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Reviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
A TALE OF TWO SISTERS
In the aftermath of their mother's death, two sisters (played by Lim Su-jeong and Mun
Geun-yeong) become embattled with their shrew of a stepmom (Yum Jung-ah).
Paranormal activity within the house makes the girls wonder whether something
supernatural is lurking about or if they are merely being tortured by their father's new
bride.
A Tale of Two Sisters is an overly-ambitious mystical thriller where cheap scares
are substituted for character development. The stepmother is indeed wicked and the
sisters are hopeful rebels, but the film quietly veers into narrative perplexity. The film is
largely a plot-based workout for the mind, disguised as a horror film. Before the latest
revelation can be grasped, director Kim Jee-Woon hits us with another scare followed
by another a trickle of clues.
The film does deserve praise, however, for its lavish cinematography. We are at the
least given the chance to appreciate what we are seeing even if we don't understand all
that is happening. Light and shadow simply cannot be better used than they are during
a tense dinner scene. And the performances are of the same caliber we have come to
expect from the recent wave of Asian horror. Most notable is Yum Jung-ah as their
father's deliciously restrictive new wife. But whether or not the film gratifies depends
largely on the viewer's desire for complete clarity. Michael Belkewitch
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