I went in expecting another by-the-numbers, predictable modern Asian ghost story, but the Chinese made "The Matrimony" played a little differently in that its focus point relied on the heart of the story and its well-etched characters. Sure it had some jarring jolts, sinisterly echoing score and plenty of creepy atmospheres within its large remote house, but it never lost sight of its tragic, if traditional love tale interwoven with the supernatural with a clever spin to its outcome. This is where the tension was consolidated from. Quite slow-burn and subtle, so were the performances which were soundly agreeable. Rene Liu and Leon Lai acquit themselves well presenting the hurt, but it's the beautifully haunting and obsessive presence of Bingbing Fang that leaves a mark. Junchu married Sansan, but still pines for his late fiancé Manli where he keeps her belongings locked away in the attic. Forbidding Sansan to enter. However she comes across the key and enters the attic encountering the spirit of Manli. A deal is made between the two, but at what cost is this help from beyond the grave. What starts off as light-weight and good-will, gets darker when suspicions are raised and intentions are manipulated becoming threatening. It's illustrated with a polished touch by director Hua-Tao Teng, despite some lousy CGI at the beginning (but the rest were better realised) and pacing remains breezy. A tidily presented old-fashion ghost chiller.
"Ghosts are ghosts. One can never trust one"
