Freeze Me takes your basic rape and revenge theme (seen previously in superior films such as I Spit on Your Grave), plays around with it a little, adds some plot holes and a bit of Eastern style, and what we end up with this - a film somewhere between art and a big mess. Asian cinema often seems to be more about style than substance, and that is certainly the case with this film. Freeze Me is well shot and beautifully filmed; it's all so artfully done that it seems there must be a point to be made...but unfortunately, the film is formulaic, often doesn't make sense and doesn't actually go anywhere by the time it finishes; not that I'd ever expect a rape and revenge film to really, but this one feels like it should. The plot focuses on Chihiro. She's about to get married, but her happiness soon runs out when she is visited by a man who raped her with two friends five years earlier. He intrudes on her life and begins to act like the two were old lovers, but Chihiro soon gets tired of it and takes revenge; storing his dead body in the freezer...
This variety of film is noted usually for its sleaze; and despite the subject matter, this one doesn't really feature much of it. There's no gore either, and this is a shame. Lead actress Harumi Inoue is good in the central role, despite her character's lack of judgement. This is another problem with the film as the recurring question is - why doesn't she simply flee the rapists or go to the authorities? Obviously it could be argued that the reason she didn't is so she could have her own revenge, but common sense dictates that anyone in her situation would not be so stupid! The freezer twist is this film's main selling point; it does set it apart from many other films, though to be honest I preferred the methods of dispatch shown in the classic 'I Spit on Your Grave'. The film does manage to stay interesting for most of the duration, in spite of the fact that it isn't exactly difficult to guess what is going to happen next. Overall, I can't say that this film is great even by 'rape and revenge' standards, but fans of arty Japanese stuff may find something to like.
This variety of film is noted usually for its sleaze; and despite the subject matter, this one doesn't really feature much of it. There's no gore either, and this is a shame. Lead actress Harumi Inoue is good in the central role, despite her character's lack of judgement. This is another problem with the film as the recurring question is - why doesn't she simply flee the rapists or go to the authorities? Obviously it could be argued that the reason she didn't is so she could have her own revenge, but common sense dictates that anyone in her situation would not be so stupid! The freezer twist is this film's main selling point; it does set it apart from many other films, though to be honest I preferred the methods of dispatch shown in the classic 'I Spit on Your Grave'. The film does manage to stay interesting for most of the duration, in spite of the fact that it isn't exactly difficult to guess what is going to happen next. Overall, I can't say that this film is great even by 'rape and revenge' standards, but fans of arty Japanese stuff may find something to like.