Face [DVD] [2004] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

*

Of all of the Asian Horror DVD movies in my personal collection [that were] purchased on the International market, this is the one-- along with "Tyakusin Ari" (aka "One Missed Call") --I totally had NOT expected would be picked up for official "Region-1" DVD release. I don't know what this all means from the DVD marketers' perspective, but I'm beginning to have my... umm... "suspicions."

Here we have a movie that is neither exclusively "good" nor exclusively "bad" -- just weighed heavily in "ambivalence."

The main theme of the story is intriguing enough: A forensic facial reconstructionist, distraught over the death of his wife and additionally burdened with caring for his deathly ill little daughter, submits his resignation from police work even as he is being begged to stay on due to the sheer volume of work still needed to be done which requires his expertise. He is "involuntarily" coaxed back into service by a young new protege and by a number of "unexplained phenomena" surrounding a new skull he has been asked to offer his help with.

Complicating matters is the repeatedly unstable condition of his sickly daughter -- who had undergone a very dangerous & difficult heart transplant surgery that required a very rare type of "organ donor match" in order for the surgical procedure to have even the slightest chances of success (a "MacGuffin" referred to in the movie as "Beta Alergic"). "Inspired," if you will, by a thread of ghostly apparitions and other related inexplicable sights & sensations, the specialist becomes convinced that the spirit connected to the latest skull in his possession will not rest quietly until it has been given its face back. During this process he gradually becomes convinced that his daughter had become the recipient of the heart of the skull/ghost in question and that the circumstances under which it was acquired may be highly (and frighteningly) suspect. Et cetera and so-forth.

Even with the suspensions of logic that are required, this film has one MAJOR fault which prevented me from scoring it any higher than I surely would have: THE COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY "SADAKO-LIKE" GHOSTLY APPEARANCES! -- ALL OF THEM! (You will completely understand my frustration over this once the "Big Reveal" at the end becomes evident!) It was bad enough that our main protaganist was being "tormented" by Sadak...uh... 'that long-haired ghost-woman' -- but why was Sada... 'that ghost' ALSO being used to frighten his daughter? (Yeah, I know -- it's all supposedly because of the "connection" they all have between themselves & whatnot, but again the "LOGIC" behind it gets thrown to the wind upon the "Big Reveal"!) In other words, this movie was just trying to capitalize off of the "creepy imagry" made popular by Nakata Hideo's "Sadako" in "RING," and nothing more.

Had they left the ghostly appearances completely out of this movie it would have worked perfectly as a metaphysical/psychological thriller and would have made for a much stronger and more memorable movie, in my opinion.

And typical of what many "A-Horror" movies have become notorious for, this one features several "flashback" sequences which are immediately indistinguishable from the main scenes of the film, so expect to be thrown off track at a couple of important junctures -- then angered that such haphazard incorporations helped to further ruin an already difficult-enough viewing experience.

So the real question becomes, Can I recommend this title for purchase? At it's currently listed price, I'd say no -- especially if you're so fed up with the "A-Horror" cliches of recent years that you'd feel insulted that a movie would make such deliberate use of them for no other purpose than simply to capitalize on that market. Should the price come down on it, however-- say, somewhere in the neighborhood of $14.95 & under --then I'd say go ahead and give it a look-see, it wouldn't hurt much of anything then, if you did.

"Face" is a typical example of a nice Korean thriller that contains all the necessary for a genre details. It has elements of a horror movie, of cops-vs-maniac films, of a criminal thriller. Director Sang-Gon Yoo keeps the action tense and fast-going so you won't get bored. The story involves a lot of things: gruesome murders after which the murderer dissolves bodies in acid, face-reconstruction, illegal organ transplantation and ghostly apparitions. I know told this way it all may seem a one big mess but finally all the segments of this intricate film perfectly fit like parts of a puzzle.

You'll definately get a twist in the end like you've probably expected. Yes, the scheme this movie is based on is quite recognizable but you can never know all the details... And details make this picture memorable. I must note a perfect acting from all the main performers - I was pleasantly surprised. The cunning story-line, plus great acting and superior directing make "Face" a remarkable film among all other Korean and Asian in general thrillers.

Partly I have to agree with the reviewer 'Ace-of-Stars' who says all those Sadacoesque appearances were absolutely unnecessary. I think they were a bit worn-out but they seemed to fit the story well and this girl with long black hair was actually needed for the script. So... It already became a trademark of Asian horror cinema like a blind (crippled, unpretty, timid - pick any) girl who stays alive in the end of American slashers.

"Face" is definately worth watching, it's not a minute boring, it's well crafted and intense although at the same time pensive like many Korean films.

FACE (2004) is a South Korean thriller directed by Sang Gon Yoo, the same man who directed the Korean erotic drama "Yellow Flower". Equal parts ghost story and equal parts murder mystery with a touch of forbidden romance; the film is quite ambitious. However, the problems with the movie weren't all about its script, it also lacked coherency.

Lee Hyun-Min (Shin Hyeon Jun) is a sculptor but not your usual artist. He is the kind who assists the police to reconstruct skulls in order to recreate a "face". Hyun-Min's daughter is just recovering from a heart transplant and Hyun-Min needs to take a sabbatical. Unfortunately, a serial killer is on the loose and he has a very distinct way of eliminating the bodies that will require his expertise. Aided by a beautiful aspiring facial reconstructive sculptor; Jun Sun-Young (Sung Yu-ah), what he stumbles upon is something more sinister than he could have imagined--that involves human organs and the supernatural.

The film is full of atmosphere and it exudes creepiness. Of course, the long-haired ghost makes an appearance, and those scenes are quite creepy in its own way. The usual formulas are present as the ghost gives the main character the feeling of dread. The appearances of the ghost were puzzling and at the same time it arouses my curiosity enough to see just where everything is headed. However, this is not your typical ghost movie and the film does attempt to find its "heart". The film is also a murder mystery and it focuses more on this premise rather than the ghost itself. Most of its proceedings involve investigation and the scares are there only to provide some reminder of the supernatural's presence.

The problems with "FACE" is that it seemed to have pitched too many ideas with potential but it ended up not developing each one with credibility. The visions experienced by Hyun-Min's child has so severely underdeveloped that it seemed like a cheap way to induce the usual scares. True, it may make some sense in the climax but it somehow didn't add anything more to the film's pace. Also, the film may have showed its hand too soon. I would have preferred its `shock value' to be revealed perhaps after everything has slowed down. The direction was competent enough but it just didn't play its `aces' well.

The film is also decently acted as Shin Hyeon-Jun is by no means a slouch in his performance. The man has done comedies (Guns and Talks) and action epics (Bichunmoo); now he tries his hand at horror. He does a decent performance despite that he has so little to work with, he was rather convincing as the single father of an ailing child. Pretty Song Yu-Ah is the most intriguing character in the film. She is lovely, smart and exudes that "girl next door look". The blossoming feelings that start to surface between the two isn't surprising; this is a Korean film so expect the a "bittersweet" resolution to all of this.

"Face" is a decent horror movie from South Korea. The plot does have some holes when you nit-pick each one and its direction needed to be more coherent and solid. There were times that I felt that the script was just running all over the place. The supposed `shocking' revelation lost some of its effect because it showed its hand too soon that it felt like a throw-away detail. I was rather disappointed that the direction didn't play all its cards right. On a film like this, timing is everything. On the plus side, the film is quite touching in its own way and plays its theme of love and devotion successfully. The film isn't really that bad but thankfully it wasn't a lot worse.

Recommended with caution, Rent it first. [3 Stars]