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Mi-Ju is a young professor of music who receives an audio
tape containing a particular piece of cello music, which shocks
and frightens her. When she starts to receive threatening
text messages and hears voices outside her home, she assumes
it is the revenge of a student who confronted her when she
didn't receive a pass grade. However, there are darker forces
at work here. A strange housekeeper shows up at the request
of Mi-Ju's husband, and her eldest daughter plays the discovered
tape over and over, attempting to play it herself on the cello.
A series of visions and violent incidents take place before
Mi-Ju's husband finds a yearbook with the face of a girl called
Tae-Yeon Kim blanked out. When confronted she reveals a past
friendship torn apart by rivalry, and a death which advanced
her career. They will soon learn that a supernatural evil
seeks retribution against everything Mi-Ju holds dear...
The
quality of supernatural horror films emerging from East Asia
is surprisingly high considering the number that have been
produced in the last few years. Cello, a Korean language
film with subtitles, is far from being the best of these,
but it is an above-average story, and a promising debut from
director Lee Wook-Chul.
Ever since Ju-on: The Grudge, directors from that part
of the world appear to be thinking as much about pacing and
structure as they are about the plot and characters. This
attention to detail, and attempt to release something a little
different, can only help this sub-genre of horror adapt and
survive. However, it does prepare you to take the situations
in each additional film with a large pinch of salt. In other
words, now you're half-expecting each plot to be non-linear
or at least not what it seems to be. Rather than the normal
Hollywood horror twist of the evil surviving because the film
company is trying to create a money-spinning franchise, in
many of these films the ending reveals a whole new subplot
and sometimes stands the entire film on its head, making it
something else entirely. You get the feeling of a little healthy
competition between productions going on.
Cello
has its own take on this. A very short sequence as the film
begins is soon forgotten as the main plot takes over. It is
only the reminder at the end that makes you remember Mi-Ju
has suffered a serious accident and that what has gone before
is not real... until it starts to happen again.
The
Behind the Scenes featurette doesn't reveal much about
what went into making Cello, but it does make you smile
at the length of time and attention to detail given to an
accident victim's theatre blood. You will feel sympathy for
the little girl who says she is scared when they apply the
bottled blood to her and tell her to imagine it is ice-cream
(!)
Ty
Power
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