April 3 2004

The Eye 2

The Eye isn't just a great horror movie; it was a revelation. Free of stodgy romance and katoey-related tomfoolery (See Bangkok International Film Festival), I thought it was the best Thai film of all time - until I found out that it was actually made by the Pang Brothers from Hong Kong. It was mostly filmed in Thailand, though.

With a pedigree like this, The Eye 2 had to be worth a look - particularly as it stars the delicious Shu Qi (See Shu Qi: Actress and nude model). Undeterred by a poor review in the Bangkok Post, I went to see for myself. In all honesty, though, I'd watch a lengthy documentary about the manufacture of Thai handicrafts if Shu Qi was in it.

In my view, the critics got it wrong. The Eye 2 is almost as good as its predecessor. It does employ similar scare tactics but, so long as you don't watch both films in the same month, they still work.

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The Eye 2 is a chilling tale of wandering spirits and gruesome reincarnations. Playing heavily on maternal paranoia, it's the 21st Century's answer to Rosemary's Baby. Shu Qi plays a Hong Kong SPG made pregnant by a married man. She visits Thailand for some retail therapy but ends up attempting suicide and having a close encounter with the spirit-world instead. Her charismatic performance carries the whole film.

The weak link is her pretty-boy Thai co-star, Jetsadaporn Poldee. Playing the married boyfriend, he delivers a wooden performance fit only for a dreadful Thai soap opera. Presumably, they only hired him to boost the Thai audience. The director must have shared my low opinion of Jetsadaporn because, despite being given second billing, the final cut left him with just three short scenes.

Perhaps this explains why the film is playing to empty houses in Thailand. Local audiences obviously prefer their usual diet of slapstick comedy and vacuous teenage love. I reckon that most farangs will enjoy The Eye 2, though - particularly if they have a soft spot for Shu Qi.

[Posted to TV/Movies by David]

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Readers' comments

Dan says:

The first Eye was a great film, however I thought the Pang brothers (Dany and Oxide?!) were Thai and that the movie was filmed (mostly) in Hong Kong.

April 27, 2004 6:51 AM