Wai dor lei ah yut ho
a.k.a.
Dream Home (2010)
a.k.a.
Dream Home (2010)
"Dream Home" follows a thirty-something Cheng Lai-Sheung, the daughter of a dying builder who sells home loans by phone during the day and works as a sales assistant in ladies’ fashion stores in the evenings, in the hope of one day being able to buy her dream home in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. But when she finally has enough money for the deposit the owners decide to raise the price, something delicate finally snaps in Cheng. Armed with only household DIY equipment and construction tools, and with ever more imaginative usage of them, she sets about ensuring that she acquires the property, come what may. "Dream Home" is a bizarre gore-fest about an 'ordinary' woman who tires to achieve her long time dream of having the perfect home at all costs. And saying 'at all costs', I mean she brutally murders everyone who (she reckons) stands on her way of fulfilling her dream. Killing innocent people just to get a good apartment is a rather silly and quite ridiculous motive, hence, the whole story feels a bit forced and hard-to-believe, despite the palpable satirical twist on it. Other than that, "Dream Home" is quite refreshing and well-crafted gruesome tale that offers brutal deaths, tons of gore, wicked sense of humor and some nice visuals. The most horrific thing about "Dream Home" is the fact that this movie is based on real events, which automatically means that Cheng Lai-Sheung is a nonfictional character. And she's truly disturbing! Josie Ho's innocent face successfully misleads the viewer, as you could never guess what a ruthless, cold-blooded monster her character is. She kills with ease and cut throats with no mercy, obsessed with her fix idea of getting her "dream home", and led by disbelief and hopelessness. Ho portrays this monstrous character very convincingly, and she certainly deserves a credit for that. The other actors also deliver decent performances, but at the end of the day, it's all about Josie Ho. Ho-Cheung Pang does an impressive job directing this twisted horror flick. His camera provides countless breathtaking shots of one of the most exotically beautiful cities in the entire world, Hong Kong - a megapolis that dazzles with its ultra-modern futuristic buildings and high-rise blocks, as well as its stunningly exquisite nature. He perfectly captures the essence of the city, as well as the shocking violence, and the brutality of the murders. The death scenes themeselves are incredibly well-staged, very explicit and extremely gruesome. In terms of gore and violence, "Dream Home" is an honest splatter, that will satisfy every horror geek. The so-called twist in the end, however, may leave you disappointed, as it's neither as smart nor as effective as it thinks it is. Nicely-crafted and well-acted, yet hardly believable and quite ridiculous, "Dream Home" is a slightly chilling satire, that I loved as much as I hated.
6 comments:
So you like it less than me. I think her motive not really that silly or ridiculous considering how hard her life is or how obsessed her with the apartment. At least it wasn't as ridiculously silly as some serial killers who's hunted for an innocent lady in the middle of empty road and mutilated her with no sense or reason at all.
Jaccsy, considering the fact that the film is based on actual events, her motives seem quite unbelievable. She could have achieved her dream in a different, more human way, instead of cutting people's throats or ripping their bowels out. At the end of the day, she's just a LONELY SELFISH bitch. Would you kill for an apartment? :)
Serial killer's motives are always ridiculous, but that's okay with me, since most of them are fictional characters. ;)
ah you never live in Hong Kong so you don't know how hard it was. and actual or fictional, what's different? in the end, this all are films, bro. I believe in the real situation, her character wasn't that LONELY SELFISH F BITCH. This film is actually a totally FICTION account LOOSELY BASED on actual event, so what's different with those ridiculous serial killers, huh? :) I believe this one is more make sense even if compared to that I SAW THE DEVIL.
She didn't seem like a poor unhappy woman, did she? If you have had a hard life, would you intent to buy a 5 million HKD apartment in Hong Kong? I don't think so. So, buddy, please, don't try to explain me haw hard her life was. Oh, and she was one of the loneliest female characters I've ever seen in a film.
The difference is, I never take all those fictional serial killers seriously - they're just for fun, while this 'loosely based on true events' movie tales itself way too seriously, trying to convince us how desperately serious her situation was. Bullshits. Anyway, no need to argue, bro. I didn't hate it, I just didn't like it as much as you did.
I guess I'll have to sit on the fence with this one and give it a watch myself, it;s definately itreagued me slightly, so many mixed reactions to this one though it's amazing, kind of like marmite, you either love it or hate it ha ha
Demps, you'd better give it a watch yourself. There's much to like and much to dislike in this film. It was a bizarre experience overall.
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