Review: Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Reviews

Lady Vengeance

Park's unsettling vision

By BRETT MICHEL | June 7, 2006

3.0 Stars

LADY VENGEANCE: Staring even deeper into the abyss.

Where Oldboy flaunted its operatic grandeur and technical virtuosity, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance favored an unflinching vérité approach to its Möbius strip of tragic revenge. Difficult to watch, it was also impossible to look away from. In the final installment of his “vengeance” trilogy, Park Chan-wook provokes you to stare even deeper into the abyss; some (parents with young children) might finally blink. The prison-set first half comprising a humorous succession of fractured flashbacks establishes Lee Yeong-ae as “The Kind Ms. Geum-ja,” the angelic patron saint of her prison mates. After 13 years, Geum-ja is released, and her sole purpose is to take revenge on Mr. Baek (Oldboy’s Choi Min-sik), the true perpetrator of the child’s murder for which she was convicted. For the first time, choice is introduced into the resolution — a satisfying, unsettling conclusion to Park’s uncompromising vision.

Related: Review: Thirst, Bong hits, Better transformers, More

Topics: Reviews , Park Chan-wook

| More

ARTICLES BY BRETT MICHEL

REVIEW: GIRL IN PROGRESS | May 15, 2012
As rites of passage go, Girl in Progress is a step backward for the genre.

REVIEW: FIRST POSITION | May 10, 2012
While not the most probing look at rising stars, Bess Kargman's documentary focuses on six aspiring contestants preparing for the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix competition (a proven entry point into the world of professional ballet) who demonstrate dazzling talent.

REVIEW: THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL | May 03, 2012
Filled with Indian (and British) clichés, it is nonetheless a pleasant diversion that doesn't involve special effects or 3D glasses.

REVIEW: BLUE LIKE JAZZ | April 12, 2012
A faith-based film directed by Christian recording artist Steve Taylor, adapted by Taylor and Donald Miller from the latter's 2003 memoir, this micro-budgeted indie tries to appeal to everyone by not offending anyone . . . except those who like movies.

REVIEW: JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI | April 04, 2012
Eighty-five-year-old Jiro, with his unchanging expression and bald pate, resembles a wizened turtle. Leaving home at age 9 and forced to fend for himself, he would become the world's greatest sushi chef.