Weekly Recap 24 | Supernova, Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Lord of the Rings & more

You will be pleased to know that this week is absolutely packed with films I like! Well, there’s one bad film that I wish I hadn’t seen, but after that it will pretty much just be me gushing over kino. 

Let’s get the trash out of the way now. In Freaky, a mystical, ancient dagger causes a notorious serial killer to magically switch bodies with a 17-year-old girl. Straight up, the best part of this awful movie was when a fly landed on the projector and just spent the entire film blocking the actors’ faces. Unfortunately, it wasn’t able to block out the insufferable dialogue and awful performances, which made for such a disappointingly boring comedy. The glorious deaths still managed to put a grin on my face though, and the prologue was especially great, but the actual slasher horror element is sadly far too infrequent and pushed to the sidelines by the naff high school stuff. The two leads just aren’t convincing at all at the body swap, so alongside a plot that is simply the most uninspired thing in existence, this vaguely promising premise falls completely flat.

Fret not, that was literally the only bad film I watched this week, because next up is Supernova. Sam (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci), partners of 20 years, are traveling across England in their old RV visiting friends, family and places from their past. Since Tusker was diagnosed with early-onset dementia two years ago, their time together is the most important thing they have. As the trip progresses, however, their ideas for the future clash, secrets come out, and their love for each other is tested as never before. Ultimately, they must confront the question of what it means to love one another in the face of Tusker’s illness. Hyper emotional performances from Firth and Tucci make this an extremely powerful film. Fantastic cinematography throughout elevates the tears with a feeling of wonder, and the concise plot gives the film enough drive to make watching it worthwhile. Thinking about recent films, this is like a cross between The Father and Nomadland. Supernova isn’t as adventurous in its exploration of dementia as The Father, but it’s certainly just as emotional to watch in the way the two leads collide, while the road trip is grounded in proper pacing and enjoyable character moments that I felt Nomadland was sorely lacking. While I have no real intention of ever rewatching this film, I definitely think it’s worth experiencing at least once just to have your heartstrings tugged with tremendous force.

If you remember back to Weekly Recap 22, I reviewed the entirety of Violet Evergarden. Now, I must return to that anime after having watched The Movie in the cinema. Violet Evergarden, the child soldier turned Auto Memory Doll, writes letters that evoke the words her clients can’t. But when a terminally ill boy requests her services for his family, her own feelings about love and loss resurface. Now she must confront her past and the death of the Major. I actually watched the first film in preparation for this one, but since I found it to just be a very poorly paced, throwaway episode, I shan’t be burdening you with a full review of that. Yet while I found the first film a chore to sit through, this one was thankfully of the same quality as the series, actually justifying the extra length by being a great conclusion. Funnily enough, one could watch this as their introduction to the anime, since it does a pretty good job summarising what came before through recaps, flashbacks and the interesting narrative structure it employs by telling the story as the reminiscing of the granddaughter of one of Violet’s clients. It’s also through this structure that some interesting ideas about technological progress can be explored, which serve as a great parallel to the emotional progress Violet undergoes. While the full emotional impact can obviously only be achieved by having enjoyed the anime in full, I certainly don’t think you’d be wasting your time by catching this in the cinema.

Now, it’s hard to non-spoiler talk about this movie without simply rehashing my review for the series, since this pretty much just does everything the series does so well already – only in many ways it exceeds the series, especially with the animation, which was surprisingly cinematic, plus the side characters are given some much deserved extra screen time, which I felt was lacking in the series. I will say though that the side plot with the boy is very poignant. The only thing stopping me from tearing up was probably the fact that I found everyone else in the cinema crying their hearts out too amusing. Jokes aside, the emotional core in this film is well deserved and very powerful, though it’s a little disappointing that the main plot doesn’t quite reach the same heights. Spoilers now by the way, though I already knew what the twist was going to be before watching it anyway. It’s because I knew that I initially had my doubts about Gilbert still being alive, and I still have reservations about the kitsch ending fully working for me, but honestly the way it’s explored is pretty well written for the most part. I felt the creators were very bold to have Gilbert reject her, so I was really looking forward to a non-conventional ending. I just wish that the creators had the nerve to follow through with what they were setting up, since the ‘love’ ending did feel rather detrimental to Violet’s growth as a character. Nevertheless, I’m well aware that not ending with a happily ever after would not sit well for a film that’s aiming for popular appeal, so I can respect this decision because overall it’s a very satisfying conclusion and an enjoyable film in its own right.

You are in luck today, for I shall now be blessing you with SIX masterpieces in a row. Let’s just start with my favourite Korean movie, and that’s Oldboy. With no clue of how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate businessman seeks revenge on his captors. This is definitely Park Chan-wook’s best film. The narrative is an absolute wonder to experience, fueled with the magnificence of Choi Min-sik’s overwhelmingly passionate commitment, and brought to life by the sweet melancholy of Cho Young-wuk’s violins, invoking the spirit of Brahms and Shostakovich in all their romantic splendour. If it wasn’t enough for the atmosphere to have already been built to perfection by the glorious writing, performances and music, then every frame of vibrant colour and sublime cinematography is gracefully spliced together by the surreal editing of pure insanity, the violence full of energy and gruesome detail, interlaced with sequences of immense beauty that weave the threads of revenge into a climax of dread. 

If I had to describe Oldboy in one word, it would have to be “magnetic”, because no matter how many times I delve into the insanity, I can never divert my eyes away from the nightmare that Park Chan-wook unfolds so gorgeously. Choi Min-sik, Kang Hye-jung and Yoo Ji-tae’s visceral performances are simply the most captivating demonstrations of raw emotion I have ever seen, laughing and weeping through a ridiculously messed up story that utterly engrossed me. These sorts of things always run the danger of repulsing me beyond salvage, but the phenomenal writing powers the nauseating subjects and bloody carnage with nuance and maturity, bringing sympathy to the evil. Yet while Park Chan-wook is without a doubt my favourite Korean director, he wouldn’t have gotten far without his beautiful team. Cho Young-wook crafts yet another perfect score, filled with pieces of the most exquisite melancholy, while DOP Jeong Jeong-hun and editor Kim Sang-bum are a wonderful duo at creating the gorgeous visual artistry that truly made me fall in love with this film. Oldboy has a little bit of everything – comedy, tragedy, romance, action, mystery, drama and the surreal – which under a lesser director would result in a jumbled, tonally jarring mess, but under the tutelage of Park, his entire team excels at making these contrasting tones work with sublime results.

Oldboy is most certainly not an easy film to watch, as the emotions one is made to feel can certainly be overwhelming. But considering this is the film that made me discover the bountiful wealth of masterpieces hidden inside Korean cinema, Oldboy has stayed close to my heart all these years later, with every rewatch only cementing it as the pinnacle of revenge movies.

Now, you didn’t really think I would review Oldboy without also watching the two other brilliant Vengeance movies that bookend that masterpiece, did you? Sympathy for Mr Vengeance is the story of Ryu, a deaf man, and his sister, who requires a kidney transplant. Ryu’s boss, Park, has just laid him off, and in order to afford the transplant, Ryu and his girlfriend develop a plan to kidnap Park’s daughter. Things go horribly wrong, and the situation spirals rapidly into a cycle of violence and revenge. While Oldboy is infinitely superior, it can’t be overstated just how superbly constructed Mr Vengeance still is. Fantastic characters with sublime performances from a cast I all came to love from elsewhere populate this slow burning but relentless film, trying to live in a world that is ugly and unsympathetic, with the most hideously morbid sense of humour. The spirals into the nightmare are gripping, with the lack of morals being justified when life is proven to be so absurd.

Revenge is a funny concept, as all too often it’s made to taste sweet with its lavish killings. I love it when directors get carried away with murder (chief among them being Tarantino) and Park Chan-wook’s flavour of killing is wonderful in how it always straddles the line between shocking and melancholic. But I must say I highly appreciate just how real he presents dying in this film, turning artistic blood splatters into deaths that are slow, painful, and not pretty in the slightest, showing death not as a thing of beauty to be marveled at or something amusing to laugh at, but rather as something that is revoltingly hideous. 

Every character is so well written, with their silent but deep personalities inducing sympathy for every twist of fate that befalls them. Mr Vengeance is a little rough around the edges, but the story is fantastic as ever, crafting a tale of gruesome revenge that could only ever have ended in misery. Mr Vengeance certainly doesn’t possess the same masterful visuals, magnetic pacing or Cho Young-wook’s stellar music as the magnum opus that will perpetually overshadow it, but Park Chan-wook proves his mastery of film as art once again with a thriller that is more reserved and grounded in real experience, while still excellently uncovering the monsters within every human heart as we consume each other in spite and envy.

The final film of this thematic trilogy is strangely considered the worst (relatively speaking that is). But honestly, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is tied with Oldboy for me as being my favourite. After a 13-year imprisonment for the kidnap and murder of a 6 year old boy, beautiful Lee Guem-ja starts seeking revenge on the man that was really responsible for the boy’s death. With the help of fellow inmates and reunited with her daughter, she gets closer and closer to her goal. But will her actions lead to the relief she seeks? This is definitely Park’s most stylised piece, which says a lot considering how remarkable his visual flair already is. It’s probably the lightest film in the trilogy in  terms of its portrayal of the subject matter too, which makes it easier to get into the story even if the non-linear storytelling is confusing at first. The Vengeance Trilogy as a whole is the epitome of show don’t tell, which can be confusing on a first viewing, but is beyond rewarding with omniscience of the artwork in its entirety. It’s because of this that I believe Lady Vengeance to be both the most visually beautiful and narratively beautiful film of the trilogy, no doubt helped tremendously by the combination of Cho Young-wuk’s music with Vivaldi. 

I’ve watched this film in both the original colour and the fade to white versions. Now, if you know me then you know I detest pointless use of black and white, so I feel that the fade to white version actively detracts from what I already knew was a cinematographically beautiful film. I always love the way Park uses colour, but with this version the quality deteriorated as time passed. I know there’s a metaphor behind the decision to gradually transition to black and white, but the film loses more than it gains in trying to say something it was already saying brilliantly with the original. So yes, it is definitely far superior in colour, as Park Chan-wook laces his frames with such gorgeous colours throughout that pop with tremendous beauty with the sublime editing. 

Lee Young-ae gives such an incredibly powerful performance as the fallen angel, turned vengeful demon, turned caring mother, weeping and laughing with an aura of coolness as she fights to save her soul. I said before that this is probably the tonally lightest film of the trilogy, but don’t think for a second that it holds back in the slightest when the twist comes around. That scene with the parents crying and shrieking at seeing the tapes of their children is incredibly hard hitting, with the subsequent democratisation of revenge – that has always been portrayed as an egoistic concept – managing to make the revenge both sweeter and more tragic than it has ever been before. I enjoy this whole film, but the third act pulls Lady Vengeance up into a whole new echelon of filmmaking, especially when the music kicks in and Montserrat Figueras’s gorgeous singing brings me to tears, making the ending my absolute favourite ending in all of cinema. If Mr Vengeance is revolting with its striking realism and Oldboy is shocking, awesome and melancholic, then Lady Vengeance brings all these emotions together to create a most magnificently complex and poignant thriller that pulls at the heart beyond all measure. 

I shall now end this episode with the glorious 3 films of The Lord of the Rings. Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ring bearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mount Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed. Yeah, The Hobbit really doesn’t stand up to these masterpieces. To this day, this trilogy remains my most rewatched films of all time, as I participate in a marathon of them every year without fail.  The sheer epicness of this trilogy is astounding, but what really makes them hold such a special place in my heart are those little character moments that pull your soul in and make you a part of its wonderful world. No other trilogy even comes close to the sheer magic of this fantasy epic; this is a story that connects directly with the heart, where the visuals will induce awe and the writing will inspire, always making you wish that this gorgeous tale will never have to end. 

From charming beginnings to horrifying suspense to tragic deaths to sorrowful endings, the first film in this trilogy – The Fellowship of the Ring – is mesmerising to behold. Aesthetically, it’s much grittier to The Hobbit’s clean look, which makes the world of Middle Earth feel so much more immersive. Having the majority of the orcs be actual real people in makeup and prosthetics instead of CGI also gives the film an extra edge of threat and wit. As such, Fellowship of the Ring is quite simply perfection! The characters, the lore, the production design, the music and the battles are all magnificently constructed and sublimely paced so as to make it a most enjoyable experience. The cinematography and music intertwine flawlessly as the tragic journey takes this stellar cast of complex heroes from the warmth of home and the light of elven woods to the cold of mountains and the darkness of orc caverns. And yes, there’s a lot of walking in this film, but they pass through such gorgeous scenery that it only manages to endear me further to the wonderful story being told, with Howard Shore’s incredible score solidifying this film as an absolute masterpiece. 

However, I’ve always found the second film – The Two Towers – the weakest of the three. But any lapses in pacing are more than made up for with the sheer brilliance of Smeagol. Gollum is quite simply the best, oscillating between endearingly savage and overwhelmingly adorable thanks to Andy Serkis’s brilliant portrayal of Gollum’s split personality. He isn’t even the only great piece of writing and acting though, as aside from the main cast, the orcs have also been fleshed out with personalities now, making them both more fierce but also strangely funny, bringing a great deal of levity to contrast against the horrors. I really like the tonal shift that happens here, which thankfully never jars with the heightened aesthetic. I still prefer Fellowship for its whimsical charm, but Two Towers possesses such a masterful command of world building with its unrestrained exploration of war and its effects on ordinary people. Middle Earth now feels like it has entered the realms of reality through the depictions of Rohan’s vast and unglamorous plains of grimy, Anglo-Saxon inspired men in contrast to the heavy focus on pristine woodland elves in the previous film, with the towering mountains and forests lying gorgeously on the horizon as a reminder of the fantastical nature of these films. The entire battle of Helm’s Deep is simply a most masterful set piece, with the arrival of the Rohirrim causing the film to soar to new heights. Lord of the Rings is pretty much the pinnacle of fantasy storytelling, and the fact that the weakest of the three is still magnificent just continues to prove how utterly perfect this trilogy is.

Return of the King, on the other hand, is by far my favourite of the trilogy! Every character reaches their peak in this film, with grandiose speeches and magnificent arcs to mark an epic finale to an already epic story. Certainly, everything is grander in this film – from the awesome battles, to the inspiring speeches, to the poignant character moments – bringing a greater level of epicness to an already epic story. Merry and Pippin enter into their own, Aragorn enters a new wonderful stage for his character, Legolas gets some beautiful battle moments to shine, Eowyn gets the best one-liner in the trilogy, and Sam becomes the absolute MVP. The battles are more brutal, the journey is tougher, and death continuously manifests itself seemingly to no end; but that only makes victory all the sweeter when it inevitably arrives each and every time to the soar of Shore’s gorgeous music. Honestly, that’s just scratching the surface of the amount of fun and heart that this film exhibits, since the impeccable production design, writing, music, cinematography and performances craft a movie with no shortage of laughs, but also no shortage of tears. While I will admit there’s a fair amount of plot holes and contrivances – plus it goes on for a scene too long – Peter Jackson and his team have quite simply made this the perfect conclusion to the perfect trilogy. Full of the most awe inspiring speeches and breathtaking action set pieces and heartfelt character moments, The Return of the King is certainly my favourite of them all. Honestly, everything just comes together more than perfectly here, and it’s always sad to have to say farewell to my favourite trilogy… until I’m mad enough to start the marathon all over again of course.