The Matrimony Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.5

The Matrimony Blu-ray Movie Review

This is a release in both sickness (tech quality, supplements) and in health (movie).

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 8, 2011

I will love and cherish you forever.

Is there anything more painful in all the world than a love suddenly -- and violently -- taken away? That's the premise of The Matrimony, a subtly yet beautifully constructed ghost story that's less about scares and more about the emotions that develop within an awkwardly unconventional love triangle of sorts that slowly takes shape throughout the course of the film. The three main characters -- the griever, the ghost, and the unloved wife - - are the focus in the film's physical form, but it's the dynamics of how their spirits have evolved, how their souls have withered, how their distances have grown that are the film's true building blocks. These take precedence over the fundamental "ghosty story" elements that are largely ignored in favor of raw emotion and palpable drama that shapes the story and reshapes the characters as the film progresses. The Matrimony isn't quite perfect, but it's noteworthy for its adherence to real feelings and genuine surprises over standard genre banality that makes it a bit better than traditional fright-fests that lack the greater dynamics of a well-told story.

Two become one.

Cinematographer Shen Junchu (Leon Lai) and radio personality Xu Manli (Bingbing Fan) are in love and set to be engaged, but a tragic accident leaves Manli dead. A mournful Junchu moves all of her possessions into a room he keeps under strict lock and key, forbidding any and all -- including his new wife Sansan (Rene Liu) -- from entering. Junchu is incapable of loving Sansan, and treats her as a guest in his home rather than an equal and loving partner. One day, Sansan stumbles upon the key to Junchu's secret room and discovers Manli's spirit living within its walls. She tells a frightened and surprised Sansan that she's incapable of approaching Junchu -- he inadvertently becomes sick in her presence -- but a transfer of her spirit into Sansan would ease her burden and allow her to once again feel the touch of her would-be husband. Both Sansan and Manli enter into a mutually beneficial relationship, each coming ever closer to the man they love yet could not before enjoy the intimacy they crave and that only he can provide. Slowly, Sansan begins to remake herself in the form of Manli, but there's a secret that threatens to destroy all that's been gained.

Director Hua-Tao Teng's picture focuses like a laser on the emotions of the three people -- or better said two people and a ghost -- as they deal with love lost and the uncertainty of the resultant relationships both real, imagined, and yearned for. Teng shies away from overwhelming the movie with Horror; while there are some requisite jump scares that are the result of creepy noises, sharp musical cues, and shadowy visuals, The Matrimony generally eschews such things in favor of constructing a highly- charged emotional undercurrent on which flows three characters, all in varying degrees of depression and uncertainty, each contributing to the disaster yet not necessarily willfully so. The dynamics are fascinating; Manli literally cannot touch Junchu and Junchu won't allow Sansan to get too close to him. Hence, neither woman may show their love to Junchu either in death or in life, for he's sealed off his true feelings and become dead to the world around him. The juxtaposition between life in death and death in life that both literally and figuratively shapes the movie is its strongest asset; it's a uniquely fascinating look at the human condition when confronted with both on a literal and figurative sense. Where the movie goes with that dynamic is for the audience to discover, but it alone is enough to make The Matrimony a movie that's well worth a watch.

Hua-Tao Teng also injects The Matrimony with a subdued yet highly stylish façade that's the perfect compliment to the film's low-key approach, lack of traditional thrills and chills, focus on story, and complex emotional life-and-death current. He manages to paint his picture beautifully, using shadows, low light, and slow but engrossing camera movements and positions to perfectly compose his frame and give greater meaning to each shot and the larger story all at once. His camerawork engages the audience in the way it reinforces feelings and themes, accentuated by seamless period locations that add not only a throwback charm to the movie but also allow for a more relaxed approach and focus on the story, where a more fast moving modern setting might have necessitated a less deliberate structure. Perhaps of greater import still to the overall success of the film are the performances of the three primaries. While Leon Lai's performance is the least of the three -- it can be a touch stiff and occasionally forced -- his character is the one off of whom the other two feed. Rene Liu is excellent as a confused and unloved wife in search of her place in her life and within her own home. Her relationship with the spirit of Xu Manli is reinforced by an excellent effort by Bingbing Fan as a spirit with a need to love but a greater secret that will threaten all that each of the characters know and learn throughout the film.

The Matrimony Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Matrimony's 1080p transfer is highly mediocre. Most evident is the sprinkling of scratches and pops that infest most every frame in the movie. While not totally debilitating, the accumulation is such that the print damage becomes a distraction, particularly in those scenes where it appears to spike in volume. Unfortunately, fine detailing falls flat and the image is often soft. There are a few positive textures to be seen, notably in the film's brighter bookends or in the few scattered outdoor shots that exist in the film's middle section. Otherwise, the low-light interiors reveal lifeless facial textures and bland-looking home accents. Colors are few; red is the most dominant shade, but the palette is generally dominated by shadows and overwhelmed by the golden glow of lamp light in better-lit interior scenes. Blacks are a touch murky and crush is sometimes evident. Banding is a common problem as well. The transfer nevertheless maintains a general stability thanks to the 1080p resolution, but this is a borderline disappointing release of admittedly challenging material.

The Matrimony Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Matrimony features no lossless soundtrack. The best option is a hit-or-miss Dolby Digital 5.1 native-language soundtrack. The surround channels carry much of the material; music seeps into the back to the point that it's perhaps a bit too pronounced, hurting the track's sense of balance. Clarity is wishy-washy, too, but ultimately acceptable. The picture is primarily dialogue-driven; the spoken word settles into the center channel and never really drifts away, and it's never asked to compete with surrounding music or effects. Ambience is fair; whether echoing footfalls, fluttering birds, or the din of a busy city street, the track does a fair job of bringing the film's various locales to life. Still, the track simply lacks the precision that might have been found in a lossless presentation. There's a notable absence of realism, from common dialogue to sharp cracks of thunder. The track holds up well enough, but it's a far cry from what might have been.

The Matrimony Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Matrimony features interviews (1080p) with Director Hua-Tao Teng (1:22); Actors Bing Bing Fan (4:01), Leon Lai (3:08), and Rene Liu (5:12); Writer Jialu Zhang (2:13); and Executive Producer Kuofu Chen (4:21). Also included are two trailers for The Matrimony (1080p, 1:11 & 2:30), one for Triad Underworld (1080p, 1:45), and an Asia Extreme Sampler (480p, 1:15).

The Matrimony Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Matrimony is a strong and subtly engaging picture that's far more than a simple ghost story. The picture is home to great characters, strong direction, and fine acting, all in support of a unique story of life in death and death in life, that juxtaposition extraordinarily well-realized thanks to an emphasis on story rather than cheap thrills and dishonest scares. The Matrimony transcends the "Horror" genre and is likely to appeal to audiences craving something unique from cinema, something that slowly and contemplatively tells a story built on real emotions and genuine people rather than fast edits and lowest-common-denominator filmmaking techniques. Palisades Tartan's Blu-ray release of The Matrimony is technically lacking; both picture and sound quality are highly mediocre. Unfortunately, the supplements are few in number too, making this a disc best enjoyed as a rental or purchased at a steep discount.