A man is found drowned in his office without a
drop of water in sight; a woman is found burnt to death but no fire
was reported, and finally a priest had his intestines pulled out,
cleaned and stuffed back in. All these cases seem apparently unrelated
but that is just the outer skin.
The Taiwanese authorites are perplexed about the
murders, and under political pressure, they call in an FBI serial
murder specialist Kevin Richter (David Morse) to solve the case.
Richter's local partner is police inspector Huang Huo-tu (Tony Leung)
who is having a crisis of his own - his wife wants a divorce and
his daughter still doesn't talk after the "incident".
Together, Richter and Haung try to relate the
cases and as luck has it, they find out that it is all down to some
religious belief into becoming an immortal. Apparently, two wealthy
individuals have gone all superstitious, even to the point of spending
tons of money in bringing a whole temple from China to their high
rise building in Taiwan. They believe that by carrying out the five
tasks they have proved their worth and the gods will grant them
immortality.
As the film progresses, it tells us that under
no circumstances should you believe what your eyes tell you because
most likely it will betray you. Richter is the scientific expert
so he only believes what he can only see (the Scully of the two),
while Haung is more of the superstitious type and he believes there
are things that no normal person can see (the Mulder of the two).
But situations lead them to suspend their disbelief.
At first glance, Double Vision is very much like
the Brad Pitt/Morgan Freeman thriller Seven, but the biggest difference
is in the religion. Western and Eastern mysticism are not the same,
but the actions that lead the people into carrying out their beliefs
are almost the same. Gruesome deaths are just that, no matter the
culture.
Double Vision is not a horror flick, so don't
expect some spine-tingling stuff, yet it is a very well done thriller
that indulges us with plenty of tension, drama, and gore. Just watch
the police fight off a bunch of very determined believers. The two
leads are well matched, and although David Morse doesn't particularly
do much in the film, he adds the science part to Tony Leung's local
part. A classic case of Western technology versus Eastern belief.
Tony Leung particularly excels here as the troubled
police officer, as it is his understated performance which brings
out the humanity of the film. Haung has been troubled ever since
he spilled the beans on a corrupt colleague, and this incident had
led to him being spurned by his other colleagues. even harming his
relationship with his wife. The focal point of his life is his inablity
to help his daughter at the "incident", and is the main
reason he fell to pieces at the very end. Guilt feeds our fear as
powerful as any ghosts in the closet.
Double Vision is a film you should try to get
and see, because it is very well made and executed. The acting is
superb and the story is sharp, tense, and well told, although the
ending could have done with a little bit clearing up. Overall, an
excellent film. |
