Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
![]() |
Nam-mi Kang | ... | Choir Member 1 |
![]() |
Jeong-nam Choi | ... | Choir Member 2 |
![]() |
Hye-Sook Go | ... | Choir Member 3 |
![]() |
Bok-hwa Baek | ... | Choir Member 4 |
![]() |
Cheol Hong | ... | Choir Member 5 |
![]() |
Ho-soo Joo | ... | Choir Member 6 (as Joo Seong-wan) |
![]() |
In-bo Jang | ... | Choir Member 7 (as Jang Min) |
Kim Byeong-Ok | ... | Preacher | |
Lee Yeong-ae | ... | Geum-ja Lee | |
![]() |
Seong-Yoon Choi | ... | Won-mo's Friend |
![]() |
Il-woo Nam | ... | Detective Choi |
![]() |
Soon-bae Cha | ... | Reporter |
![]() |
Ik-tae Kim | ... | Won-mo's Father |
![]() |
Yeong-mi Lee | ... | Won-mo's Mother |
![]() |
Jin-gu Kim | ... | Sun-sook Go |
Wrongfully accused of child abduction and murder, the angelic-faced single mother, Lee Geum-ja, is released from prison after thirteen long years. Hell-bent on taking her sweet revenge on the man behind the hideous crime, Lee hatches an infallible plan of retribution with the help of her cellmates; however, planning is easier than doing. Now--as Lee Geum-ja struggles to make amends with the daughter she was forced to give up--at the same time, she finds herself torn between her insatiable thirst for vengeance and the desperate need for atonement. Can she have both? Written by Nick Riganas
"Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" is a surprisingly poetic finale to Park's excellent Revenge Trilogy. The film fuses the relatively low-key style of "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" with the jet-black humor of "Oldboy," while adding welcome moments of poignancy and sentiment. The film is nowhere near as violent as its predecessors, although a good deal of mayhem takes place offscreen.
Yeong-ae Lee is outstanding as the troubled protagonist Geum-ja, the ex-convict who is seeking redemption as much as revenge. Although the supporting actors -- including several from Park's earlier films -- are uniformly fine, Lee's performance is the heart of the film.
"Lady Vengeance" is difficult to describe without revealing major plot points, as the most memorable scenes come at revelatory moments in the story. Suffice it to say that the climax blends tragedy and hilarity with a degree of success that few directors could hope to match.
9/10. Bravo.