humphreywalwyn

I have just finished watching the premier of Soundproof on BBC2. I decided to catch it having read a preview in one of the papers, it sounded an interesting concept, one which could be make an original stab at the typical British urban thriller.

It was hyped as being the first drama in which sign language plays a major part in the plot. The result, like watching a subtitled film, is that you rely on your eyes rather than ears to take you through the plot. The acting was simply outstanding, Jospeh Mawl showed real emotion throughout his entire body, not just a quivering lip. It brought you into the character's sense of frustration, where he could not express yourself fully when it really mattered. The plot, one of four flatmates falls from a balcony, did not twist and turn like most thrillers on the BBC (Waking the Dead and Silent Witness), it was lean allowing the actors to really explore your characters, and for the viewer to completely immerse themselves in the claustrophobic experience.

Oldboy has a wonderful setup for a revenge film, it is on par with the Count of Monte Cristo. While the main character was imprisoned I was transfixed. Who was doing this too him? Why? I was ready to be shown a good revenge film. What I got was a convoluted mess.

I loved the first half of the film. Once the main character was released from a suitcase, wearing a particularly cool suit, I was fully expecting a tale of violence and revenge. Justified revenge. I knew they would throw somethings at me, but I wasn't expecting gibberish.

This is the second Asian film this year that screwed up a wonderful set-up, the other being Infernal Affairs. For the whole last hour the viewer is bombarded with illogical plot devices, twists that have no real meaning either to plot or as a parable to the viewer, all stables of Manga, that do not translate well to film. Asian cinema does not like to paint characters with the sides of good and bad. The heroes are sometimes worse than the villains, they usually have something seriously wrong with them, either mentally or morally.

Many of the criticisms regarding this film come from viewers who are blinded by the conventions of Western Cinema. I was not expecting it to be a conventional film, where revenge is reaped with no sacrifice to the protagonist. I was expecting destruction and madness. The conclusion however is neither of those. I don't know what it is, it just is what it is. It cannot be satisfying to anybody, even to those expecting a un-satisfying conclusion.