The Grudge -- simplicity is not beauty, it's scary!

Title:
The Grudge (B)
PH Release Date:
October 27, 2004
Actors:
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, Bill Pullman, Kadee Strickland, Clea Duvall
Director:
Takashi Shimizo
Story:
Based on Shimizo’s “Ju-On: The Grudge”
Screenplay by:
Stephen Susco
Editor / Music:
Jeff Bedancourt
Design / Photography:
Iwao Saito / Hideo Yamamoto
Producer:
Sam Raimi
Studio:
Sony

“When someone dies in the grip of a powerful lust--- a stain is left behind—what a perv!”

Just when you thought there ain’t gonna be a movie chilling enough to make your hair curl this Halloween season, well I hate to break it up to you but you’re wrong! This adaptation of the Japanese thriller Ju-On is the perfect jerk off movie, I mean jerking off your seat movie, I mean yanking off your seat type of movie, whatever, you know what I’m trying to say.

Sarah Michelle Gellar leads an ensemble of white actors as Karen, an exchange student trying to land her first tending assignment. And finally she was called on to surrogate for another caregiver who strangely didn’t show up that day at work. She arrived at the house of Emma, gave her aid like she was supposed to and found a creepy boy named Toshiyo inside a taped closet. It will not take long before she suffers a series of supernatural events and uncover the clandestine behind the curse inside that home which slays everyone who encounters it.

I admit that I honestly didn’t like the original the Grudge that much. I wasn’t spooked enough by that movie, maybe cuz I saw it at home not in the cinema or maybe it just wasn’t scary enough. I expect this movie to be not much different from the first one, and as usual, I’m right. Expected changes in the plot were made just like its predecessor “The Ring”, but unlike its precursor it didn’t try to blend in much of the American culture and that I think is because of the irrefutable potency of this movie—it’s director.

From the very first scene, you just know this movie will be as haunting as you expect it to be. It was not much of an adaptation but more of a remake. It’s a remake wherein instead of having Jap actors, they interposed American actors. Having written and directed the original movie makes it much easier for Takeshi to remake it. He knows exactly how it will look like when he does the scenes and how beautiful it will appear.

Not much CGI and outlandish costumes but more of the usage of lights. I like that about this movie, it’s technically superb and finely paced. The editing and photography were all unfussy which is good. Story wise, it’s not as grounded as The Ring, a few glitches in the storyline but tolerable enough. The curse itself, although clearly described it s heritage, its extent was not clearly stated. But unlike the latter, it stuck with being Japanese. It’s not an American Film with a Japanese director but more of a Japanese Film with American actors.

Sarah Michelle Gellar appear as if she enjoys being in the spine-chilling genre so much (or maybe she won’t get anything else other than this sort of genre). Although we can hardly consider Scooby-doo frightening, it still has something to do with monsters of some sort. The only two movies I remember seeing her not doing a horror type of thingy was in Cruel Intentions (where she was still a little bit scary) and in Simply Irresistible (a girl with some sorta cooking powers? Still creepy). So you see, I’m beginning to think that she might be stuck doing the same roles over and over and not go back to being the “All my Children” type of genre, which will be such a waste of a good talent. Not that I don’t appreciate her acting but I think it’s time for her to give up the sinister roles and do something hardcore (porn? I hope so)—drama that is. Jason Behr, well after being in an Alien series, where else will you go? Such a pity cuz I think he’s a good actor. The rest of the actors did fine, it’s just weird cuz I sometimes confuse Clea Duvall with Hilary Swank, I dunno why, acting wise they kinda have the same style.

If you’re really looking for a movie strong enough to make you jerk off you seat, okay, jolt off your seat, this movie will be perfect. Even if you know when it’s coming you still can’t stop its force that pushes you to the edge of your seat. It is it’s creepiness that hides within its simplicity. Just proves that Simplicity is not beauty, it’s scary.