DVD
Acacia

Starring: Shim Hye-Jin, Kim Jin Geun and Moon Woo-Bin
Tartan Asia Extreme
RRP: £19.99
TVD 3580
Certificate: 18
Available 27 June 2005


In this twisted take on infertility, an artist and her obstetrician husband are happily married but unable to conceive. When they decide to adopt a beautiful little boy named Jin-sung from the local orphanage they love him as their own. Quiet and introverted the young boy plays happily in the back yard under the long dead acacia tree until they fall pregnant. With the birth on a sibling Jin-sung feels alienated from his adopted family and so runs away. With his departure the long dead acacia tree begins to bloom gloriously, emitting a thick scent throughout the house with terrifying effect. Is the cause of the unholy occurrences and accidents due to the ghostly apparitions or is Jin-sung out for his revenge...?

I don't think I could class Acacia as a horror film. But then again I don't think I could not class this as a horror film either. It doesn't fit into any categories.

This is a film based on atmosphere and I believe is a lot better for it. It doesn't try to bombard you with scary images (they turn up in their own sweet time) and it doesn't try to welcome you into watching it. Sometimes it feels like the film would prefer it if you just shut down your DVD player and went off to read a nice gardening book. This does have it's drawbacks. When its hard to warm to a film, it can also be difficult to feel the effects of what the director wants you to feel.

Sometimes the scary aspects don't work as well as you feel they should, and sometimes you do get bored watching a scene where people are neither doing or saying anything.

However, the film does look absolutely wonderful and the acacia tree looks more and more frightening as the film progresses.

Extras include a making of featurette and some deleted scenes alongside some film notes. A good film if you have the patience and you want to put the effort in. Poor extras.

Simon Lee

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cover
£7.97 (Amazon.co.uk)
   
£8.99 (Moviemail-online.co.uk)

All prices correct at time of going to press.