The Matrimony – Review

The dynamics in The Matrimony are fascinating. It doesn’t play out like your old run-of-the-mill Chinese horror film. The film opens with a lady relating a drama in front of a microphone at a radio station. She lives in the shadow of Junchus lover Manli who was killed the year before. Lonely and despairing for the survival of her marriage, Sansan enters into a pact with Manlis ghost to win Junchus heart. From this point on the story develops as a clash between Junchu gradually accepting Sansan and slowly the ghost of Manli reveals herself and now in the corporal status of Sansun she appears to Juncho – but is it too late, and how will the transfigured ghost of Manli secure her position in Junchu’s life? A lovely film deserving of a wider audience and, certainly not routine or clichéd.

But the film does toss us a ringer at the end, an ambiguous but strangely satisfying little coda that suggests Teng might have been more interested in playing a metaphysical card than telling a love story or a ghost story all along. But, that is for you to watch and become engaged. The cinematography is superb, with Shanghai of the 50s brought to gorgeous, vibrant life. It is this exact element that makes the story unfold in a very creative way which makes it seem very new and hip, even if it’s just basically a haunting ghost story set way back in the day.

This is in fact a Tartan Asia Extreme release. If you are not familiar with them, they love to use gory images on their box cover art even if a film has little to no gore. The results are usually always misleading. Ignore the rubbish packaging, which suggests something like the movie Saw, and instead check it out if you’re after something safe, sweet and surprisingly likeable. Also, the film comes off a thrilling 84 minutes and with such a short running time, the film moves along at a brisk pace. The story is also told with Gothic finesse accompanied by a delicate musical score by Sin-yun Lee and Norman Orenstein. And their relationship develops in believable ways as their shared past is revealed in flashbacks. This really is a story of love lost AND love found, and the principle actors bring real depth to the narrative.

Extras included on this release are Cast and Crew interviews with behind the scenes footage and some trailers. Sadly, I would have loved to see more from this release. Perhaps just as significant, this release marks the return from the grave of Tartan Asia Extreme, one of the better genre labels that bring foreign cinema to the United States. If you enjoy atmospheric ghost tales then this is definitely a title you will want to watch. Just don’t go in expecting anything groundbreaking, instead you get an enjoyable ghost story that is well acted and looks great.