Cello Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: A woman's life plunges into chaos as she is haunted by the ghost of a rival cellist.

Review: For some reason I remembered this movie being a lot better. There was, maybe, enough material for a half hour short if you account for the heaps of filler. In one respect, this is an original concept with the whole cellist plot line, but, at the end of the day, it's still a typical ghost girl revenge plot. The cop-out ending was also not doing the story any favors that's for sure. Surprise, it was all a dream! Or was it...dun dun dun. Somehow the story is aimless and unsure of what it wants to present. This is a shame since, underneath all the shenanigans, this could have been a decent little flick.

I'll touch on the positives first since I do want acknowledge that this isn't a total train wreck. In fact, the film has a certain gloss to the cinematography that makes the production appear top-notch. With the story pertaining to cellos, the music rightfully throws around classical pieces mixed with an interesting score. The actors do take their roles seriously despite the flimsy material they had to work with. The main girl, Mi-ju, played by Hyun-ah Sung, was certainly portrayed with conviction even if she's fundamentally wasted. The primary mystery is intriguing--wondering why is Mi-ju targeted by this ghost who appears to have once been a friend. While this plot line stops making sense at one point, it does engage you. Likewise, the reveal that Mi-ju let her rival die in order to surpass her is a doable twist. Finally, there is some little chickadee not listed in the credits that deserves recognition. I'll get to her character in a bit, but does anyone know who this girl is? She needs a proper place in my ever-growing list of babes!

It's like the back of a milk carton: have you seen me?

On to the film's problems. Getting back to my mystery girl...she is one of two red herrings. Red herrings, really?! Umm, did someone forget we are dealing with a ghost movie? Granted, you will wonder if these characters connect back to the ghost but they don't. This leads me to the filler dilemma. You've got these red herrings, loose plot tangents, and pointless scenes with little to no bearing on the story. What is the meaning of this nonsense? Tighten this shit up. Worse, if you are going to cheapen everything with "it's just a dream," then how the hell do you explain us seeing multiple character perspectives? So Mi-ju is conveniently dreaming the POV of other people who happen to stumble upon clues just so that the audience can see the full picture?! Sorry, not buying it. But then you do a double fake out where the ghost has Mi-ju trapped in a dreamy time loop? WHAT?! I'm calling bullshit. I think this was just an excuse to wrap up the movie without having to do anything while also repeating scenes for even more filler! The last thing I'll mention is that the ghost isn't sympathetic. Yes, I know, she doesn't have to be, but she's killing Mi-ju's kids and family members. That kind of collateral damage may be ballsy, but it makes it hard to support any character by the end.

I wish there were more to this film than what we got, but, hey, what can you do? Had this been a segment in an anthology similar to "4bia," and all the filler sliced away, this might have left a stronger impression. The reveal about Mi-ju deserving her suffering would have felt more meaningful in this respect as well. Though I have been especially harsh on this film, it isn't without redeeming qualities after all. Others may be able to get over the issues I could not, and, I know from firsthand experience, this felt better upon the initial viewing. Hmm...maybe this is worth checking out if you're really bored and lower your expectations considerably. However, if the mere thought of "it was all a dream" is a deal-breaker, you may find yourself sorely disappointed.

Notable Moment: When Mi-ju is bathing with her one daughter. Okay, seriously, what is up with this? This is at least the fourth time that I've seen Korean chicks bathing together in movies. Is this phenomenon real?

Final Rating: 5.5/10