Lady Vengeance

Director: Chan-wook Park

Starring: Yeong-ae Lee, Tony Barry, Min-sik Choi, Anne Cordiner, Su-hee Go

From director Chan-wook Park comes the last of the Vengeance trilogy, following ‘Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance’ and ‘Oldboy’. At the age of 19, Geum-Ja is sent to prison for the murder and abduction of a child on behalf of her accomplice of Mr. Baek, only to find out she has been betrayed. Locked away for thirteen years Geum-Ja wins over her fellow inmates with kindness and carefully formulates a plan of revenge with their help. Finally upon release she seeks out Baek and you know hell really hath no fury…

Noticeably this film is not as violent as its predecessors, which may make it more or less appealing, although it still has its fair share of mayhem and it perfectly combines the low-key feel of ‘Sympathy…’ and dark humour of ‘Oldboy’. It is however by far the most beautifully shot, with stunning cinematography throughout that will stay with you for days. The stark images of symbolising Geum-Ja as a devil in angel’s clothing (or whatever perspective you to choose to view her from), an angel to her inmates and protecting them but devilishly plotting murder, evokes an almost biblical scale of vengeance. Yeong-ae Lee is outstanding in the lead role, and while the rest of the cast are all on fine form, it is her who really makes the film work.

It is only natural to draw comparisons with a certain vengeful leggy blonde and man named Bill but the final showdown of this film has anything but an anti-climatic Five Point Exploding Heart Palm technique. This lady likes it brutal to the end and you will find guilty pleasure in being highly satisfied in the violent conclusion. In all this is a fitting end to what has been an enjoyable trilogy and a must see for fans, containing common points of reference to the previous two. However, it is equally successful as a stand alone film and nothing is detracted from the experience if you are new to the club.

Ben Sniff