Koma
Set against the backdrop of a series of kidney thefts, Chi Ching stumbles upon one hapless victim in the hotel room during a wedding reception. She identifies a possible suspect in the form of Suen Ling (Karena Lam) and when she identifies her in an identity parade, discovers that Suen Ling is her boyfriend’s lover. She becomes convinced that Suen Ling is out to kill her although the relationship between the two women takes some surprising and unexpected twists before the final endgame is played out.
I knew I wanted to see this film (not just for the two pretty ladies gracing the promotional posters and starring in the film) but I’ve always had a thing for Hong Kong horror films. I perhaps should have done some reading up on this film since it isn’t a horror film at all but a thriller/suspense film. Nonetheless, it was a good film if a little comical at times.
Like all good Chinese films, there is a complicated love triangle at the heart of the story. The fear and tension are built by identifying with the vulnerability of the victim, Chi Ching, who suffers from renal failure and has only one kidney left. The possibility that Suen Ling, her rival for Andy Hui’s affections, can cause her real harm is heightened by the fact that she is a medical student and was spotted at the scene of one of the kidney thefts.
Karena Lam portrays the role of scorned mistress through an intense quietness about her character that is accentuated with a good layer of indifference to her lot in life and her role in the relationship. Lee Sin-je, whose character is the main protagonist and the one through which we identify the world we are taken to, gives a performance that plays second fiddle to Karena Lam. Both characters undergo a tranformation of sorts during the film through which they develop and cast off the initial impressions that we have of them, but Karena Lam makes much more of a convincing transformation with Suen Ling. She also does a great job of selling us on the almost childlike innocence of her femme fatale character.
The cinematography of the film can either be taken as being done really well or really badly. By this I mean that it was beautifully done and each scene conveyed the right sense of tension or warmth as was appropriate to the story. Where it fell down was that it was so accurate that at times the scenes gave themselves away. I knew when to brace myself for the shock. I knew when to relax and, for this is bad for a thriller, I could relax.
Some scenes were quite formulaic with old hashed up mechanisms such as the possible shock never happening, then letting the audience think it’s over and then shock them. Small details like these made the film almost predictable. However, there were times when the film used tired themes and presented a new spin on them. The film’s strength definitely lay in the clever unfolding of the truth.
The film is probably worth watching on the big screen where you can let the collective terror and suspense engulf you in the story. Perhaps on the small screen the right emotions might not be conveyed accurately enough although I have yet to see it on DVD. This isn’t necessarily the fault of the film itself but any thriller type of movie, which this film definitely was. Chinese horror films have the ability to intimidate you on a more conceptual level rather than an emotional level. Koma is definitely a thriller that tried to work on an emotional level and conceptually, it was perhaps a little weak.
