Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance: Back in 2003, I didn’t really buy into the hype surrounding Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy — with the exception, of course, of its unforgettable, single-take, 4-minute tracking shot that remains one of the best fight scenes ever filmed. But after seeing its predecessor, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (Tartan, Blu-ray, $29.95), I’ll need to give it a second … [Read more...]
Inert ‘Young Victoria’ a bloodless non-drama
Martin Scorsese clearly has enough of a soft spot for arch period pieces that he offered to gamely produce Jean-Marc Valee’s The Young Victoria. But his masterful guidance is generally absent from this inert account of the years surrounding Queen Victoria’s coronation. Before going further, I have to admit a bias here: I view Victorian costume dramas the way a sugar-addicted … [Read more...]