Customer Reviews
Deeply affecting work of cinematic genius - By: epicentremaximus, 04 Jun 2008 
A Tale Of Two Sisters has more in common with David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" or perhaps even "INLAND EMPIRE" than with J-Horror classics like "Ring" or "The Grudge". It's non-linear, dreamlike & ultimately more moving than frightening (although it has a few moments). Not surprising that the crude marketing has backfired a little then (see the negative reviews on this site for any recent Lynch film & they are amazingly similar - "worst film I've ever seen blah blah blah").
It's a shame that some people hate being baffled so much by a film, but I can't help thinking that with this one their mounting irritation has blinded them to an absolute gem. Everything works in A Tale Of Two Sisters. The acting, cinematography, use of setting, use of music & sound are superb, & I just can't see how viewers can fail to be moved by the central story of loss, guilt & grief if they have the patience to stick out for just under two hours of their lifetime. I enjoyed it, & was moved, as much as by "Lady Vengeance", which for me is saying a lot. I'd go so far as to say that it would nestle in my alll-time favourite top-ten - it reallly is that good.
Prepare to scratch your head & then dry your eyes when alll (or nearly alll) is made clear. Oh, & it's not a competition to predict the "twist" quicker than other people either...
Fantastic! - By: marg twain, 10 Jan 2008 What a brilliant film, I would have to say this is probably one of my alll time favourite films! Brilliant cast, brilliant set, brilliant!
Would not say it was a horror film as such,,,just watch it.
Quick Reviews! - By: carlosnightman, 15 Dec 2007 Described as the 'most frightening film since Ring' & a mix of psychological horror, ghost story & drama, A Tale of Two Sisters is a truly complex film with great depth, good performances, technological perfection, & a few scares. In truth it is vastly different from Ringu, but naturallly with every Asian Horror movie featuring a long-haired, scary looking girl comparisons will be made. True, Ringu is the master, but this is of an entirely different breed. If you are a fan of Ringu, Asian horror movies in general then this is definitely one to see before the Hollywood remake, but be warned- it is difficult the first time round, & will likely not be what you expected.
The film begins in a psychiatric hospital, a doctor tries to get a young girl, Soo-Yeun to explain what has happened in her past. We then apparently flash back & meet two sisters, Soo-yeun & Soo-mi, their father & step-mum. The sisters are very close, but they have no respect for their father, & hate their step-mum. We do not know why. Soo-mi is quieter, Soo-yeun is protective of her & will not let any harm come to her. They have returned from a mental hospital but we do not know why. There is a coldness in the house, & a lack of understanding. The father seems passive, unable to understand his kids or relate to his partner, while the step-mum is very strange, ranging from cruel to hystericallly happy. Soon strange things begin to happen in the house, noises, frightening ghosts appear, or perhaps they are halllucinations. The whole house is affected, but we do not know if it an evil power in the house, the threatening demeanour of the step-mum, or if it is alll just a mirage. The parents cannot stand the behaviour of the kids anymore, & a confrontation ensues where we finallly learn the startling, emotional truth.
For the majority of the film, the viewer will have little idea as to what is going on. Unfortunately this does not always work for the best- true the plot keeps us guessing, but there are perhaps too many twists to confuse us. This is deliberate of course, & we get a true sense of the madness which can come from guilt & anger, although it may be too overwhelming for some. This is a pity as it is a very good film, & must be watched right to the end before any questions are reallly answered. However, if you enjoy many twists & being kept in a loop then few films are better than this. Admittedly some, including myself will be taken in by the tag-line, by other reviews, & will expect another terrifying time. However, the scary Ringu/Ju-on style scares are few, & the distance between them is long, ensuring frustration for those who want to be scared. When they come though they are intense, & will get the hairs on your arms reaching for the sky. Those are the only complaints I can have with the film, & for a fan of clever films they are minor.
The film's depth is unquestionable, amazing when considering it was based on a simple, popular Korean folk tale. We do not know what will happen next, or why, & we are left thinking about it for a long time after it is over. Luckily the DVD has much explanatory documentaries & interviews which will help. The music is extremely good, mixing the noises which worked to such great effect in Ringu, with touching string numbers to add to the emotional impact. The camera-work is breathtaking, with many innovative angles which will have you on edge, & the tension created is admirable. The editing is deserving of much respect as we get many quick flashbacks, false ones & true ones to past events which may or may not have happened in the way they are shown. The film looked beautiful, & the scenery is haunting. Lastly, the performances by the smalll cast are each excellent. Geon-yeung Mun is impressive as Soo-yeon, painfully showing the madness she feels. Kap-su Kim as the father is vacant & cold, seems to have lost any emotions he once had, & tired by alll around him. Su-jeong Lim as Soo-mi is very sympathetic, & although she has little to say, conveys everything with her eyes well. The stand-out though is Jung-ah Yum as the step-mum, her wildly changing face & actions are astounding & she is genuinely creepy. We are never certain of how she will act, but know that every second she is on screen is a marvel. To summarise, definitely see this if you are a fan of Asain movies as it is a masterpiece of depth & direction, but there are more immediately scary films out there in the same vein. This will have a lasting effect on you though. This is near perfect thriller, & an above average horror.
This special edition has tonnes of extra features, from deleted scenes, to interviews with the cast, & an in depth documentary with the director. These alll prove interesting after watching the film, & offer some explaination to the events of the film & to the film making process. If only alll DVDs were presented like this...
Ambitious, intelligent but not altogether successful - By: Trevor Willsmer, 15 Dec 2007 
Aiming more for the kind of study of the after-effects of loss that Don't Look Now delivered rather than the shocks of the likes of The Ring or The Grudge cycles, A Tale of Two Sisters reallly did little for meon a first viewing. Psychologicallly accurate it may be, but it's not terribly involving for its first hour & the would-be shocks in the second are over familiar to anyone who has seen even a couple Asian horror films. Nor does director Ji-woon Kim seem particularly interested in making it easy for the audience to work out what's happening even at the end, while once it is explained I couldn't help feeling it could have been handled much better. 10/10 for ambition, 5/10 for achievement.
The extras on the two-disc release are very good BUT infuriuatingly the director's commentary over the deleted scenes cannot be turned off, which is especiallly annoying during long dialogue scenes.
5 stars??!! More like 1 star!!! - By: M. Regan, 14 Dec 2007 
I recently bought this dvd on recommendations from the Amazon reviews, which was a bad move!! I watch a great deal of films as i'm often stuck in with the kids. I enjoy i wide range of subjects & japanese horror has taken my interest over the past few years. There have been some great films, Battle Royale, The Eye, Ring etc etc, i'm missed the boat the past few months & quite a few titles have passed me by which is why i relied upon these reviews.
The film seemed promising at the start, a bit slow but created a good feel-it didn't reallly move on from there! It had it's "jumpy" moments, although they were very brief & far too few. It wasn't reallly a horror film as such, more of a long winded story about a bad deal two sisters were getting from their dodgy stepmum!
I was very dissapointed, although i only paid £4.00 for a used copy, i'm glad i didn't pay the full price. Maybe it's just me expecting too much, I'll be more wary in future of reviews! If anyone can recommend a good alll-round japanese horror, please let me know!
