I am a Chinese, living in Malaysia. Why do I start my review with that? Simple. I am not a racist, and I believe that a movie transcends race, religion, and culture. It is a work that brings together the elements of human nature and human ingenuity, both the best and the worst, into film, to weave a story that has a meaning and a reason, that gives us clues to how to live a better life. This is what a movie means to me.
With that said, I must state here that the recent movies that I have seen these few years were, to say the least, disappointing. Dorm, is better than them. Period.
The best movie I have seen still remains to be Donnie Darko, but Dorm comes very close. Very close. You can put it up there with Stand By Me and The Sixth Sense. The movie touched me in so many levels that after the movie, I started talking to myself about life and beyond. I know what you are thinking by now. I bet you are thinking that this reviewer is crazy. Maybe I am. But do read on.
The first thing that I want to state is that, this is not a horror movie. It doesn't scare you. It doesn't make you jump. It doesn't make your hair stand on ends. No, this is not that kind of movies. As some reviewers already stated, this is a coming of age movie, one where the character learns about himself and grows. This is a supernatural movie about ghosts and friendships, about sacrifice and childhood, about a father's sin and a son's journey into becoming a man, a better man.
I gave this movie ten points, so the first two points go to the story. This is a tried and tested method. A linear and chronological story that has no branches, no what-ifs, and no shocking endings. Hence, no screw-ups. The story was coherent, and the plots were all properly placed (albeit a bit flat), and the characters well-developed. The climax was justified, and the story was properly wrapped up before closing. This movie doesn't give you nonsense like a kid transferring to a new school and then bumps into a ghost for no good reasons. No, the father had an affair with the maid, the son saw it, and was shipped to a boarding school to keep the secret safe. The son suffers for the father's sin. As we later found out, this was not the case. The father in fact did it for the good of his son, but being a child, it wasn't easy for him to come to terms with the fact that the father was doing what was best for him. Dealing with domestic issues in a supernatural thriller is uncommon, but effective here as the father later deals with his adultery with his son. I used to be a school teacher myself, and the scene that grips me most was the headmistress seeing one of her own child drown at the bottom of the pool. I believe one could go crazy from a tragic accident like that. The Boy Who Cries Wolf was illustrated perfectly here in the movie, so kids, take heed. The best thing that I like the most, is that in this movie, the ghost is not a vicious, nasty, ugly, blood-thirsty, flesh-hungry, brain-dead, decomposing slab of meat that goes around haunting people for no good reasons. Why did Sadako do it? Why don't we ask how she did it with a tape? In this movie, the ghost is a little boy who had an unfortunate accident, who lives on to suffer the consequences of his own actions. Although his character was not very well developed, and you can practically tell he is the ghost 30-minutes into the movie, you won't actually mind at all. You will sympathize for him. You will feel for him. You will love him as if he is your son. And it was this friendship, a kid making his first friend in a new school (who happens to be a ghost), is what struck me the most. We remember all too well that first day in that new school, and that first person who came to talk to you who eventually became your best friend. Their friendship goes to such a level that a mere child was willing to risk his life to save the soul of not one, but two persons. One of the dead and one of the living. The story did not do the smart thing (like the ghost took over the boy's body as with we have seen in The Skeleton Key) or leaving the story wide open for a sequel. No, the boy saved the ghost, but therein lies the dilemma. Not only did he has to put his own life on the line, he also had to let the ghost leave. And then he told the headmistress the truth, and thanked her. The story didn't do the smart thing, but the right thing. And why did the ghost haunt the kid? Who asks the new kid to go to the toilet in the dead of the night? He was asking for it!
Unfortunately, my lamenting has caused me to run out of words, so I'll be brief on the rest. The directing was good, except for the oversight on Ton's hair length. The music was superb, especially the ending song. The special effect was good, and the cinematography is brilliant on the use of colors and lighting. Lastly, the acting. One word: superb. Charlie is even better than Haley, hands down. The scene where he had his first meal with tears in his eyes, my heart bleed.
I wish IMDb would give me more words, cause there are so much more I want to talk about this movie!
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