Moebius Review

I have seen many Asian horror and thriller films that have pushed the enveloped. Such films as Gozu, Visitor Q, Grotesque and Meat Grinder just to name a few. By a recommendation I checked out "Moebius" directed and written by Kim. I'm not familiar with Kim Ki-Duk but he has a reputation of pushing the envelope. Is Moebius another one of those films that goes beyond? Or is it something you really need to skip. This review will contain minor spoilers to show how twisted the film is.

Story - A housewife (Lee Eun-Woo) becomes enraged with jealousy over her husband's (Cho Jae-Hyun) affair. Meanwhile, their son (Seo Young-Joo) sits in the periphery, observing their violent confrontations. One evening, the housewife takes a kitchen knife into their bedroom to exact revenge on the father. The father though is able to repel her attack and throws her out of the bedroom. The mother then goes into the son's room.

The best way to describe Moebius is unique. One thing you need to know going into this is film is that there is no dialogue. I actually found this to be the most intriguing aspect of the film. Everything is told through body language, groans and facial expression. Now this where the review gets interesting. As stated the above, this movie is about a housewife who can't take anymore of her husband's affairs. Her attempt to extract revenge is by cutting her husband's penis off. The husband fights back and she fails. In attempt to get back at her husband she cuts off her teenage son's penis instead and swallows it. Are you still with me reader? The mother runs away and the husband is left with a penis-less son. I will stop spoiling the rest of the plot for you here. "Moebius" is a story I have never seen before. Believe it or not even without dialogue you understand the characters torment, insecurities and development. The story minus all the shock factor is pretty good. You understand this family has some serious conflict due to the father's disloyalty and neglectful behavior. All of his decisions come to head during the second and third act. The abuse, neglect and disloyalty are the central focal points for the three main leads. The abuse of the son, the neglect of the mom and the disloyalty from the father all play out in a big way towards the end. If you get pass some of the graphic scenes and gore, you will find a very interesting film that has one messed up family as the focal point.

Acting - I love the acting in this film because you really have to show emotion without words. The stand out performance goes to Seo Young-Joo who plays the son. His emotion, body language make him the most symphateic character out of the three. Viewers will connect to his plight and the situation he was forced into. Actress Lee Eun-Woo does great playing double duty as the wife and mistress. Her role as the distraught housewife and sympatheic mistress shows her range as an actress. Overall the acting is fresh, unique and believable.

Music/Filmmaking - There is only music and the final act and I will say that it fit the tone of that section. The filmmaking is shot very realistic. Kim-Ki-Duk really did a great job of giving us a very dark, gritty look into the world. The movie doesn't show certain actions (penis getting cut off) but the build up and action towards make it cringe worthy.

Final Thoughts - Moebius has an interesting story to tell without the use of any dialogue. It has a solid cast that brings true emotion to the characters. If you can get pass the cringe worthy scenes this film is something you should check out.

Rigor Mortis Review

Rigor Mortis is a new horror installment directed by Juno Mak. It stars Anthony Chan, Siu-Ho Chin, Kara Hui, Richard Ng, Hoi-Pang Lo, Hee Chang Paw. The film is about a washed-up actor, desperate and suicidal, moves into a haunted apartment building where supernatural creatures, ghost hunters, taoist exorcists, and the souls of the undead walk among his neighbors. Does this film pack the scars and thrills? Or this is a film clearly not renting?