I've been anticipating this film for quite some time now and with much anxiety. This is the first English language film from Korean director Park Chanwook and also the first where he hasn't written the script. Park (I'm going to call him Park as I don't know which is his first name) is easily one of the greatest filmmakers working in the world today, if not the best. I think Oldboy is the best film of the 21st century and one of my top five films of all time. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Lady Vengeance, and Thirst are all masterpieces and the rest of his filmography is practically flawless.

Needless to say, if there's one foreign director I'd be wary of making the Hollywood jump, it's this guy.

The story is simple. After India Stoker's (Mia Wasikowska) father dies in a freak accident, her Uncle Charlie Stoker (Matthew Goode), whom she never knew existed, is invited to stay in her home by her mother (Nicole Kidman). Something's off about Charlie as well as his unprecedented appearance. India remains ever vigilant of him while he remains keenly interested in her, making many the advance upon her.

Strange things start to happen, bodies start to pile up... you know the deal.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room here. The script, written by actor Wentworth Miller (Prison Break). In 2010, it appeared on the Black List top and has been floating around for the years since. Miller has gone on record saying that the story was heavily influenced by Hitchcock. Films come out of the Black List all the time. It's hardly indicative of their quality; only of someone's desire to produce them. Up until now, I've had no basis to speculate on whether the script would be any good.

In the end, the script is okay. I think it's a slightly above average interpretation of a tried-and-true story that pulls all of the stops. It's all stuff we recognize as moviegoers so unfortunately, that means very little in the surprises department but I think it's strong enough that one can just sort of relax and enjoy the ride. The Hitchcockian elements appeal to Park's sensibilities and the actors do well with the material.

Mia Wasikowska does her best Wednesday Adams impression and I think it works. I thought her character was really cool and interesting as much as she is understated. I'm not a Mia Wasikowska fan at all but I was definitely taken by her character and her performance. A nice surprise there.

Matthew Goode is solid as Charlie Stoker. Just the right balance of charm and menace. You can tell he's the bad guy right off the bat but like I said, this is more of a go-with-the-flow sort of film. Nicole Kidman is Nicole Kidman, perhaps slightly hammier than usual. She's good as well though doesn't get nearly as much screen time as I would have anticipated.

But the real star of Stoker isn't in front of the camera but rather the man behind it. Park Chanwook is simply the best. He has the eye of Stanley Kubrick on speed and just directs fiery, fiery circles around the material here. Anyone who's familiar with his work knows what I'm talking about and in Stoker, his flair is compromised not a single iota. Remember that shot in Django Unchained where the blood sprays on the cotton plants? Well, it's in Stoker too. Guess which Korean national treasure does it better than Tarantino.

I doubt there'll be a single film this year that looks better than Stoker. Not by Terrence Malick or anyone else.

That said, Stoker doesn't feel like a Hollywood template with Park's visual style laid over it in a translucent film. I think he very much made the film his own. I can only speculate, having not read the script, but it feels like he really capitalized on the story's themes such as loss of innocence and becoming a woman and made them stand out. Of course, the film isn't as deep as his previous work. The exploration of themes feels more flirtatious than anything but it's more than what I expect other directors would do.

I think Park really brought out the subtle quirky humor in the material as well, securing the film as consistent with his varied and idiosyncratic tonal style. His violence is there too. Obviously, it's not as extreme as his Vengeance trilogy but he's always had a certain way with violence and it's still apparent here, as gleeful as it is grim. The characters are a change from those in the Park Chanwook universe but their mannerisms, behaviors, and just the way they carry themselves in general feels reminiscent of films like Oldboy and Thirst. There're definitely moments of comfort throughout the film where you feel like you're walking down a familiar path when it comes to the director's work.

Now, I've thrown out a lot of praise thus far but I think there's still things worth keeping in mind for Park Chanwook fans. Clearly, this is not as good as the other films I've mentioned. Not by a long shot. And while the script is good, it's nothing to write home about and the divide between the talent of the writer and the talent of the filmmaker is pretty significant. Still, I'm relieved that the Hollywood system hasn't ruined a good thing and that Park has proved himself a director whose talent doesn't waver based on different material.

Park fans with reasonable expectations should enjoy. The same goes for everyone else. Check it out.

Will work on a full review but in short, trashy great fun by an almost peerless director. A must-see in my books -- nowhere near perfect, but the absolute right mix of unique and familiar. Also interesting from a writing perspective because, as James notes above, the script is weaker than most elements in the film...is possibly, in fact, the weakest part of the entire flick.

SPOILERS THROUGHTOUT

I was actually rather disappointed with this one. I went into it with such high expectations, because Park Chan Wook is one of my favourite directors (with Oldboy being one of my favourite films).

And yes, you could tell that this was directed by a genius (although I did wish that the camera would stay stationary at times, as the endless flowing and following characters out of rooms, etc. got a little distracting), and I thought the performances were great as well (particularly Matthew Goode who spends the majority of the film creeping people out with his eyes), but I just couldn't get past how dull the script was!

I have genuinely no idea how that placed so high on the Black List.

There was no story here, for me. Just a bunch of scenes. And whilst these scenes were expertly handled, they just didn't amount to anything for me. And India was such an inconsistent character for me as well. Sometimes she was weird... sometimes she was normal. And the whole subplot with that boy? What the hell was the point of that? Did she like him? Because she can't have known that her uncle was following her the whole time. And even the big reveal wasn't enough for me, because it wasn't set up enough, and by that time, we already know something is seriously up with the uncle.

I really hope Park chooses a better script next time :( :( :(

Can someone send me over the script, been wanting to read it for a while!

I have yet to see this but I loved the trailer and it looked gorgeous.

Curt

Sent.

Yeah, for the majority, the film is visually stunning (particularly the opening and closing, and the transition from Kidman's hair to the grass literally blew me away), but there's only so much you can do with a really lackluster script.

I too have been looking forward to this and watched the Blu Ray last weekend with my girlfriend.

We were both very impressed and the fact that she enjoyed it and actually realized "how different and unique it was" says alot...to me, at least.

It's funy, because I definitely know of James' friend, Park, and have heard his praises for years, but I still have never been able to get through Oldboy (and I've tried several times).

But I do see the man's genius on display here.  Almost every shot comes off unique, or just different.  The camera movements are wonderful.  Attnetion to detail is amazing.  And, really, just the overall look and feel of this movie is fantastic.

I actually loved the story, plot, structure, and execution of the script, as well.  Everything just came off so...so different, and it was a welcome relief.  Not sure why the others above me feel the scrip was weak, as IMO, it was extremely ballsy with a structure you don'...and won't often see.  There definitely is a Hitchcock feel and vibe here, and again, I dug it!

Acting was all great, but NicNic KIdman just seemed off.  Even her look seemed strange to me, like she had just had fake lips, cheeks, everythign put on.  Maybe it was her character and she was doing a kickass job portraying a terrible mother and wife and really deploarable person...I don't know, but her look and her performance wasn't what NicNic usually gives us, IMO.

I'm going to go on record as saying this is easily in my top 10 of 2013.  It's the kind of movie I could watch again and again, as there's so much going on in every shot, so much tension, emotion, and sexuality burning just under the surface.

If this had been marketed properly, I think it would have been a sleeper hit, even though the subject material may not be for everyone.  Too bad so few know of this soon to be classic.

Grade - A+

Jeff,

If you're interested, you could try JSA or Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance first, and they might get you on Park's page and let you enjoy Oldboy? Kind of a backwards way to do it, but you're an unusual fellow, after all...

Mr. Vengeance is more straightforward than Oldboy, in my opinion.

Glad you enjoyed Stoker, though! I'm looking forward to whenever I get to watch it again...

Glad you liked this one, Jeff.

I'd check out Thirst as well. I think it's the closest in style and theme to Stoker. It's different from Oldboy but you can tell the same director made it.

Plus it's one of the best vampire films ever made. Certainly my favorite.

I'll give it a look.  Thanks.