A strange thing happened to me whilst watching The
Uninvited. On three separate occasions I found myself falling asleep during the
course of the movie. Not a unique occurrence I’m sure you’ll agree, it has
after all been a very long week, but not the most positive of endorsements
either. The interesting thing is, one of the lead characters in the film
suffers from narcolepsy. Coincidence or curse? You decide.
The Uninvited is a 2003 Korean horror/drama directed by Lee
Su-yeon, not to be confused with the 2009 Hollywood remake of A Tale Of Two
Sisters, also entitled The Uninvited. This particular unwelcome guest stars Jeon Ji-hyun (My Sassy Girl) and
Park Shin-yang (The Big Swindle), telling the tale of an interior decorator
that witnesses the death of two children on a subway journey home.
Jung-Won is not a well man. His wedding is fast approaching
and like any unsuspecting guy just about ready to take the plunge, he is
suffering from inexplicable anxiety and sleepless nights. One evening Jung-Won
falls asleep on the subway home, almost missing his stop. As he comes round he
sees two young girls asleep on the seat next to him. In his haste to get off
the train he pays little attention to the fact that they are alone.
Things get worse when he arrives home to find his wife-to-be
has been flicking through the Ikea catalogue again, bringing home an unusual
metal dining table, and probably some cushions too. At work the next day,
whilst renovating a psychiatrist's
office, he hears a news item on the radio about two young girls found
poisoned on a subway train. Falling debris from the ceiling intervenes, and
after a trip to the local hospital he returns home to find the two dead girls
sat at his shiny new table. That’s when things start to get really weird.
On paper The Uninvited reads like any other Asian ghost
story, but Lee Su-yeon isn’t interested in tried and tested formula. He
presents us with a perplexing drama that focuses on unravelling the human
psyche. There are elements of horror waiting to be discovered, but they aren’t
presented to us in the traditional way, both a blessing and a curse depending
on what you’re hoping to take with you from this experience. The opening act is
promising; Lee Su-yeon manages to create visual unease in every frame. The
flashes of terror - coupled with a restrained musical score - sets the tone of
the movie perfectly.
Events take a turn in the second act as we're introduced to
an array of human casualties in a courtroom drama that stumbles from time to
time. Jeon Ji-hyun plays Yeon, a witness in an infant murder case who finds it
hard to stay awake. She can also see dead people, and when Jung-Won finds out
she’s psychic he thinks she might be able to help him recover his lost
childhood memories. Is it just me or does this feel like a completely different
movie to the one we started with?
The Uninvited is no longer concerned with scaring the
viewer. At least, not in the traditional sense. It’s pretty obvious that
Jung-Won will be discovering misery and torment in his past (the movie title
hardly suggests hugs and puppies) but The Uninvited piles on the torment in a
gloomy and somewhat depressing manner. Great if you’re in the mood. Long
winded, confusing and soul destroying if you’re not. Visually striking scenes
of human devastation await those willing to take the ride, but be warned, they
are hidden within a world of confusion and muddled storytelling. It’s hard to
tell what’s real inside the twisted mind of our troubled protagonist, but for
me it was even harder to care.
The Uninvited is frustrating. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I
missed something. Maybe I fell asleep again. Whatever the reason, The Uninvited
remains an uneven movie going experience that struggles to find the right
balance between drama and horror. The silver lining being that in all the
confusion and restlessness, I did manage to pick out a matching set of cushions
for my sofa. An Ikea catalogue sure lifts the spirits in times of despair and
disillusionment. Like I said, it’s been a very long week. AW
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