It's a while since I saw this and forgive me if it's not Oldboy but Old Boy but I can't recommend this film highly enough. It's very intense, violent and certainly not one for the squeamish - but it's actually a wonderful tragedy of great reach - again very adult but well worth a watch. Korean, I think. Where's my coffee, brain not yet quite engaged...

Sarah

Sarah, if you haven't already done so check out the third in the trilogy, Sympathy for Lady Veageance which I think easily tops Oldboy.

Another great Korean film is Memories of Murder based upon the events surrounding Korea's first serial killer.

Geoff

I liked both these films, and agree that Lady Vengeance was even more thrilling than Oldboy. I think the full title was 'sympathy for Lady Vengeance' and there was another called 'Sympathy for Mr Vengeance', which I borrowed on DVD and th estory was told from the point of view of the sadistic husband. ( I think) There was a whole spate of Korean films last year - a Korean Film Festival at the Barbican and some screenings at the Curzon Mayfair. I'm a member of an organisation called Asia House that offers discounts to screenings. I think there's another Festival coming soon.

They all seemed to be very violent. Does anybody remember that film with floating cabins on a lake and a masochistic female attendant? There was some horrible busness with a fish-hook. I've forgotten the title but it was a follow-on from a film called 'Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter..then Spring Again.'

I wrote a review of a Korean film called '3-Iron', also good, about a husband's revenge on his unfaithful wife.

A really violent film was 'Blood and Bones' starring 'Beat Takeshi' but not sure if it was Korean.

Sheila

Sheila, I bought that film with the fish hook for my husband for christmas - it's under the Tartan Extreme label which should have given fair warning - sat down to watch with several family members, but oh dear! Strangely hypnotic but so sadistic and well, just horrible really. I think we turned off at the fish hook point... it almost seemed pornographic though, I should watch til the end sometime. It was just too painful and almost too private for a group event, if you know what I mean.

I found Lady Vengeance very good, and think I will watch that again very soon. But there was something about Oldboy that really stuck with me.

There is something so raw and uncompromising about many of these films. It makes you realise how sanitised Hollywood has become. Painful is not necessarily bad, and sometimes we need to confront these very real, though not necessarily pretty emotions.

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Geoff - I'll look out for Memories of Murder - thanks for that.

No, I agree it isn't at all suitable for a family Christmas movie.

Sheila

Anyone seen Ichi the Killer.... now that's violence I know I should watch Old Boy, but my boyf. won't watch such violent films any more, so I'm a bit stuck for someone to see them with!

Oldboy is violent but also deeply moving, not to say tragic. I would recommend you see it. Please do... Leila.

S