Visible Secret (2001)

Ann Hui's latest production looks every bit a classy horror film. Yet as impressive it may be on eerie styling and sheer gloom, the production falls short of bringing a renewed serious approach to Hong Kong's supernatural genre filmmaking.

Eason Chan takes the lead as Peter, a failing hairdresser who finds himself experiencing a string of supernatural encounters after meeting mysterious club girl June (Shu Qi). The young lady can see ghosts with her left eye day and night -- a skill put to work when one vengeful spirit gets on a possession spree in Peter's family. As separate paranormal happenings build, connections reveal the tragedies that set the dead on the tormenting ways.

In keeping with the ghost genre plot, Visible Secret's appearance is overwhelmingly dark and grim. Images are consistently presented in high-grain footage heavy on moody, deep and unnatural colours. With no conventional cinema images on offer, the results would only impress more if the scripting was equally consistent and better suited to the continually eerie tone.

Visible Secret's first half disappoints with piecemeal humour and sporadic fright attempts, all at a remove to the suspense and unease the visuals suggest. The scenario's grab bag of shocks and comedy also fail to match up to other more interesting and genuinely atmospheric plot components. A few humour sequences see their significance revealed later, yet others simply head nowhere except distraction. The main gist remains complicated, though the time-consuming interruptions that mar the first half's viewing thankfully peter out for more intriguing plotting to piece together later. Visible Secret also adds interest with urban ghost storytelling concurrent to the main story -- one particular scene on Cheung Chau sees a ghost story recounted among cast members and on the screen itself, all set at a location notorious for its high suicide rate.

The cast is distinctive on screen, with Eason and Shu Qi eye-catching in their make-up and poses. James Wong puts in a serious turn and Anthony Wong is granted an amusing cameo. Despite the leads, I found the most impressive player was the shambles of a Taoist ghostbuster profiting from Hongkongers' superstition -- not only was his scene one of the film's few genuinely funny moments but his background was among the few explained clearly.

Above: The two-storey-high Visible Secret billboard posted at Hennessy Road in Causeway during the theatrical release.

Note: Viewers spotting Jo Kuk's name in the theatrical print credits should not get their hopes up for another distinctive big screen appearance. Though featuring strongly in the theatrical trailer, and central in the movie's poster, Kuk's scenes on an MTR train were removed prior to release. Her credit remains as "Girl on subway" at the end of the film. For more info, read articles in the Hong Kong iMail and South China Morning Post.

Credits:

Directed by Ann Hui
Starring Eason Chan, Shu Qui, James Wong and Sam Lee