“The Grudge” Directed by Takashi Shimizu
Columbia Pictures
Based on the Japanese blockbuster “Ju-On,” directed
by Takashi Shimizu, “The Grudge” may seem like just
another American remake following last year’s hit, “The
Ring.” While Ghost House Pictures and Columbia Pictures may
be confirming Hollywood’s current Japanese fetish with its
new thriller, “The Grudge” attempts to set itself apart
from its predecessor. Unlike “The Ring,” this American
remake was directed by Shimizu himself and is set in present-day
Japan. “The Grudge” tells the story of an American
foreign exchange student, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, who
encounters a house plagued by a terrible curse that kills all who
enter. Legend has it that when a person dies in a fit of rage
““ hence the name “The Grudge” ““ a curse is
born, perpetuating itself with every new death. Like all scary
thrillers, “The Grudge” has its share of creepy
children, eerie music, ringing phones, bathtubs and dark
staircases. It’s also chock full of cheesy lines, which help
to give comedic relief in between scares, which are actually quite
scary for a PG-13 film. But what will put the audience on edge will
not be good acting, which “The Grudge” severely lacks,
at least with its American cast. Gellar, though playing the lead
role, seems to be no more than a pretty stage prop. And everyone
else in a supporting role has fewer scenes than Bill Pullman, who
“cameos” the part of an American professor. This is
disappointing, since Japanese actors Takako Fuji and Yuya Ozeki,
who reprise their roles of ghoulish phantoms from
“Ju-On,” deliver the best scenes in the entire movie.
With such nondescript acting, it’s amazing that the film even
holds together until the end, since “The Grudge” also
fails in storytelling. The story jumps between past and present so
much that it even fuses at one point in the movie. And though
Shimizu directed the film, some of the sentiments probably
entrenched in “Ju-On” remain lost in translation. For
example, when audiences realize halfway into the movie that no one
actually dies from holding a grudge, the film’s title, as
well as the entire story’s premise, quickly loses meaning.
Curiously, despite all that it lacks, “The Grudge” does
manage to keep moviegoers frightfully entertained. In fact, the
only audible screaming will be from the audience, since the film
delivers its thrills in a rather subtle, yet effective style that
most horror buffs will find refreshing. Even better, the intensity
escalates as the film progresses. But, as the saying goes,
there’s nothing like the original. For those wanting a
genuine scare, maybe just skip the American remake and pick up
“Ju-On” instead. But audiences will be happy enough
just knowing that “The Grudge” is not just a copycat of
“The Ring.” -Frances Sun