Park Chan-wook is back with another titillating and twisted masterclass in filmmaking, No Other Choice. The film is based on a remarkable novel, The Ax, by one of my favorite authors, Donald E. Westlake. While the book takes place in 1997, Chan-wook and company have updated this darkly comedic story for our times, and they do so perfectly. I was able to see the film at an early screening, so make sure to see this one in theaters once it’s released everywhere- it’s a bloody hoot!
While The Ax was written in, and takes place in the late 90s, its themes and story are as timely as ever. The original story follows Burke Devore, a man who is laid off from his job after years of service. Having a wife and two children to take care of, Devore goes to extremes to secure a new position. His solution to this problem? Killing off his competition.
The man, the myth, the legend: Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook is one of the greatest filmmakers to walk the Earth. Although I’ve only seen three out of the dozen films he’s directed, I can say that confidently.
Oldboy, his most renowned film, is one of the craziest things I have ever seen, and it left me feeling sick to my stomach for two days afterwards. That’s the kind of filmmaking Park Chan-wook is capable of, and his style has only grown more assured and playful over the years.
The Ax is a fantastic story, and one that few filmmakers could pull off adapting into a film. It’s simultaneously hilarious, suspenseful, and emotionally bleak. So of course, Park Chan-wook had a field day turning it into a big, bold, brilliant spectacle.
A beautifully warped story
Some of the story has changed in the adaptation, as these things go. While the book takes place in America, the film takes place in South Korea, where Chan-wook hails from. This just goes to show how universal the story of one man-turned-murderer due to the rapidly decreasing job demand is. And it is one hell of a tale.
Lee Byung-hun takes on the lead role, Yoo Man-soo, acting with his whole entire heart and soul. Equally moving is Son Ye-jin, who plays his wife, Yoo Mi-ri, as they both face the hard times together, doing what they can to look out for their family.
Various liberties are taken with the story, and some minor details are changed from book to screen. But it’s all for the betterment of Chan-wook’s vision.
What remains fully intact is a deviously hysterical concept. A family man, with no prior experience in killing, feels the only way to provide for his family is to murder those who may take the position he so badly needs. Oh, what fun!
Towing the line
Westlake and Chan-wook are both adept at balancing comedy with tragedy. This whole concept could’ve been taken in a much darker direction, but instead, these artists opt for goofy hijinks and biting satire.
While each murder does pack an emotional punch, you’ll be laughing all the way to the grave. And It’s not just the writing or direction that makes it so. The acting in this film is phenomenal, across the board.
The two leads kill it as husband and wife, and they should absolutely be winning some awards. But everyone else; from supporting characters, to the victims, to the children, all have their moment to make you laugh or frown in despair.
Emotionally speaking, the stakes are extremely high, and you can feel that each step of the way as we follow the extremely desperate Yoo Man-soo, a man on the edge.
High highs and low lows
The whole thing is an ineffable rollercoaster of emotions, and while the entire theater was erupting in laughter at times, there were just as many tense moments that made everyone shut up all at once.
You see, it’s a dark comedy over all. But it’s also an emotional family drama. And a satire on the state of the economy, the workforce, and A.I., among other things. It’s also a tense and suspenseful thriller. But, for the most part, it’s a hilarious descent into one man’s carefully calculated madness.
As we follow our antihero to the bitter end of his story we have to wonder: is it really worth it? He questions it just as much as we do, but at the end of the day, he does what he can for his family. It’s certainly a bleak statement on the way of the world, families, companies, and especially relationships.
The cost of Love
What struck me most as the film progressed, and something that was touched on greatly in the book, was the effect that careers have on relationships. While the book does a good job of capturing the frustration, the film fleshes out the desperation to an unbearable degree. We see not only the effect on Yoo Man-soo’s marriage, but the way the shrinking job market effects everyone, and it’s comedically heartbreaking.
As I get older, I start to see this more and more in real life as well, which is crushing. Love is never easy, but the fact that so many adult relationships can be based on how successful either partner is financially or career-wise? It’s hard to believe.
Laughing ’till it hurts
Park Chan-wook is a huge fan of twisting the metaphorical knife in the metaphorical wound, and this story is the perfect playground for him to wreak havoc upon. He uses the daunting pressure of making money to support family and spouse, and pushes it to the extreme.
At just over two hours, there is a lot to love in this film. You’ll laugh, you’ll feel bad, you’ll wince, you’ll cringe, and you may even shed a tear or two. But more than anything? You’ll be shocked how terrifyingly true to life the whole thing is.
No Other Choice will be playing in limited theaters starting December 25th, and will be released wide starting in January. Don’t miss it!
