Title: CELLO.
Rating: ****
Main Cast: Song Hyun-ah, Park Da-ahn

Went to watch Korean horror flick - Cello, yesterday. It wasn't easy to get someone who would agree to watch with me. Hubby for one will not watch horror movies. My colleagues said why pay money to get scared out of their pants. So my usual kakis are my sister, KC or Ivy. My sister after changing to her new architecture firm, is always slogging till late nights everyday.
Ivy refused to watch, saying its too bloody. With much persuasions, I finally got KC, who just came back from her trip in Vietnam.

The movie is scheduled at 9.00pm, Plaza Sing. No other better timing. It was either 2.30pm or 9.00pm. So beggars can't be choosers.

Main cast, Mae (can't remember the name) and her good friend, Tae, is star celloists. However, Tae is always better and Mae is bitterly jealous. Out of jealousy, Mae, during a car accident did not save Tae when she actually could. Tae died.

Mae went on with her life. She had a loving husband and 2 daughters. Elder daughter (around 11 years old) is mute and intelectually inhibited. Out shopping one day, she insisted that Mae buy her a Cello. She did. Family is very happy that elder daughter finally learnt how to count with her fingers. One... Two... Three... Four... She would count while outstretching her fingers one by one. Younger daughter (3 years old) is a darling. She kept begging her sister to let her try the Cello. Elder sister seems irritated.

Mae was flabbergasted one afternoon when she returned home to find younger daughter dangling on a balcony's eave with elder daughter looking blankly. Then she touched her younger sister's hand and started counting while outstretching her fingers. One... Two... and at count of five, younger sister fell and died!

Afraid to tell her husband, Mae hid younger daughter in the Cello box and place it in the basement. She lied to the husband that the daughter had gone for school camp. Finding it very suspicious, husband finally found the Cello box. During a tussle, Mae pushed her husband and he hit himself against a nail on the wall. He too died.

Convinced that this is really the work of her deceased friend, Mae rushed up to her elder daughter. She is still busy playing her Cello. Mae grabbed a golf club, snatched the Cello and starting bashing it and finally threw it out of the room hitting the paintings on the wall outside. She then locked her screaming daughter in her bedroom.

Feeling guilty, she unlocked the door to find her daughter. She saw her under the blanket on the bed. Unveiling it, she saw a Cello instead. It was the daughter that she had bashed up and thrown out. At this point, I must agree with Ivy that the daughter is really in a bloody state. Her uncontrollable hand picked up a broken glass piece and killed her daughter.

At this point, everything suddenly switched to a hospital room. Everything had been a nightmare while Mae was lying in comatose after her car accident. Her whole family was beside her, ready to bring her home.

"When she gained consciousness…. She was truly overjoyed, relieved in knowing that these horrific images were only existent in my nightmares… "

However, what follows was de javu... Everything is the same as the beginning of the movie. Except this time it's for real...............

Story is slow but not boring. It keeps you patiently waiting for the conclusion. What is really scary is, unlike typical horror movie, one would know something scary is coming up from the sound effect. For Cello, it's completely unsuspected. Shocks just come without warning. Guaranteed to make you jump out of your seat. Contrary to what Ivy said, the movie is not that bloody after all. Only the beginning and the ending is rather bloody.

I am glad I don't have any business trip coming up in the near future.


......... the one who will be going to Capital Square (Raffles Place) for lunch today