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Directed by: Ji-Woon Kim Starring: Su-jeong Lim, Geun-yeong Mun, Jung-ah Yum "A Tale of Two Sisters" (Janghwa, Hongryeon) is not only one of the best Asian (Korean) thriller/horror films I've seen, it's also one of the most effectively disturbing psychological thrillers I've ever had the pleasure to be creeped out by. It's the story of two sisters, Su-Mi and Su-Yeon ("Rose" and "Lotus") who live in a house in the country with their father and emotionally cold stepmother. I really don't want to say a whole lot about the story for fear of giving anything away. This is a movie that demands a bit of alertness and intelligence of its viewers, which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned -- it's all the more affecting because of how things are hinted at and alluded to without having everything dropped in your lap at once. The last movie that I found really disturbing was Takashi Miike's "Audition", but where that film uses uses surreal intensity to poke at you relentlessly, "A Tale of Two Sisters" is more circumspect; it sneaks up on you. Where "Audition" left me good and weirded out for a couple of hours afterwards, "Two Sisters" kept me awake half the night -- every time I'd be about to drift off to sleep, some new little nuance of the story would occur to me leading to a fresh bout of shuddering in the dark. Good stuff. It's a very well-crafted movie technically; the cinematography is excellent, perfect pacing, gore and overt shock are pretty minimal, and used to good effect. Ji-hyun Jun ("My Sassy Girl") was originally considered to play one of the sisters, but refused the part on account of the script was too scary. I don't like to overhype movies so I'll shut up now, I'll just say that this movie is very much on my A-list of mindfuck thrillers -- if you like movies like "Audition", "Mulholland Drive", or "Videodrome", this is very likely to satisfy. EDIT / ADDITIONAL IMPRESSIONS: This is one of those movies that you really have to watch at least twice to get the most out of -- the first time for the sheer disorientation, then another viewing to put together the pieces once you know the twists. I watched the film again after writing my initial review, and while I still thoroughly enjoyed it, it was interesting how the second viewing left me with more of an impression of sadness, rather than terror. I guess in a way that's a minor criticism (that the shock value loses its impact after the first viewing), but it's also praise in that the film can be appreciated on multiple levels. RATING: 4.5 PROS: beautifully filmed, excellent story and DISTURBING CONS: a bit confusing if you don't pay attention (this is more of a heads-up than a criticism). Some of the scares rely a bit too much on camerawork and sound, rather than character and storytelling. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365376/ h_double fucked around with this message at 18:20 on May 13, 2005 |
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Apr 9, 2005 18:31
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 13:05 |
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I just watched this tonight and I liked it a lot. Although I have seen far too many movies to be genuinely scared of hands shooting out from unexpected places, this movie did succeed in creeping me out from beginning to end. As was mentioned by h_double, the movie is beautiful, and not just on a technical level, but on an emotional one as well. The movie did confuse me, but going back through frame-by-frame in certain areas, and replaying scenes in my head, has given me a pretty good grip on the story. There are subtle details that help paint a larger picture. For example, the dress being worn by the ghost in the chair after the dinner scene is hanging next to the mother in the wardrobe, and is also worn by Soo-yeon in the picture that the stepmother knocks over when she finds Soo-yeon crushed under the wardrobe. I gave this one a solid 5.
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Jun 16, 2005 08:09
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It's hard to say what hasn't already been said. I, too, was one of the people who wasn't genuinely scared by this film. However, I found the overall presentation and character development to be VERY disturbing, and the overall mystery that unfolds through that disturbance to be VERY intriguing. So even if you're not scared by this movie, you will enjoy everything else it has to offer. As an aside, the Tartan DVD release of this film has an exceptional array of extras, the majority (if not all) are subtitled in English. A 4.5, only because there are a few "loose end" moments. While Asian horror and thriller films are known to have "What the gently caress" moments, this film a a very tightly-wound story intended to have a strong level of coherence. The few moments in the film that leave unanswered questions, therefore, seem a bit out of place, though not enough to bring this film down.
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Jun 17, 2005 05:04
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