Last Chance: Lady Vengeance @ Dobie

For those whose tastes run a little more esoteric than, say, Superman Returns, there is an alternative action/revenge flick in town this week that will cinematically slap you around and freak you out.

Park Chan-Wook's Lady Vengeance is the final chapter in a trilogy of revenge films. The first one, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, was little seen in the US, while the second, Oldboy, caught a cult-film buzz in indie circles for its rather over-the-top violence and generally morally depraved tone.

Lady Vengeance's plot concerns a young woman, Lee Geum-Ja, who has just been released after 13 years in prison. Flashbacks reveal that the prison sentence was a frame-up, with blackmail to blame. The ensuing story takes us on a sometimes surreal and frequently blood-soaked voyage toward revenge against Lee-Geum-Ja's blackmailer, who is conveniently very unlikable due to the fact that he kills children for fun. Yes, this is some rough material. The pace of the film is slow but measured, and some of the cinematography is just amazing. The squeamish who have survived the prison abuse scenes and the self-mutilation probably won't stick around for the wild, prolonged third act of the film, where said revenge is carried out at length and with intensity. That's really all we can say without ruining the film.

Asian cinema fans take note: There are only two days left to catch Lady Vengeance at the Dobie. Otherwise, you'll be waiting on the DVD.

Showtimes are 7:20pm and 10:10pm. Buy tickets online now. Photo via the film's official website.