300th Review: A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

A Tale of Two Sisters; or, Rose Flower, Red Lotus
     As much as you hate It, I'm the only one in this world you can call mother, got it?
One of my recent visits at a thrift store resulted in obtaining a DVD release of Kim Jee Woon’s A Tale of Two Sisters. Actually, I remember reading about this particular horror film during seminar classes at my university, where a lecturer did a comparison between this film and its Hollywood remake: The Uninvited. So, needless to say, let’s discuss the movie in detail.

Release Info

Directed by: Kim Jee Woon Starring: Im Soo Jung, Moon Geun Young, Yum Jung Ah

Language: Korean Original Title: 장화, 홍련  Runtime:115 min

Synopsis
A teenage girl called Su Mi (Im Soo Jung) was being treated for psychosis in a mental institution. After being discharged, she returns home with her father (Kim Kap Soo), and younger sister Su Yeon (Moon Geun Young). The two sisters have a strong bond and always support each other. However, they refuse to acknowledge Eun Joo (Yum Jung Ah) as their step-mother, which causes friction among family members. Soon after, Su Mi and Su Yeon start seeing supernatural phenomena around the house, even witnessing the ghost of their late mother (Park Mi Hyun).

Past Trauma
I think it is safe to say that Kim Jee Woon is a jack of all trades when it comes to delivering a variety of different genres, from a wacky comedy to an exciting thriller. Evidently, A Tale of Two Sisters is no exception. Having been inspired by a folktale story Janghwa Hongryeon jeon, Kim Jee Woon crafts a dark, slow-paced horror with psychological undertones taken verbatim from the pictures of Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

At its core, A Tale of Two Sisters is the story about the breakdown of a nuclear family. Of course, there are many unexpected plot twists along the way, sprinkled with supernatural elements and jumpscares. Yet, the dramatic reveal in the film’s finale essentially brings the whole thing down to a conflict between a girl and a step-mother, which was set in motion by an ignorant father.

I am not a big fan of a disjointed style of narrative, but in the case of A Tale of Two Sisters, it actually works. There are many sequences throughout the film which make you think whether what you are seeing is real or unreal. In particular, I refer to a chilling scene in which the character of Eun Joo looks for the mother’s ghost under a sink.

With regard to performances, Im Soo Jung and Moon Geun Young did a great job as sisters caught up in a Shakespearean-like tragedy. Nevertheless, they can’t hold a candle to Yum Jung Ah as the devilish step-mom. She really ascended to the heights of Disney villainy in this movie. Kim Kap Soo does well as the emotionless and out-of-touch father.

Recommendations
All things considered, if you want to keep yourselves engaged and put together pieces of a fragmented mystery for two hours, then I recommend A Tale of Two Sisters. To me, it was definitely a more compelling film than The Uninvited remake. The DVD edition I have was issued by IDG company in 2007. Unfortunately, it has no bonus features, but there is a DTS audio track, which improves the viewing experience. Internationally, the film was also issued by Tartan Films in 2005 and by Arrow Video in 2021.
Overall score: 8/10

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The Quiet Family (1998) [Film Review]

The Quiet Family; or, Lonely Lodge

     Did I tell you about Chul-ki? He was so good at digging that if you gave him a shovel, he'd automatically dig his way. Whenever I see a shovel, it reminds me of Chul-ki. I wonder what he's doing now…
Director Kim Jee Woon is, in my humble opinion, the wildest Korean filmmaker alive. In the course of his career, he churned out such outstanding motion pictures as A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), A Bittersweet Life (2005), The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008), and I Saw the Devil (2010). However, his feature debut also has to be remembered, a 1998 black comedy titled The Quiet Family.

Release Info

Directed by: Kim Jee Woon Starring: Park In Hwan, Na Moon Hee, Song Kang Ho, Choi Min Sik

Language: Korean Original Title: 조용한 가족 Runtime: 99 min

Synopsis
The Kang family has left the metropolitan hustle and bustle for the idyllic countryside. They bought an old house in the mountains with an intention of turning it into a lodge for tourists. The problem is that the family’s business endeavor is not extremely popular. The family is desperate for a guest, and when the first visitor arrives, they can’t believe their fortune. Unfortunately, things go terribly out of control due to a tragic incident...

The Happiness of the Kang Family
I have to say that I gave The Quiet Family a chance with a bit of doubt and suspicion. Whenever I looked on the internet (apart from wikipedia), there always were reserved and spoiler-free opinions. Thankfully, a friend’s recommendation from MDL ultimately persuaded me to watch the film and I did not regret a minute of it!

Evidently, it is very hard to write The Quiet Family without disclosing plot twists, so let me just say that Kim Jee Woon's theatrical debut is a pure black comedy at its best. However, I would not classify it as a horror, in contrast to what other reviewers say on IMDb and YouTube. Indeed, The Quiet Family has a couple of deeply disheartening moments, but these are not scary by any means.

Without a doubt, the screenplay itself is extremely gripping. While watching the film, I really felt bad for the Kang family and their misadventures. They did not do anything wrong, yet had to suffer through a lot of ordeals. The dynamics between the characters were absolutely spot on.

Cinematography by Jeong Kwang Seok is just top notch. The movie starts with an overview shot of the lounge, so from the very first scene, the viewers are exposed to the mental geography of a large setting. This clever introduction allows us to follow more easily the scenes taking place in many different rooms.

What is more, the music score by Jo Yeong Wook and Jeon Sang Yoon is extremely catchy, especially the opening credits piece. In addition, the usage of The Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You" song at the very end is a cherry on the cake.

With regard to performances, Park In Hwan, Na Moon Hee, Song Kang Ho, Choi Min Sik, Go Ho Kyung, and Lee Yoon Seong are wonderful as the Kang gang. This is the film just before Song Kang Ho was jettisoned into stardom with Shiri (1999) and Joint Security Area (2000)! How crazy is that? This guy does not age at all.

It comes as no surprise that the film was remade, but the Hollywood machinery of greed and exploitation has not touched it so far. In fact, Takashi Miike made a Japanese remake in 2001 called The Happiness of the Katakuris, whereas Indian industry produced three different versions for the local markets of Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu.

Recommendations
Highly recommended if you are in the mood for a very black comedy, indeed. The Quiet Family is a striking what-if take on the difficult plight of lodge/hotel owners in present times. Be careful what you wish for because you may receive a lot more than you originally wanted.Overall score: 8/10

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