Vinyan (2008)

A couple are looking for their child who was lost in the tsunami - their search takes them to the dangerous Thai-Burmese waters, and then into the jungle, where they face unknown but horrifying dangers.

Director:

Fabrice du Welz

Writers:

Fabrice du Welz, David Greig (additional material)

Stars:

Emmanuelle Béart, Rufus Sewell, Petch Osathanugrah

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emmanuelle Béart	...	Jeanne Bellmer
Rufus Sewell	...	Paul Bellmer
Petch Osathanugrah	...	Thaksin Gao
Julie Dreyfus	...	Kim
Amporn Pankratok	...	Sonchaï
Josse De Pauw	...	Matthias
Omm	...	Sara
Apisit Opasaimlikit	...	Boomsong (as Joey Boy)
Kurlab Lay	...	Boomsong's mom
Matt Ryder	...	Bideau
Bobbie Delcastillo	...	Millionnaire 1
Susan Delcastillo	...	Woman 1
Teerawat Mulvilai	...	Khun (as Teerawat Mulwilai)
Saichia Wongwirot	...	Petch (as Saichia Wongwirote)
Kitinun Siangsa-Ard	...	Gao's bodyguard

Storyline

In Phuket Island, Thailand, the architect Paul Bellmer and his wife Jeanne lost their son Joshua in a tsunami six months ago. Jeanne is disturbed and has not accepted the loss of her beloved son. While watching some footages from Myanmar (former Burma), Jeanne is convinced that a boy wearing a Manchester United shirt in a poor village is Joshua, and Paul accepts to seek out their son in the sea gypsies camp. They hire the trafficker Thaksin Gao and they travel in the boat of master Sonchai to search Joshua. After a series of weird incidents, Sonchai leaves the trio in an abandoned village. They have to walk through the jungle where they face a journey to hell.

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Plot Keywords:

thailand | evil child | tsunami | jungle | island | 

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Taglines:

When someone dies a horrible death, their spirit becomes confused & angry. It becomes ... VINYAN.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some disturbing violent content, sexuality/nudity and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene in the go-go bar was filmed on the first day of shooting.

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Connections

Referenced in Viande d'origine française (2009)

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Soundtracks

Pump Audio 11081
Written by Jim Arhelger.
Performed by Bim Skala Bim.

User Reviews

Good Looking and ultimately Creepy chiller

Seems that many hated this mysterious chiller. Some thought it great, I quite liked it.

The premise was a little different to the usual, with added credibility of the tsunami link and thus a genuine, human emotion for the couple to search for their missing child. Such emotion can be justifiably overblown in movies - making psychological issues out of almost anything.

Yes, it looked good, very good. The attractive, sexy leads, (Emmanuelle Beart and Rufus Sewell, who still managed to remain mostly believable) the sultry landscapes and the monsoon weather, all adding to a great, eerie atmosphere. That it is compared, albeit only visually, to Apocalypse Now is to its credit, surely. Yes, it is ultimately mumbo- jumbo black magic nonsense but that hardly mattered, this is a moody chiller, not world class drama.

The final scenes are not only well done, but pretty chilling, too. Not out and out horror, but ones that make you momentarily stare in numbed disbelief. The whole is greatly helped by a hauntingly atmospheric score by François-Eudes Chanfrault.

No, I won't be searching for other films by director Fabrice du Welz but I've seen a lot worse movies in my time and for what it set out to do, was quite good.

Details

Country:

France Belgium UK Australia

Language:

English Thai

Release Date:

1 October 2008 (France)

Also Known As:

Espíritos Condenados

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Box Office

Budget:

EUR4,100,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$156,944

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Film, uFilm, Backup Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1