I Am a Ghost (2012)

 

Our third and final film of the day will be this micro-budget (about $10,000 to make this one) film from director H.P. Mendoza (Fruit Fly and Bitter Melon) who also wrote the story.  This little ghost story (the story is little not the woman playing the ghost she's about normal size, depending of course on what your definition of normal is) concerns Emily, a ghost.  No spoiler there, it's the name of the movie!  In this one we see things through the eyes of the ghost.  Her daily routine (which is the same thing every day and one of the things the films detractors mention as to why this isn't a good film) is interrupted by a voice calling her name.  The voice belongs to a psychic medium named Sylvia who has been asked by the new owners of the home to try and contact the spirit of Emily.  The new owners want her gone so the haunting will stop.  I for one didn't have an issue with the repetitive nature of the film.  It's the basic plot point of the movie.  The ghost does the same thing every day and doesn't even know she is doing it.  In fact some of the things she thinks she is doing, well, she's not.  

Apparently Sylvia has been trying to contact Emily for some time.  Due to Emily not knowing all the "rules" of being a ghost and how to move on from this world she has been trapped in her house for some time.  How long is never really said although Sylvia does tell her that she did once tell her when she died (Sylvia researched Emily's death) upon hearing how long it had been sent Emily into a tailspin.  So it's been awhile, let's say.  Even though she is a ghost there are places in the house Emily won't (or can't) go.  As Sylvia tries to help Emily complete her transition into the afterlife the two of them discover Emily is not the only ghost in the house.  In fact Emily suspects the other spirit belongs to her own murderer.  How does a ghost escape from another ghost?  Anna Ashida, who has also been in Bitter Melon stars as Emily and for 90% of the film is the only actor we see onscreen.  

 

That guy over there << to the left is the demon who is portrayed by Rick Burkhardt.  And he's naked.  A lot!  So due to that fact this one isn't for the kiddies.  The film boasts some of the coolest opening credits I've seen in a modern film.  The way the movie is filmed is a nice change as well in that, if you look closely to the picture of the demon the edge of the frame is curved to make it look the way old time photographs used to look with rounded edges.  I know that because I still have old family photos that look the same.  I have to say I really enjoyed the film even if it is a little predictable but I appreciate the attempt Mendoza made to allow this film to stand out and apart.  Attempting something like this that I would call somewhere between art house and experimental is risky but for the most part he pulls it off.  The ending is a little bit of a head scratcher and is probably one of the only things I will hold against it.  A nice little disorienting ghost story that tries to show us life from the other side of the sheet.  Does it rewrite the ghost story for years to come?  No, but it sure does make a good attempt at defining life in the hereafter.  I want to give this four dippy eggs out of five sooooo bad but the ending drops it into the area of "very good" and not quite in the neighborhood of "great".  But it's close!