Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by tunenut (A) on March 28, 2013 at 18:05:16

I am surprised nobody has mentioned this one yet. This is the first American film from Chan-wook Park, well known for Oldboy. I went in knowing very little about it other than that.

This is a family story, only 3 characters really, all rather quietly inhabiting a very large old house surrounded by fields and woods. The father has just died, his brother has come for the funeral.

Beyond that, it is all mysterious, and I have no intention of spoilers here. The viewpoint of what might be happening may tend to shift during the movie; it did for me and also for others I saw it with. By the end, all is clear however.

This is something of a showpiece for film making style, and Park shows a masterful command of the visual language. Some reviewers are not impressed by the plot, or by the rather sedate acting. But I did not see the twists coming, and found the whole thing atmospheric and gripping.