In the time honoured tradition of Far Eastern horror films this will undoubtedly leave you with a head scratching "huh?" come the end credits.
The film follows the story of two sisters, Su-mi and Su-yeon, and their interaction with their father and step-mother, Eun-joo. The first two-thirds of the film consist mainly of the tensions between the older sister (Su-mi) and her parents, interspersed with some genuinely creepy scenes that although very stylishly shot have little to do with the plotline.
We learn that the girls' mother is dead and that they blame Eun-joo, Su-mi goes so far as to refuse to speak to her father because of his new wife. The viewer is left increasingly intrigued as despite Eun-joo's best efforts at acting as a dutiful wife we see the father, Moo-hyeon, leaving the marital bed to sleep on the couch downstairs. It appears that Eun-joo, in turn blames Su-mi for her husband's lack of interest in her, resulting in some deliciously dark moments between the two.
The atmosphere of this film is dark and almost claustrophobic, as the director says in the special features disc dark patterned wallpapers and dim lighting were used to create a sinister and foreboding feeling. However I must admit to finding the decor somewhat distracting, wondering if it would be considered less strange in Korea!
About two-thirds of the way in things take a turn for the bizarre and we discover that Su-mi has a multiple personality disorder triggered by a traumatic event in her past. (I won't go into details for spoiler purposes.) From this point onwards everything you thought you understood about what was going on goes out the window and you're left feeling confused, and in my case, slightly betrayed. What was an otherwise enjoyable film was, in my opinion, held back by the ending. It felt rushed, which was unnecessary, as at under 2 hours long (115 mins) it could have easily been extended a little. It was also overly confusing, and although it was dramatic and certainly left an impression it was enough to make this film "good" as opposed to "excellent."
The version I bought had two discs with 160 mins of bonus material, which did make the film better value for money although I don't think I'd have bought it had it not been on sale. Bonus features included deleted scenes with commentary (after watching it becomes clear the director wasn't sure how to end the film either!), cast interviews, post production documentaries and film commentaries with the director and cast.
You'll enjoy this film if you've enjoyed other Tartan Asia releases such as the Ring series and Takashi Miike's Audition. But you'd do better to steer clear if you're looking for a real scare as, a few moments excepted, this film is more confusing than terrifying!
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Production Year: 2000 - Horror - Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Carmen Electra, Anna Faris, Kurt Fuller, James Van Der Beek, Keenen Ivory Wayans
Another good review.....keep up the good work....I can see a future good film reviewer in the making here.....again a little more personal opinion would make this VH x
wingnut888 06.08.2006 18:55
good work on your first review. would like to watch this film. i heard from other people that is was ok
Schnappi 06.08.2006 18:54
oh and, even though you left lots of negativity against the film, i still wish to watch this, i have done for quite a while, and this review just leaves me confused, should i watch it not not?:S
Our sorrow was conceived long before our birth...' When sisters Su-mi (Lim Soo-jeong) and ... more
Su-yeon (Mun Geun-yeong) return home from a sanitarium having supposedly recovered their health their stepmother Eun-joo (Yum Jung-ah) welcomes them back. Howev...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Following the death of their mother, sisters Su-mi and Su-yeon are sent to convalesce in a ... more
mental hospital. When they are released, they are greeted by their father and taken home. Once there, it becomes obvious that this isn't the wholesome family uni...
Advantages: The acting and emotions show by the two sister is remarkable Disadvantages: Obviously not for children view as it includes some hair raising scenes too.
![A Tale Of Two Sisters [DVD] [2004]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78494589.jpg "A Tale Of Two Sisters [DVD] [2004]")
Aug 6th, 2006
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