The Matrimony (2007) Xin zhong you gui (original title)

Director:

Hua-Tao Teng

Writers:

Qianling Yang
Chia-lu Chang

Release Date:

February 2007 (China)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

How far will you go for the one you love...

Plot:

A woman finds the key to a room in the attic that her husband forbids her from entering. When she opens the door, she is confronted with the haunting existence of the woman her husband refuses to forget. |

Plot Keywords:

Haunting | Surrealism | Deeply Disturbed Person | Basement | Bodily Possession

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Bingbing Fan	...	Xu Manli
Leon Lai	...	Shen Junchu
Rene Liu	...	Sansan
Songzi Xu	...	Rong Ma

Directed by
Hua-Tao Teng

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Chia-lu Chang		(as Jialu Zhang)
Qianling Yang

Produced by
Kuo-fu Chen	....	executive producer
Jiayi Du	....	producer
Zhongjun Wang	....	producer
Zhonglei Wang	....	producer

Original Music by
Sin-yun Lee
Norman Orenstein

Cinematography by
Ping Bin Lee

Film Editing by
Angie Lam

Art Direction by
Feng Ligang

Costume Design by
Dora Ng

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Donnell Quinn	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Chris Goodes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Qianqian Ke	....	foley artist
Jiajia Mok	....	sound effects editor
Terry Tu	....	foley artist (as Hao Tu)
Terry Tu	....	foley mixer
Terry Tu	....	sound premixer
Sam Wang	....	sound designer
Sam Wang	....	sound effects editor

Visual Effects by
Koan Hui	....	visual effects supervisor
Jiabin Tan	....	animator

Production Companies

• Huayi Brothers

Distributors

• Cathay-Keris Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Xi Ying & Huayi Film Distribution (2007) (China) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Soundfirm Beijing Co.  sound post-production

Also Known As:

"Xin zhong you gui" - China (original title)
"Matrimony" - USA (DVD title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

China

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Hong Kong:IIA | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Shanghai, China

Company:

Huayi Brothers

Soundtrack:

Matrimonial Horrors

"You should stop asking about the past".

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"