The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium: Del 1: Män Som Hatar Kvinnor)

Greek Poster

Norwegian Poster

Swedish Poster

2009R146 minutes

Cast:

Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Sven-Bertil Taube, Peter Haber, Lena Endre, Peter Andersson, Marika Lagercrantz, Ingvar Hirdwall, Björn Granath, Ewa Fröling

Director:

Niels Arden Oplev

Genres:

Foreign, Foreign Thrillers, Scandinavia

Language:

Swedish

This movie is:

Violent, Mind-bending, Suspenseful, Scary

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) and rebellious computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) team up to investigate the unsolved disappearance of wealthy Henrik Vanger's (Sven-Bertil Taube) teen niece (Ewa Fröling), only to uncover dark secrets about Vanger's powerful family. Niels Arden Oplev directs this Swedish thriller based on the first novel from Stieg Larsson's best-selling trilogy.

Lisbeth Salander uses her mind more than you.

Superb. A bit long, but worth the effort (Men Who Hate Women is the correct translation of the title). A Swedish tabloid journalist accuses a fellow countryman, a wealthy Swedish industrialist, of arms dealing. The journalist is charged with defamation, and is found guilty. Before serving his sentence, he is hired by the patriarch of the Vanger Concern (a rich and powerful Swedish family) to find his nieces murderer. She was apparently murdered (and her body never found) 40 years earlier. Every year, tho, on the patriarchs birthday, he receives a gift of pressed flowers in a picture frame - the same gift that his niece had always made for him. The patriarch believes the gifts to come from her murderer - and he wants that person discovered. But the evidence points to it having been a family member. Teaming up with a teen-age bi-sexual computer hacker ward of the state, the journalist finds himself getting deeper and deeper into this 40-year old mystery.

One of the best literary adaptations ever

Great cinematography

I'm an avid fan of the books and very often I'm left disappointed by literary adaptations. This, however, is an extraordinary adaptation. The book may seem to be easy to adapt since it's generally a murder mystery, but the book is so much more than that. I didn't expect the film to really delve into the purpose behind the book (i.e. violence against women), but these themes are prevalent throughout the film. The directing is effective, the score is chilling and fitting, the acting is top notch with great casting (especially Rapace). There's a reason why the trilogy has sold 30+ million copies, why the movie has broken records across Europe, why the film did so well in the US in limited release, why literary critics consider the book one of the best in modern times, and why film critics who have read the book think this is an excellent adaptation---because it's all true.

Battle Royale (batoru rowaiaru)

Japanese Poster

Japanese Poster Alt.

UK Poster

2001NR114 minutes

Cast:

Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Taro Yamamoto, Masanobu Ando, Kou Shibasaki, Chiaki Kuriyama

Director:

Kinji Fukasaku

Genres:

Foreign, Foreign Thrillers, Japan, Foreign Dramas, Foreign Action & Adventure

Language:

Japanese

This movie is:

Violent, Controversial, Dark, Suspenseful

When even schoolchildren begin to abuse a system on the verge of social collapse, the Japanese government introduces a strict new punishment whereby randomly chosen students are taken to a deserted island and forced to fight each other to the death. Renowned Japanese auteur and actor Takeshi "Beat" Kitano stars in this explosive, violent drama from director Kinji Fukasaku, based on Koushun Takami's novel.

and you thought 9th grade was hard.

It almost makes me feel shameful but I really enjoyed this movie. Its unlike anything I have ever watched. The premise, each year a randomly-selected rotten apple 9th grade class is kidnapped and sent to a deserted island where they are equipped with weapons and are forced to kill each other until one survivor is left. Thats right, 9th graders. Can you say, extreme Lord of the Flies. Its amamzing to see what people, in this case children, would do in life and death situations. Who runs and hides, who kills their best friends, who just becomes a complete psycho and gets a thrill out of all the mayhem.

Teacher of the year

Great acting all around

I had been hearing about this flick for a long time, with its copious blood shed and over-the-top violence, and with the inevitable comparisons to fellow extreme Asian flicks like Ichi and Suicide Club. Though I went into BR with high expectations I was still blown away. It not only satiated my gore and shock quota, but it also impressed the need for some well versed commentary. Infused in all the high octane action is a well-oiled and sincere tale of friendship and loyalty which battles to survive in the shadows of social and governmental corruption. The characters and relationships are so well drawn out and brought to life with some great performances and a brilliant musical score (especially the haunting innocence of the choral themes). BR is not only a fun and energetic splatter action flick, it's a highly provocative statement on modern society with all its hypocrisy and beauty.

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (Chin-jeol-han Geum-ja-ssi)

Korean Poster

Korean Poster Alt.

US Poster Alt.

2005R115 minutes

Cast:

Yeong-ae Lee, Min-sik Choi, Toni Barry, Anne Cordiner, Su-hee Go, Hye-jeong Kang, Bu-seon Kim, Byeong-ok Kim, Shi-hoo Kim, Yea-young Kwon, Seung-Shin Lee, Seung-wan Ryoo, Ha-kyun Shin, Kang-ho Song, Ji-tae Yu, Jin-seo Yun

Director:

Chan-wook Park

Genres:

Foreign, Foreign Thrillers, Korea, Korean Language

Language:

Korean

This movie is:

Violent, Emotional, Mind-bending

The final installment of director Chan Wook Park's revenge trilogy (preceded by Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy) chronicles the efforts of Lee Geum-ja (Yeong-ae Lee) -- known to her cellmates as "the kind Ms. Geum-ja" -- to track down the man who betrayed her. Taking the rap for her accomplice and incarcerated for 13 long years, she plots an elaborate retribution with help from her fellow inmates.

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is the final part to what acclaimed director, Park Chan-Wook, later acknowledged as the "revenge trilogy." Of the trio (which includes Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy), Lady Vengeance displays the greatest depth, development, and analysis into the themes that he explored in the first two films. Mr. Vengeance relies heavily on tension and grittiness to run its course; Old Boy is a noir piece with stylized execution and a playful cleverness; Lady Vengeance, however, is a far departure from its predecessors as a meta-ethical exploration in the context of morality that is a philosophical challenge to cineastes and palatable to the average viewer.

Vengeance can be beautiful.

Lady is the strongest piece in terms of depth into Park's theme of vengeance as conscience in morality. In an interview, he states that "...the vengeances represented in my movies are not actual vengeances. They are merely the transferring of a guilty conscience...it would be more accurate to see my movies as ones stressing morality, with guilty consciences as the core subject matter." He makes statements about the lack of outlets for an ever-growing rage in people in an increasingly restrictive society. Unlike the first two films where the narrative progresses in intricate plots, this one throws our own morality into our faces in a very subtle way. It forces us to think about the difficult questions that are raised on two levels: the first, what would you do in the characters' situations and more importantly, how does one moral code stand up in a morally impossible situation?

Yes the movie is mind bending.

The most impressive move that Park makes in Lady is that he does not provide an answer, but simply challenges us to consider first the question's gravity. This film works both as a movie telling an interesting story and one that raises important questions in an ever-complex world where the line between self and other continuously gets muddled.

Love comes in all forms.

Multiple story lines will keep you grasped until the end.

Though not for the faint of heart. But then, if you've watched the two preceding films in the director's revenge trilogy that should come as no surprise. I enjoyed this a bit more than Mr. Vengeance and found the story more accessible but Oldboy still stands out. It's not without some problems, though. The plot is definitely not linear and requires close attention; some side plots go NOWHERE. However, you will be affected and engrossed, no doubt. The ending is one of the most intense and visceral movie going experiences I've had. Bloody, violent, disturbing.

Oldboy (oldeuboi)

Japanese Poster

Korean Poster

Danish Poster

2003R119 minutes

Cast:

Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu, Hye-jeong Kang, Dae-han Ji, Dal-su Oh, Byeong-ok Kim, Seung-Shin Lee, Jin-seo Yun, Dae-yeon Lee, Kwang-rok Oh

Director:

Chan-wook Park

Genres:

Foreign Thrillers, Korea, Foreign, Foreign Dramas

Language:

Korean

This movie is:

Violent, Mind-bending

With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years -- and no one to hold accountable for his suffering -- a desperate businessman seeks revenge on his captors, relying on assistance from a friendly waitress. Korean director Chan Wook Park -- a former philosophy student and Hitchcock devotee -- uses his influences to create a mesmerizing psychological drama with a resolution that will leave you speechless.

What would life look like if one night's mistakes turns into 15 years of death? Park Chan-wook's answer is clearly revenge. Park delivers the second part of the "Revenge Trilogy" that is nothing short of shocking. If you were amazed by the first one, the second will not disappoint. What sets this picture apart from the rest is the shocking elements of the film serve a clear purpose for story development rather than value’s sake. This is not some formula driven hollywood film.

15 years of revenge in a single glance.

Oh Dae-su, a wretch of a man, wakes up after a night of drunkenness to discover that he's imprisoned in a sparsely furnished room deprived of human contact. The only form of escape is television. 15 years pass in confinement. Just as mysteriously as he was locked up, he is released. Revenge fills him but not knowing where to start. He meets a young woman named Mi-do. She takes pity on him and takes him home with her. This is the beginning of their quest and their love affair, as well as the turning point where the film transitions from a psychological thriller to a tragedy.

Each piece of violence gives more to the story.

As each turn of events brings them closer to discovering the truth, it also brings 15 years' worth of Oh's bottled emotions closer to the surface. Despite his being ruled by rage and helplessness, Oh is transformed into a stronger man who is curiously more human than his previous self. The ending is complex and violent, literally and figuratively. Mr. Park is deliberate in every detail of the violence he depicts, and each instance serves a meaningful purpose. The story is tight, the acting is powerful, and the characters are keenly developed with the unfolding of the story. Shot in a gritty texture, the austerity of the cinematography both complements and contrasts the events as they unfold. The total effect is gripping, though one instinctively wants to recoil from the scenes that carefully unravel.

Each character has a link to our main character.

Riveting from beginning to end.

There are very few movies that are this disturbing. Yet, you can't take your eyes of the screen as the plot unfolds bit by bit, leading up to the horrifying climax. If you are sick of movies where you see the end coming, definitely rent this one, because you won't. Fascinating psychological thriller, with great performances and chilling cinematography.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (boksuneun naui geot)

Korean Poster

Korean Poster Alt.

US Poster

2002R121 minutes

Cast:

Kang-ho Song, Ha-kyun Shin, Doona Bae, Ji-Eun Lim, Bo-bae Han, Se-dong Kim, Dae-yeon Lee, Kan-hie Lee, Jae-yeong Jeong

Director:

Chan-wook Park

Genres:

Foreign, Foreign Thrillers, Korea

Language:

Korean

This movie is:

This movie is: Violent, Dark

Chan-wook Park directs this tale of deaf and dumb Ryu (Ha-kyun Shin), who's romantically involved with revolutionary Young-Mi (Dun-na Bae) and loves his older sister so much that he sells his kidney on the black market to afford her a life-saving transplant. When Ryu finds he's been ripped off, Young-Mi hatches a better plan: She and Ryu will "borrow" the daughter of the capitalist boss who fired Ryu and raise the necessary funds that way.

The less you know about this movie the better. Without revealing too much the best way to explain it is that it involves a deaf mute, his sister, black market kidneys, a kidnapping, and of course revenge.

Incredible performance playing a deaf mute

This is the first installment of Chan-wook Park's revenge trilogy followed by Oldboy and Lady Vengeance. Dare I say I actually liked it slightly better than Oldboy. Also, I was hesitant to ever see this because I liked Oldboy so much and I didn't want to be let down and disappointed. While watching it I found myself very confused (doesn't happen often), but things get revealed later on to explain. In a social commentary stand of point, Sympathy...does get into the awfulness of how patience will not get treated unless they have money and a large % of Koreans don't have money. This sets the imbalance between the rich and the poor and the lengths people will go to for medical treatment.

Its only a scratch

The film does have a lot of blood and gore so if you that is something you can't handle you might want to take a pass but you will miss out on an incredible story. Overall I was completely satisfied with the movie. It will make you happy that they turned it into a trilogy.

A terrorist never looked so cute.

Revenge from beginning to end.