Diary

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Movie: Diary
Chinese: 妄想
Director: Oxide Pang Chun
Writer: Oxide Pang Chun, Thomas Pang
Producer:
Release Date: October 26, 2006
Runtime: 85 min
Language: Cantonese
Country: China

Plot

Winnie (Charlene Choi) is schizophrenic young woman with a passion for writing in her diary, meticulously constructing creepy wooden dolls and chopping meat with extreme prejudice. She’s unable to overcome her deeply-rooted feelings for a previous boyfriend, Seth, and her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Ray, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Seth. The two quickly become attached, but not without the interference of her delusional imagination and her mysterious best friend (Isabella Leong). Blurring the lines of memory and reality, Winnie carries a distorted recollection of Seth’s fate. Was it a car crash, cancer or something more frightening? Will the answer lie in her daily dairy? What danger will erupt from her personal Pandora’s box?

Notes

Subverting a simple love story by injecting generous quantities of obsession, paranoia, and mental illness, director Oxide Pang (The Eye) stirs a cauldron of mystery with a dash of Takashi Miike’s Audition and a visual palate reminiscent of Fruit Chan’s “Dumplings” segment in 3 Extremes. He weaves an unconventional cat-and-mouse game between Winnie’s bizarre fantasies and reality, taking place mainly in her small apartment. The director’s limitless appetite for striking visuals (as demonstrated in last year’s Fantasia screening of Re-Cycle) is nicely illustrated during the tight, 85-minute narrative. Performances are top-notch, especially from the lead Charlene Choi (Jackie Chan’s New Police Story) from the pop group Twins. Choi gives one of her finest celluloid performances as she breaks away from her comic persona, bringing fragility and emotional depth to her complex character. Filmed with haunting eloquence by DP Anuchit Chotrattanasiri, enhanced by an eerie score by regular Pang Brothers music collaborator Payont Permsith and underlined by ominous intrigue, Diary will engage your mind to the very end.