Director: Fruit Chan, Park Chan-wook, Takashi Miike
Screenplay: Lilian Lee, Park Chan-wook, Bun Saiko, Haruko Fukushima
Starring: Bai Ling, Tony Leung Kai-fai, Lee Byung-hun, Im Won-hee, Kyoko Hasegawa, Atsuro Watabe
Running Time: 125 minutes
Genre: Horror
Three short horror films from three directors from three different countries:
"Dumplings", from Hong Kong and director Fruit Chan: Ageing actress Mrs. Li (Miriam Yeung) buys special dumplings from the mysterious Aunt Mei (Ling). These dumplings have the power to restore youth, beauty and vitality, but contain a shocking secret ingredient.
"Cut", from South Korea and Park Chan-wook: A successful movie director (Lee Byung-hun) and his glamorous pianist wife (Kang Hye-jung) are kidnapped by a homicidal extra (Im Won-hee) and forced to play a sadistic game to survive.
"Box", from Japan and Takashi Miike: Kyoko (Hasegawa) is a successful 25 year old novelist, tormented by recurring nightmares of her childhood as a circus performer. She believes that she is being haunted by the vengeful spirit of her sister (Yuu Suzuki), who died in childhood, and is struck by the physical resemblance between her literary agent and the owner of the circus who was her childhood tormenter (both Watabe).
This was made as a sequel to a previous international omnibus film called Three (2002), but was released in the US and the UK first. After this film became successful Three was released as Three... Extremes 2. This is a visually striking film, where each segment feels completely distinct.
"Dumplings", which Fruit Chan later remade as a standalone feature film, is a mostly low-key but creepy tale, which almost feels like a social drama at some points, dealing with ageing, particularly in regards to women, and women's place in Hong Kong society. Mrs. Li is desperate to restore her youth when she realises that her sleazebag husband is having an affair with a much younger woman, which he barely bothers trying to conceal from her. Aunt Mei, who claims to be much older than she appears, makes a living carrying out secret abortions and making these sinister dumplings. The film manages to make diced meat and slurping little, crunchy dumplings very creepy.
"Cut" is the most full-blooded, in every sense, entry. Playing as a macabre gruesome black comedy this is funny, suspenseful and shocking. The extra traps the director and his wife (none of the characters are named) in a set made to look like their house, and chains the director to the wall while stringing up his gagged wife at a piano like a living marionette, forcing him to confess his worst sins, and threatening to cut off his wife's fingers one by one unless the director kills a young girl. Again the female characters are merely the instruments for the male characters to either discover themselves or take revenge on another man. Although it becomes less simplistic as it goes along. The segment is visually stylish and has some effective surprises.
"Box" is visually stunning, but is so strange. More disturbing and disquieting than full on scary, it's very atmospheric and it really does feel like you are watching a nightmare. It touches on some very disturbing themes.
This is an effective anthology, and there are segments that will work better than others. My personal favourite was "Cut", which managed to make even this jaded horror fan wince. It does have thje problem that a lot of anthology films have, of being uneven. I found "Dumplings" quite slow, and "Box" just baffling, however for fans of Asian horror, or anyone interested in learning about it, then this is well worth checking out. However I would warn that it is very gruesome in places, and it touches on some quite difficult subjects.
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