Sinnerman's review of Phone. Intriguing to say the least
(mild spoilers)
WOW!!!
First up for those who haven't seen Phone, Sinnerman's verdict of "it sucks" should not put you off! Phone does struggle to be genuinely scary with the ability to make you jump out of your seat, but it has some 'nice' (in a horror film kind of way) scenes which save it from being bottom of the barrel. As far as Korean horror, "A Tale of Two Sisters" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365376/ surely is sitting at the top of the pile.
Unlike Two Sisters, Phone leaves no stone unturned, nothing is left to the viewer to make up their own mind. If you had a query about an element of the plot, you can be pretty sure there's a scene towards the end of the film in the form of a flashback that deals with it.
Ju-On: The Grudge http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364385/ is worth watching if you haven't seen it, and so too is Kairo http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286751/ (not as comparable to Phone & Ju-On, but more more bizarre than Phone and based about t'Internet.)
SECONDLY "...the greatest mis-step in this travesty of a film is its ethically criminal casting of ...a very, very young girl. The emotional demands and moral ambiguities required for that role called into question the sheer irresponsibility of all involved in this project."
What?! Are you serious?
Sinnerman has a slight point to suggest, " the psychological impact...on that little girl" - a view that can be found in the Nixflix.com review of Phone:
"The one element besides the derivative nature of "Phone" that may turn some people off is the usage of the child character. As in the "Exorcist", child actor Seo-woo Eun is required to do quite a bit of acting, the bulk of which she probably doesn't understand the reasons for. Because a vengeful ghost is possessing the child, she's required to act evil and dark... I have to wonder what repercussions this might have on her in the future. I bring this up only because the child is required to do, and say, a number of things that are, in all honestly, not acceptable in civilized society."
http://www.nixflix.com/reviews/phone.htm
Having very little knowledge on Korean culture, I cannot say what is taboo and what isn't. But Phone DOES NOT contain any scenes which are not acceptable in civilized society. The film features a 6 yr old girl as a main character, performed by a young actress with incredible talent (ok, so that might be a bit extreme (a 6yr old Linda Blair played an equally convincing possessed girl in The Exorcist)but by doing so the film doesn't because become a travesty and the film-makers irresponsible.
No, of course not.
The film's use of such a young character in a disturbing way is daring and should be commended. The 'fall down the stairs' scene is shocking, but acceptable. (Does the nixflix.com review imply that Korea is uncivilised?) The BBFC passed Phone as a 15, with no cuts.
Would the film-makers and the actresses parents really have allowed this girl to play a roll of a child possessed if the actress in question could have severe psychological repercussions? I find it hard pressed to answer YES to that.
Phone is entertaining yet disappointing. Shocking, daring but not exploitative. 3/5