Together
with the female inmates Geum-Ja helped and manipulated in
prison, her plan of revenge begins to take shape when she is
released. Matters
complicate when Geum-Ja's daughter, living with adopted
Australian parents, insists on returning to Korea.
And Choi Min-Sik's abominable Mr Baek harbours a
secret far greater than being responsible for the botched
kidnapping Geum-Ja did time for.
The
restrained visual style of 'JSA' and 'Sympathy for Mr
Vengeance' has now been replaced with the directorial
pyrotechnics of 'Oldboy';
digital effects, a rich white and red colour scheme and the
most fluid camerawork since David Fincher's, this is a feast
for the eyes. However,
there is more than CGI-candy: 'Sympathy for Lady Vengeance'
is loaded with religious imagery, but Geum-Ja's dark
wardrobe and a subtle use of hellish crimsons suggests she is
not solely on the side of the angels.
Park's
storytelling audacity outdoes his other Vengeance movies:
using an intricate flashback structure the first hour recalls
Geum-Ja's prison time and the formation of her plan, which
isn't revealed until near the halfway point, and then only
to a minor character. The
playful, kinetic style of the first hour alters midway to a
far darker, more upsetting second hour when Geum-Ja carries
out her plan to kidnap Mr Baek and discovers the situation is
more extreme than she imagined.
Park
risks losing his audience with this abrupt shift, but those
willing to stay the course can expect a thrilling, rocky
journey. Although
containing less onscreen violence than 'Sympathy
For Mr. Vengeance' or 'Oldboy', here it is far
ghastlier. Accusations
of bad taste will be fired from some quarters, but Park is not
afraid to morally assault his audience.
Lee's
hungry performance as Geum-Ja is far removed from the
nice-girl roles that made her famous in Korea, but as the
beautiful avenging angel (and devil) she gives a career best.
Choi Min-Sik belies his sympathetic performance in 'Oldboy'
or 'Crying Fist' with a
portrayal of pure evil.
Providing
meat for the mind as well as fireworks for the senses 'Sympathy
for Lady Vengeance'
is one of the best films of 2006.
Park's next film, the tentatively titled I'm a Cyborg, But That's Okay will prove whether he can serve
warm dishes as well as cold.
Rating:
