Sarah Michelle Gellar

Japanese cinema is very chic in Hollywood right now. "The Ring" was inspired by the original Japanese "Ringu" and even more recently the newest Jennifer Lopez/Richard Gere vehicle "Shall We Dance" is also based on the Japanese film of the same name. "The Grudge" is actually based on "Jun-On: The Grudge" which was, in its original format, a Japanese television show that morphed into two successful films. Typically, the problem with remaking an overseas film is that the culture clash inhibits too much of what made the original story work. Anyone who saw the original "Shall We Dance" knows that what made this version so superior to its American counterpart is that it plays on the rigidity of Japanese white-collar culture. It is not so farfetched for an American businessman to have an interest in dance to be near a woman he has a crush on, whereas, for the Japanese, it is almost inconceivable based on the nature of their social norms. Thus, it is very respectable that Sam Raimi, the genius behind the Spiderman flicks, intelligently chose not to change the geographical setting of this story’s original version and even go so far as to hire its director, Takashi Shimizu. Holding the indelible cultural elements intact, they are able to reproduce the story and make it digestible for an American audience. And they do it with a fervor and precision that makes for a very good Halloween horror flick. "The Grudge" is essentially a story that revolves around a Japanese haunted house. Anyone who enters its doors is infected with the evil that remains inside it and is ultimately consumed by it. Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as Karen, a young American student who works as a caretaker. It is through her we learn about the past and find out how the evil is bound to the house and those who visit it. Where has Gellar been? We haven’t seen her in anything in some time and she even looks a bit older than what I remember. They resurrected her for this role in which she does a decent job, but never establishes herself in this role. Rather, she seems to be taking bits and pieces of characters she has played in the past and duck-taping them together. While some may argue, a female lead can never deliver spectacular performances in a horror movie, tell that to Jamie Lee Curtis ("Halloween"), Sigourney Weaver ("Alien"), and more recently Naomi Watt ("The Ring"). Even less interesting is the poor man’s Ashton Kutcher, Jason Behr, who portrays Doug, Karen’s sensitive-to-her-needs boyfriend. Bill Pullman puts in a nice performance as Peter, a professor who serves as the object of obsession for Kayako Sakei, or "the creepy ghost girl." While the performances, especially by the Japanese actors were good, the real stars are the spooky characters in the film, prompting at least three good "jump" moments.

The other real stars are the filmmaking talents involved in the film. Sam Raimi is becoming a major player in Hollywood and Shimizu’s direction is very controlled. We will probably see more out of him in the American market, particularly if this movie is a huge hit. The non-linear storytelling device bodes well for this story and the Japanese nod in the title sequence was also a nimble, but respectable touch. When I first saw the preview for this movie, I thought it was a preview for "The Ring 2." Every time I heard someone talking about this movie, the comparisons to "The Ring" seemed to inevitably come up. I never thought about that movie for even a scant moment when watching "The Grudge" (aside from the "Ring 2" trailer prior to the feature presentation). The stories and characters are so far removed, it is easy to separate the two, despite their similar origins and tones. Tradition is a common theme in "The Grudge" as well as the Hollywood system that produced it. Much of the story’s lore is solidified in the ancient Japanese curse that haunts the house. Hollywood typically abandons tradition and "Americanizes" concepts to fit into our social ideals and institutions. However, with this movie the filmmakers chose to keep the story intact and true to the original, throwing in American elements sparsely like adding to the dish rather than recreating it altogether. For that, we are rewarded as an audience with a very good horror movie, one that ignites couples to cling tightly to each other and their big tubs of popcorn. Now if only the Americans would get around to remaking the awesome Japanese horror flick "Audition." Now there’s a scary movie. See for yourself.

Rating: 3 out of 5

1=sucks totally and completely
2=okay, but...
3=good
4=great
5=CLASSIC