If I had to name my top five directors working today, one of them would undoubtedly be South Korea’s Park Chan-wook. His film Oldboy, which everyone should see at some point, blew me away and pulled me into the world of Korean cinema, so it should be no surprise that I was really excited when I finally had the opportunity to sit down and watch his English language debut feature, Stoker.
Written by Prison Break’s Wentworth Miller, Stoker follows a smart, friendless and quiet high school girl named India (Mia Wasikowska) whose father recently died in a car accident. It’s at that point when Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), who she never knew existed, enters her life and that of her emotionally unstable mother (Nicole Kidman). Though charming, something seems off about the mysterious Uncle Charlie’s motives and while shock is India’s initial reaction, she begins to take a liking to him, opening up in a way she has never done before.
Stoker is a very artsy and very beautiful mysterious thriller. As much as I don’t want to say it, there is a Hitchcockian feel to it in the way the film’s layers are unfolded, slowly exposing the depth of each character’s complex background and the darkness that lies within them all. India is a passive aggressive character who has just lost her only friend. She doesn’t like to be touched and will speak out only when necessary. As a result, she does a lot of observing and begins to take note of certain things Charlie does and tries to figure out why he wants to be her friend so badly. Eventually, this leads to a moral dilemma, a sexual dilemma and eventually a crossroad where she must decide if she’s ready to let go of her innocence (as the poster suggests).
One of Park’s trademarks is his attention to detail. He storyboarded the entire film, he is involved in everything from the costume design to the production design, helping choose styles and patterns to the types of flowers you see, he’s involved with it all. As a result, you’ll start noticing certain patterns throughout the film, personalities match the clothing, Mia wearing the same shoes is a reflection of holding onto the past and avoiding change and the list goes on. You’ll also notice random shots of a spider which could symbolize a few things, my take being that Uncle Charlie roams and watches like a spider, creeping towards his target and then when he bites, its either to infect you or to kill you.
Besides its beauty and the level of detail that exists throughout the picture, one of the strongest attributes of the film is Clint Mansell’s score. Coupled with Park’s flair for constructing a moody atmosphere, it helped create the harrowing and suspenseful tone that exists throughout most of the picture and emphasized the most profound moments of the film rather well.
The performances in Stoker were, overall, fantastic. Mia, who I normally am not a fan of, was perf
ect for this role; conquering the gothic-like but colonial looking teenager trying to figure out her next steps in life. Matthew Goode delivers an unnerving performance that would make you think twice before ever stepping in a room with him. Though her character was much less interesting, Kidman did a fine job and delivered one of the more memorable lines from the film when telling her daughter how she can no longer stand her saying “I can’t wait to watch life tear you apart.” Imagine your mother saying that to you, that’s pretty intense.
Overall, Stoker isn’t a bad film but it doesn’t come close to his best, likely because the bar has been set so high. It’s a very dark film that makes you pay attention because you never know what unsettling path Park is going to take us down and how he’s going to take us there with such a disturbed family. It’s hard for me to put into words what I thought the film was missing, but when you when you finish screening it, there seems to be an element missing that doesn’t allow you to leave 100% satisfied. While it may not necessarily turn everyone’s heads and convince them to watch his past work, one thing is for sure, this is a Park film through and through and I for one think it’s worth watching.
Rating: Not his best but still a very dark mysterious thriller that’ll hold your attention for the entire duration (7.5/10)
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