Yee dou hung gaan

The film 'Inner Senses' is almost two movies. The first chapter is about a young female college student, Yan, who sees ghosts. Yan moves into a small apartment alone, and begins to have strange hallucinations, so she sees a doctor, Jim, On the behest of her cousin. Through her vulnerability she starts to fall for her doctor, who is also her professor, but they are able to keep a professional relationship, and she actually gets cured through the reconciliation between her and her estranged parents that Jim orchestrates.

The next chapter soon begins though, with Jim and Yan living together, and all is well, until he begins sleepwalking, or rather renews a pattern he lived years ago. He though is in deep denial, and will not believe it is his problem, even when he watches a tape of his nightly activities.

We soon find he is haunted by his own ghosts. The love he outgrew and cast aside in high school, who took her life in a terrible way, never resolved, now demands a forum in the hall of the heart. Will he survive the meeting?

The film is very touching, with intermittent spooks, well placed, without being overdone, with obvious ideas taken from Hideo Nakata, an overall very enjoyable, and moving film about love, loss, self discovery, and the battle of the mind and heart to move on. Slightly sappy at times, the story and acting are good enough to overlook the flaws.

Overall Score 7/10

People who are expecting unrelenting scares and a general feeling of creepiness should probably avoid this one. It's good, but it's more of a character study than anything else. The ghosts are real, but then, we're all haunted by our own personal demons, aren't we?

A young woman with the frightening ability to see ghosts seeks help from a handsome young doctor. The two soon fall in love and begin a relationship. However, as her ability lessens, his increases, and soon he is plagued by the vengeful ghost of a teenage girl he once wronged. The doctor, who never before believed in ghosts, begins to fall apart. Will he be driven to suicide by the restless spirit, or will he find a way to put both her and himself at peace?

This film is methodical in its careful construction of its characters. Some might prefer the term "slow moving." It's a ghost story with bookend ghosts, one of which strongly resembles Sadako of "Ringu" fame. Perhaps the creepiest aspect of this film is the fact that Leslie Cheung, in the role of the tormented Jim, committed suicide not long after this film was released. It is most disconcerting to see his character pushed to the brink of suicide by a ghost who wants him to jump off of a building when you know in advance that he actually did leap to his death from a tall building! This sad fact definitely lends the movie an unsettling quality.

The performances are all strong and quite believable, and the ghosts (when they appear) are frightening. This is a good, strong story of guilt and shame and the way in which they come back to "haunt" us. Fans of fast-paced, gore- splattered fare might find themselves bored silly by this one, but for the intellectual ghost lover "Inner Senses" just might be their thing.

"Inner Senses" tells the story of Yan,a young woman seemingly haunted by fleeting images of dead people.Her psychiatrist Jim Law recognizes the source of the girl's problems and eventually helps her to regain equilibrium.With Yan now no longer his patient,the two become close to each other,but Jim's own well-being soon starts to disintegrate and he experiences the sort of inexplicable visions that previously drove Yan to attempt suicide."Inner Senses" is a well-acted and surprisingly creepy horror film that relies more on atmosphere than cheap shocks.Unfortunately Leslie Cheung who played Jim committed suicide a few months after the movie's release.The film,whilst nowhere nearly as creepy as "The Eye" or "Shutter" offers some decent scares.Check it out.8 out of 10.

Don't let the put downs deter you. Decide for yourself. This DVD is worth the patience it takes to watch. IF you like the Tomie series, Sixth Sense - etc. - then you will most likely be very pleased with this film. This is a Superb Ghost Story in the tradition of the above - and Ringu! I found it truly moving. It has some truly chilling moments! (The over-the-shoulder-apparition is a classic!) This is a Ten - for me.

INNER SENSES continues Hong Kong's trend of making movies where attractive young women see ghosts. Like Hollywood, Hong Kong has never met a successful film yet that it didn't want to copy...and copy...and copy...and copy some more...

The gimmick for INNER SENSES is that it takes a more psychological approach to its supernatural elements. The ghosts may be real or not, it's open to debate right up to the very end. Unlike other Hong Kong films cashing in on the "I see dead people" trend, INNER SENSES does try to approach the subject from a somewhat common sensical direction, even if the ending comes across as awfully camp.

Of note is that INNER SENSES is one of Leslie Cheung's last films before his untimely suicide earlier this eyar. It's a shame, because the world is going to miss his talent.

6 out of 10.