Post by Michael West on Jul 22, 2006 10:53:16 GMT -5
Original Cantonese Title: Gin gwai 2
Directed by: The Pang Brothers
Written by: Lawrence Cheng and Jo Jo Yuet-chun Hui
Starring: Qi Shu, Eugenia Yuan, and Jesdaporn Pholdee
I was at the grocery store a few weeks ago and happened to walk by the video rental section. In the 80s and 90s every grocery store had them, but now with Blockbusters around every corner and NetFlicks bringing movies right to your door, they are somewhat of a rarity. This particular grocery store video rental department had a table out with hundreds of used DVDs for sale. Most of it was crap--direct to video titles and full screen versions of the films--but then I saw the widescreen version of The Eye 2 for $6.99! Needless to say, that particular used DVD found its way into my cart next to the seedless watermelon and the Oreo Klondike bars.
I was a huge fan of the Pang Brother's original 2003 frightfest The Eye, in which a blind girl is given new eyes and finds she can see far more than she should. The visuals were creepy, the acting was quite good, and there had been a real story there--with characters I cared about. Not to mention a scene with a ghost in an elevator that still makes my skin crawl! And yet, the movie had a very clear ending, a sense of closure. How could the Pang's add to it?
Simple answer: They don't. They tell an entirely new story.
While on a vacation shopping spree in Bangkok, Joey Cheng (Qi Shu) is dumped by her boyfriend. Upset, and feeling like a failure after three previous break-ups and a past abortion, she decides to take her own life by swallowing several bottles of sleeping pills. While her attempt fails at killing her, it does succeed in opening her eyes to the spirits of the dead who live among us. Joey soon discovers she is pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's child, and while she may not want the baby...the ghosts do.
I don't know about you, but I don't scare easily. I spend much of my time watching crappy horror films in search of that one little gem that will make me pick my feet off the floor and cover my mouth with my hand. For much of this film, The Pang Brothers had me utterly terrified. For one thing, there's the way the directors frame their shots...leaving room behind the actors head, makes you feel as if something is always behind them, ready to come up and get them at any time. And their use of music and editing only helps to heighten the fear and dread of every scene.
The screenplay by Lawrence Cheng and Jo Jo Yuet-chun Hui relies heavily on Buddhist concepts of life, death, and reincarnation, and the ending features a series of events that is a bit far-fetched, but the acting by Qi Shu and her supporting cast really help to humanize the film. As she screams and clutches her pregnant belly, tears rolling down her cheeks as she begs the ghosts to leave her unborn child alone, you can't help but feel her desperation and fear. Her ability to suck you in and make you care about her character gives the movie emotional weight many horror films lack, and helps to temper the more fantastic elements of the story.
While The Eye 2 is not a perfect film, it did have me jumping out of my seat and sucking in air through clenched teeth. Sadly, that doesn't happen too often when I watch a horror film. A word of warning...not to sound like one of those pharmaceutical ads, but I would not recommend the film if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. You expectant mothers have enough to worry about during labor without having some of these visuals stuck in your head. However, for those who are not currently with child, this is a DVD you need to pick up as soon as possible! Just look for it next to the frozen peas the next time you venture into your local grocery store.
4 out of 5 stars.