Review of A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) by Tabitha M — 06 Sep 2009

"You know whats really scary? You want to forget something, totally wipe it off of your mind, but you never can. It can't go away you see and it follows you around...like a ghost.".

While the film is classed as horror, there are so many more elements explored here that make the film much more than just a simple "scare" fest. Family relationships, guilt, death of a loved one and psychological trauma to name but a few. That's not to suggest, however, that there aren't any genuinely scary moments, as they seem to be hiding under the sink, in the wardrobe and crawling around the bed at any given moment.

The cinematography and score are also commendable points, adding to the emotion or suspense of each moment.

If a character can invoke complete sympathy or hatred from me you know that the actor has performed well - I sincerely loathed the stepmother in this film. She personified pure evil during her assaults on the girls.

While there are some cliched points here, they are well delivered. This beautiful yet creepy cinematic gem has to be viewed before the recent remake to allow you to appreciate the real intensity and intelligence of the story. I'm sure we're all aware the remake will miss the point of the film completely as many of these remakes - unfortunately - do.