one night, she takes her back to her apartment where she offers Julia a proposition- kidnap her son Tom from her ex-husband. Elena promises good money to Julia should everything go smoothly. When it is revealed that Elena doesn't have the money and will be delivered to Julia at a later date, Julia takes things into her own hands and comes up with a plan. Realising how much "extra" money she could earn, Julia decides to kidnap the son and hold him ransom from his mother... "The double cross of a fucking lifetime" she says.

As usual in these fucking misery fests, things don't go so well and poor old Julia is forced into some disgusting and absolutely horrible situations. Tilda Swinton; who I have always enjoyed watching.. (even as the White Witch in Narnia) is outstanding in this film. I'm pretty sure had they not snagged her in this role, the film wouldn't have been made and or been pretty average. She brings so much to this character... and even though it's one we are all used to watching... Swinton's acting chops are just full on. She brings a great level of strength and smarts to this seemingly useless and messed up individual. The supporting cast are all equally competent... with the highlight being Tom, played by Aiden Gould (brother to the talented Nolan who you'd know from Modern Family)

The film is shot mostly with hand-held cameras- giving it that intimate and gritty nature. Also being shot on location in California and Mexico adds to the realistic nature that makes this film all the more believable.

Whilst I had some issues with the length (running at 2 hrs and 15 mins), I was mostly disappointed with the ending. I won't give too much away... but I was hoping ... perhaps that Julia's redemption was a bit more deserved and without giving anything away I found it a bit more convenient than anything else.

After all is said and done, this film is not a compulsory watch, but if you like solid acting from a strong leading lady... this film will deliver.

I Saw the Devil - 2010

It wasn't my intention to watch 2 films in a row with the word devil included in the title, but it seems to have happened. Fate? Or co-incidence? Maybe I have to go back to the island? Hmm.. maybe not.

Anyways, this Korean gem belongs to director Kim Ji-woon; one of the top 3 Korean film-makers around at the moment. Following a rather long and great tradition of "vengeance" this

film takes it to the next level and just when you think it couldn't go anywhere else or go any further... You're already down the next path.

The story follows Kim Soo Hyun- a secret agent who after the death of his fiancee, tracks down her killer... only to catch him.... release him... and do this over and over until... well, one of them meets their grizzly end. Ok, so the story isn't amazing... or is it something we haven't seen before... but the violence and level that the story takes it to is unlike anything I have seen before.

I am a fan of Kim Ji-woon's previous films... the first being "A Bittersweet Life" and the rather interesting Korean western "The Good, The Bad, The Weird" ... The man is a really fascinating director, and I have always responded to his interesting use of the camera and the way he pushes boundaries in terms of the stylish flairs of his films. You can totally see the progression that has come before and led to this film, which is not his best.. but certainly the most ambitious.

Fans of the epic film "Oldboy" will wet themselves at the sight of actor Choi Min-sik as the fucking bananas villian in this film... a killer that has absolutely no problem with cutting up women, stabbing victims 60 million times... just for fun. Some reviews have called this film over the top and ridiculous, but I thought everything in this film... whilst not justified was certainly plausible. I especially loved how everyone is portrayed as a monster... and the line between "revenge" and becoming a fucking psychopath is so blurred it almost needed me to get an OPSM appointment.

If you love love LOVE Korean cinema and respond well to seeing people tortured and getting their just desserts, then this film is for you. And if that's not really your thing, then at least the main character is a MEGA BABE!