Dream Home

Cheng Lai-Sheung saw how Hong Kong has changed over the last 30 years. Developments of new super house residences have driven her family out from their home that over looked the sea. Now she must work two jobs and hope for a cheap flat to come onto the market in order to afford a chance of a better life and a nicer view. When a property comes onto the market, she is over joyed. But when the sellers back out and request more money to sell this dream property, Cheng takes matters into her own hands...

Hong Kong cinema has moved on from the extreme category 3 films of the mid noughties. We have instead a split between art house or message films and pure genre films. This film sits between the two, astride them like a neo Colossus of Rhodes. This is a message film, a satire and a horrific slasher flick rolled into one. Filmed in 2010, at the time when the economic chaos of 2008 was at its prime. Dream house reflected the almost obsessive desire that many need across the globe to buy a house. With markets out of control either in boom or bust, many were simply unable to cope with the financial demands that this created. Adding 20-30% onto a properties value per year helped the owners but really hurt normal peoples chances of buying a new home. So when this film originally came out, it reflected the mind set of many. How far would they have to go to own that dream home? Sadly however due to conflicts between producers the film has only been allowed out now, some five years later.

The tale it tells is still very relevant and it will be for some time to come I would guess. It is a harsh story that holds back nothing. The humor is black and by that I mean pitch black. The murders are sometimes horrible to watch but remember that these reflect her desire to obtain that home. This could be difficult for some. Now these moments will disturb and shock you but think these are balanced with humor that I personally found delightful but some will find extremely vulgar. It is hard to call this on the more diverse viewer. The performances are great and top of these is Ho. Josie Ho is very cool and calculated as the murderess, dream home buyer and family person. She has a strong presence, is beautiful and above all gives the audience someone to root for. She also plays the callous well and it is hard to bridge these and still remain personable. The visuals are excellent, with the hues and lights of Hong Kong feeling dreamlike and harsh in a combined world of horrors.

My only downside to the piece is that it is structured and paced in a way that will confuse some. The story of Hong Kong and its housing crisis is nothing new to me but to the casual viewer it will be alien. This is not helped by time shifting that throws us both forward and backward. That covers such a vast time and space that we are not sure as to why we have this happening and what effect that had on this. These are minor for the most but I imagine a few viewers complaining about it and this should be highlighted. In the end it would seem the old adage is true...

Owning a home can be murder....