Darth Stujitzu's Reviews

Oldboy 2003 Directed by Chan Wook Park


Describing this film in one word would be easy, it's a stright out tale of " Revenge ".
Oh Dae-Su seems an average drunken business man, until one night he is kidnapped and held in the same room for fifteen years. Upon his release he finds himself armed with a mobile phone from which he must follow clues to find why he was held captive and by whom.
Enlisting the help of a friendly waitress Mi-do, the two set off in search of missing clues as to his captives where abouts and motives.

This is a taught thriller, and although it drags a little in the middle, I was completely absorbed in the story and its ultimate finale. There is graphic violence, and those of a squeamish disorder probably should give it a miss, especially for the squid scene. I did get the twist early on, but I was looking for it, so perhaps keeping an open mind on this film will serve you better for the surprise ending.
A thoroughly enjoyable revenge movie that ticks all the right boxes.

Rating 4/5

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Hey Pepe, would you say I have a plethora of presents?


Toga, toga, toga......


Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbour?

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring 2003 Directed by Ki-duk Kim


Probably one of the most beautifully shot movies I have ever seen.

Set in the middle of an isolated lake, the film tells the story of a young monk and his Master going about their daily lives and teechings. Seasons and years pass, untill the young monk becomes a man, and problems arise when a sick girl comes to stay with them.
The young monk's sexual awakening leads him to turn his back on his master and elope with the girl. Unsuited to life in the outside world, the young monk commits an unforgiveable sin, and susequently returns to seek out spiritual enlightenment.

This movie moves at a snail's pace at certain moments, but the scenery and cinematograpy are so beautiful, that you feel like you're studying a painting in a museum. I've never seen such an ideal and tranquil setting for a film, for those intrested in cinematography this is a must see film.

Rating 4/5

Crikey! I look forward to your Isle Of Man review thread some time in August.

Seriously though, do you really think Oldboy is twice as good as SFMV?

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

Yeah, I just thought Oldboy looked better, and the story was less disjointed. I think Park is improving as a director, but on the whole, I didn't really like SFMV that much.
Oldboy to me was more of a westernized thriller, so it comes as no surprise to see rumours of a Hollywood remake with Nic Cage playing the lead character. I saw Oldboy first, so this might be why I liked it more, but SFMV was a tad too tragic and gorry for me, I'm no big girl's blouse, but I found the violence a little too realistic and very disturbing.
I guess the difference between the two films is that SFMV is phyisically harming, while Oldboy is more about mental harm, which can have far longer and more devastating effects.


P.S. September for the Isle of Man thread, waiting on the new documentary about fishing to come out!!!

Thanks for that.

To be honest, I wouldn't put either film anywhere near my list of favourites. I liked Oldboy on first viewing, more polished than Vengeance certainly. I've found more in the earlier film from repeated viewing though - Oldboy, for me, set up the finale nicely but seemed to disappear up it's own lens during the final third. Sympathy For Mr Vengeance, though less flamboyant, was more even (not in terms of narrative, more in texture and tone) and, given the choice, I'd pick it over it's trendier cousin every time. That said, I'd give both 3/5.

No, none of the films so far are my favourite asian films, but they're probably the most recently viewed, I will get round to doing more reviews on this thread soon, but I'm updating my Scottish thread at the moment, and I am thinking about doing a British Independant film thread.
Don't worry, I'll soon run out of steam, but as I'm a relative newbie, and I've been looking for decent conversation about movies for ages, I'll strike whilst I still have the enthusiasmn and energy!!!

Hey, just when you think you've run out of steam, have a gallon of Red Bull. Keep 'em coming.

Sonatine 1993 directed by Takeshi Kitano


The multi talented director/actor and commedian " Beat " Takeshi Kitano's superb take on the mob movie.

Takeshi plays Murakawa, an old school Yakuza boss dissgruntled with his chosen life and contemplating retirement. Murakawa is dispatched to the island of Okinawa to intervene in a Yakuza gang war. Caught in a crossfire, Murakawa and his men flee to a seaside safehouse where all there is to do is play childish games and contemplate their lifestyle, before the ultimate bloody showdown.


A slow moving disection of a man fed up with his criminal life and on the brink of a mental breakdown. Beautifully shot, the wide angled shots helping to create their isolation and the beauty of the surrounding seaside. Takeshi gives a strong but subtle performance, and his blank emotionless face makes him all the more menacing and hard to read. For me Takeshi's film is a more intelligent take on this style of movie, Tarantino is a huge fan of his, and his influences can be seen in almost every Tarantino film. The main difference for me is that Takeshi doesn't rely on quirky dialogue or a kitsch soundtrack to fill out his movies, indeed he focuses more on the performance of his actors and the look of his films. Not always great fun, but if you're a fan of Tarantino then checking out Takeshi's films is a must.


Rating 4/5

Glad you liked Sonatine, I'd hate to think I wasted someone's money.

I can't make any comparisons with QT personally, though he had something to do with the Tokyo Bullett label that released a few Kitano movies on R2 hadn't he? (or did I dream it?) For me, their styles are totally different.

O.K. so I've already done some threads on specific genres, but this will be my general reviews for all the other films that don't fit into those chosen genres.
I'm not going to start with my favourite films, but instead will just review movies as I see them.
Enjoy people and feel free to comment, agree, disagree or bow down and praise me, especially if you're a hottie!!!

Stander 2003 Directed By; Bronwen Hughes



Set in South Africa in the 70's, Stander tells the true story of police captain Stander who turned to armed robbery and became notorious for his daring raids and for his ability to outsmart the local police.
Thomas Jane is Stander, with Deborah Kara Unger plays his wife, whilst David O'Hara( Braveheart's Irish King) and Dexter Fletcher complete Stander's gang.
The first half hour or so builds up Stander's growing frustration at the political enviroment and the police's heavy handed responses to civil unrest. Eventually caught after one bank raid too many, he serves two years in prison, before escaping and becoming a better and more notorious armed robber.

The film's pace is good, the acting is of a high level, and a lot of work was obviously put into the difficult South African accents. Thomas Jane is one of those actors who has yet to really make his mark, The Punisher wasn't the success predicted, but I feel given a better role he can show that he is a talented actor with much to offer. Unlike most action stars, Jane can also pull off the films more complex emotional scenes without looking like a fish out of water.
Not the greatest film, but a worthwhile effort, and it kept me intrested until the end.

Rating 3.5/5

The man who cried 2003 Directed by; Sally Potter


The man who cried follows the story of Suzie a young Russian Jew sent to London to avoid the building tension and subsequent German invasion. Years later Suzie moves to Paris and falls in love with a Gypsy horse handler, but again the imminent threat of a Nazi invasion forces Suzie to leave the man she loves and go in search of her long last father in America.

What first drew my attention to this film was the cast, Christina Ricci is Suzie , with Johnny Depp as Cesar the Gypsy, John Turturro as Italian opera singer, and Cate Blanchett as a selfish Russian dancer.
Despite having a strong cast, there is little to recommend in this film. There is no chemistry between any of the characters, Ricci's english accent, much like Blanchett's Russian accent become annoying, and I was surprised at how second rate the acting was. Even Johnny Depp, one of my favourite actor gives a below par performance, and his on screen relationship with Ricci is very flat and not very believeable.
I don't know too much about Sally Potter as a director, she also wrote the screenplay, but perhaps in the hands of a more skilled director, there might have been more to recommend. What was a very oppulent time in Paris, the roaring 20's seems dull and lacking any real excitement. Even Depp's gang of Gypsy's have no charm or real warmth compared to a similar role in Chocolat, indeed the whole film lacks any real emotion or sense of imminent peril with the Nazi invasion of Paris.
This is a low budget film that feels more like a stage play, and I was glad when the rather timid and unemotional ending came, a very dissapointing effort for an all star cast.

Rating 1/5

Donnie Darko 2001 Directed by; Richard Kelly


Donnie Darko is the story of a troubled teen, trying to figure out why he is having bizarre nightmares and hallucinations involving a demonic rabbit called Frank.


Twisted is probably the best one word description of Donnie Darko, a surreal and slightly bizzare psychological thriller. Now regarded by many as a cult film, I never tire of watching this multi-layered disection of teenage life in surburban America. Similar to American Beauty, this film has loads of hidden meanings and can take a good few viewings to work it out. Perhaps because it's set in the 80's, I relate to this movie a bit more, maybe it's even a little bit of nostalgia, but if you posses an open mind I highly recommend Donnie Darko for your viewing pleasure.
Well shot and acted, especially Jake Gyllenhaal as Donnie, it's one of those films you either get or don't like, there is a slightly supernatural feel to the whole movie, and although at times it can appear a little slow, the ending is worth the wait.
A great soundtrack for 80's teenagers like myself, Donnie Darko is just one of those movies I can watch again and again, a modern day classic for a mad world!

Rating 4.5/5

My favourite French film is Ma Vie En Rose, a sweet and quirky film about a little boy who wants to be a girl.

I would also mention La Reine Margot, although it is a little long. And Histoire d'O was pretty good, too.

can you believe i've only heard of this movie on this forum and have not seen it yet.....it's crazy i know!

You're talking about Donnie Darko, right? That is crazy! You can get the dvd for like £3, there's no excuse

a-ha, but you see i don't buy dvd's, i can get them through amazon but without subtitles and that annoyes me, technically i COULD watch a movie without them but i'm too used to them, i'm hoping it will come to the videostore but i mentioned that they didn't have american splendor ( which i also haven't watched yet !!! ) so i won't hold my breath.....

Ok...I'm kind of confused...why don't you buy dvd's and how come they don't have subtitles? Don't all dvd's have subtitles? Or is it a particular language you are looking for?

Can't imagine too many DVD's cater for Croatia, poor Adidassss!!!

Come and see 1985 Directed by; Elem Klimov



Set in Russia during World War 2," Come and see " follows Florya a young Russian boy desperate to help his commrades fight the Nazi invasion. Deafened by German artillery, and seperated from his colleagues Florya wanders the battle fields of Russia witnessing the atrocities and brutality of the Nazi's first hand.


A very powerfull and disturbing film, unlike it's Hollywood counter parts, the hero's journey is all about survival and not heroic acts or self sacrifice. This is a brutal vision of Russia during the Nazi invasion, stark and often horrendous in its depiction, its haunting visions will remain with me for some time. The gradual loss of innocence of Florya is destressing, and his haunted stare cut through me on several occasions, and I know this is a film that will live with me for quite some time.
It portrays the Nazis as a gang of inhuman monsters, and in particular the extermination of a village is as brutal and uncomfortable experience as I can remember seeing on film, it pulls no punches and gets under your skin.
A real anti-war film, that is not always pleasant viewing, but deserves to be mentioned and acclaimed as much as its more famous competitors.
My only complaint is that during Florya's temperal deafness, the cacophony of noise can be disorientating and distracting, and I was glad when his deafness passed.
A special mention of the lead actor, a young teenage Russian boy Aleksei Kravchenko, who gives a very strong and believeable performance, in this harrowing and haunting story.

Not for the faint hearted, but if you could stomach Schindler's list or Saving Private Ryan, then it is definetly worth checking out, I ordered my copy from Amazon.

Rating 4.5/5