Monday, January 23, 2006
'The Maid' is out to get you
By Jojie Alcantara
I HAVE watched this film last year, and wondered when it would ever reach our country. In Singapore, THE MAID, starred by our very own Alessandra de Rossi, was rated one of the best horror movies of 2005, directed by the country's famous director Kelvin Tong. Finally, I saw on tv that it's going to be shown next week in theaters.
Rosa Dimaano (played by Alessandra) came to Singapore to work as a maid. An 18-year old probinsyana who has a sickly brother, she lands in a foreign country on the first day of the Chinese Seventh Month (celebration of the Hungry Ghost Festival).
The belief is that during one lunar month, (usually celebrated on the 7th moon of the Chinese calendar), the gates of hell open and spirits and ghosts are said to be roaming the earth. To protect themselves for 30 days, the people follow these strict rules. Do not swim during the Seventh Month. Do not turn back at night when someone calls out your name. Do not talk to strangers on a deserted road.
But Rosa doesn't pay heed to these warnings. Rosa's employers are kind, an elderly couple named Mr. and Mrs Teo who treats her like a daughter, and a mentally retarded son Ah Soon whom Rosa watches over too. She also helps clean house and assists at the Chinese Opera working area where her employees work.
The nightmare begins when Rosa innocently breaks rules during the Hungry Ghost Festival. She starts seeing strange apparitions, hearing noises around her. The terror begins in the life of Rosa as she tries to survive the month when the dead moves among the living.
Is it worth the viewing? Yes, it is. There are scary moments that make you jump. Though the film is appreciated by Singaporeans because of its local flavor, Pinays will also wonder what it's like working in a foreign country (and maybe think twice about the ghosts?). As for Alessandra, she works the part like a charm, not overacting with too much screaming and panting, but still acts like she's scared out of her pants. Even without makeup, she's very pretty.
Here's a funny note, when I read a blog about this film being shown in theaters last August. There was a media hype about the ghost character, which is a maid covered in red costume and theatrical veil. Apparently, the producers thought it would be fun to scare the hell out of moviegoers. So they put these life-size dolls inside theaters, and of all places, at the far end of the men's toilet. One reportedly peed on the spot when he entered and saw it. Ah, life.
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