martoni64 This seems to be a sci-fi/ghost story mix-up. At the start of the film the plot seems very confused and it is a bit hard to actually understand what is going on and why.However, things improve once the main crew has been set-up properly in the film, and the action can start to take more of a single main track. The main characters are working on a new energy source that will revolutionize the world. This is somehow linked to the existence of a ghost boy in a locked room. Why and the exact role of the ghost is unclear and the main plot is to figure this out.The acting is generally pretty good, while this is plot slowly flows on - you definitely notice this is not an US film from the pace as it all has a kind of philosophical touch to it, contemplating the relation between a mother and her son as the story unfolds.All in all this is well worth watching, even if it isn't the paradigm changing film of the decade.

PH PH Silk is one of the more heavily invested horror movies to come out of Taiwan lately. One brief look at the illustrious cast--Yōsuke Eguchi, Chang Chen, Karena Lam, Barbie Hsu (better known in Asia as Big S), Bo-Lin Chen--convinced me that Director ChaoBin Su had grand plans. Yōsuke Eguchi, Chang Chen, Karena Lam, are praised for their acting, while the remaining came to fame via idol dramas that require mostly pretty faces and good packaging. Thus, whether by intention or design, B0-Lin Chen left out no potential audience. The first category would attract viewers who value nuances and depth, while the second draws worshiping, screaming fans to the theaters.In the movie, crippled Japanese scientist Hashimoto (played by Yōsuke Eguchi) heads a research team whose nominal work is in anti-gravity ""Menger Sponge." In reality, the research direction derailed once Hashimoto realized that the sponge can confine ghosts as well as allow the living to see the dead. To uncover secrets of life after death, the team captures the spirit of a young boy and drafts special agent Ye Qidong (Chen Chang) to find out his identity and cause of death.The film is often times fraught with tension and suspense. The boy's mysterious past and even more mysterious death greatly complicate Ye's investigation. The special agent found himself at odds not only with the forces that made the ghost child but also with others on the research team, as differing motives cause members to fight one another for the possession of the young ghost. Together, the supernatural conflict and the more secular disunity give Silk depth uncommon in normal horror movies. Rather than non-stop exploitation of gore or cheap scares, the movie offers pensive reflections on life and death.Obviously, Gui Si's premise is more involved than the typical horror movies on the market. In addition to an original plot line, Sci-fi elements combined with traditional spirit lore puts a new spin on the familiar ghost story. Although this mix-and-mesh is refreshing, jumps in logic are present. For example, the failure to convincingly explain how living transforms into ghost made an otherwise touching ending appear like a deliberate move to manipulate tears from the viewers. Some of the lackluster ghost scenes also detracted from the latter half of the movie, looking rather like washed-down parts from The Ring.In all, Silk is a solid production that, because of some details, failed to become great. As a side-note, I also found the casting interesting. The amount of the time that each actor spent in the movie and his/her relative importance to the entire story is totally commensurate with the public perception of their acting skills.

Robin Cook I rented this on DVD today and was pleasantly surprised. The DVD has an alternative ending for the movie, which I am glad had not been used. The ending that was chosen was the better choice.I was immediately drawn into this movie with it's intriguing story. How each character approached the mystery of the captured ghost and their own agenda's made for more intrigue to see how each came together to finalize the story. On another plus for this movie was the lack of gore ... there was "some," but not of the type to ruin such a good movie. Of course, one scene was a bit bloody, but it was a necessary scene for emphasis. The two lead roles had seriously realistic depth regarding love, hate, compassion, suffering and death. Due to the creativeness and imagination that went into developing the characters, I lost myself into the film forgetting they were acting.All aspects were done very well ... good timing, special affects, lighting (was a little too dark at the first of the movie), music score, cast ... everything was superbly done. Also, it was nice that the movie had a good ending and wasn't one of those that leave you hanging with "gee, there'll be a sequel." The one thing that did not come out well for me on my regular television was the strands of silk. If I had not watched the Special Affects on the DVD to know there was supposed to be silk threads emanating out of a bowl of noodles I would not have known (and didn't know when I watched the film) that silk threads were present. Then again, I watched this movie this afternoon, when the television gets more daylight obliterating fine details such as this, so I recommend watching this in a darkened room to fully appreciate it and maybe the first part of the film won't seem so dark. I recommend this movie and if more than a 10 rating could be given I would do so. It's one of the best "horror-thrillers" (go light on the horror) I've seen in a very long time with a story that's not been done before.

DICK STEEL Two reasons why I watched this. First, I've been recommended this film by a friend. Secondly, it starred Barbie Hsu - with a name like that, why shouldn't I want to watch this? OK, so I know she starred in the Taiwanese pop-drama television series Meteor Garden, and am just curious to see her in yet another horror movie. And since I'm in post-birthday celebrations, I also learnt she's a day older than me.OK, so I'm digressing. Silk is a horror movie, and quite a decent one at that. Although it uses the all too familiar ghostly boy character, this boy, unlike recent predecessor seen in Dorm, is very much creepier and deadlier. He's the star ghoul, and exhibits a strange behavioural pattern of staying in a particular room and speaking to himself, or so it is thought.A team of modern day paranormal investigators cum scientists, led by Japanese Hashimoto (Yosuke Eguchi), recruits a police hotshot with special powers of lip reading, sharp shooting, and that peculiar sixth sense, Ye Qi-Dong (Chang Chen), to unravel the mystery of the boy. However, Hashimoto has an ulterior motive into his research, which has spawned an anti- gravity device called the Menger Sponge, that can be used to entrap spirits, and in liquid spray form, allows the user to see the paranormal.The movie relies on some hokey physics theories to bring across some ideas and its premise. It tries to explain the phenomenon of spirits and ghosts and how they come about, using some scientific explanation that they are forms of energy. Watch this movie to see if you agree to the conditions presented to turn someone into a spirit that roams the earth, rather than to dissipate into nothingness upon death. But don't get me wrong, it does make for some interesting story development (hey it's fiction/science fiction anyway).At its core, this movie dwells on themes of existence, family, and again the human emotions of love and hate. I thought Chang Chen did well in the role of the officer who, despite his super abilities, still find it difficult to grapple with new inexplicable experiences, and at the same time, the critical illness of his beloved mother, and trying to maintain a relationship of sorts. The rest of the cast did OK, but in my opinion, noted more for their eye candy presence.There are truly genuine scary moments in this movie, which was seriously lacking in recent horror releases. Although most are much ado about nothing, or relied on the usual tricks up the horror sleeve with smart manipulation of editing and music, it did provide what I thought was an explanation on how offerings to spirits are possibly handled, through the use of well placed and polished special effects.In summary, what works for Silk is its semblance of a decent story, and the ending which was satisfactory, given its at times hilarious build up during the tense final (what's up with all these Ringu homages, made plain ridiculous and full of cheese) and unexpected twist of a logical flaw. It's also touching and sad at times, and for those who are of softer hearts, it might bring about some tears.Do take note though, with its PG rating locally, much of the gore were censored out, in really ugly means. Very jarring to the entire flow of the movie.