- Date of Release: 10 February 2023
- Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
- Language: Taiwanese
- Watch On: Netflix
Marry My Dead Body
Introduction
It is still Thursday but the Oscar fever is slowly setting in, and we at Popcorn Reviewss have made a trip from South Korea wherein we had reviewed Concrete Utopia, to now Taiwan wherein I have watched Marry My Dead Body which is Taiwan’s Official Entry to the Academy Awards this year. And quite honestly, the period of October to February is probably the best for sure given that there are different films from across the globe that I get to watch as a part of the Oscar fever. There are different subjects from the regular mainstream that allows me to generate an acquired taste while also writing on them, which is an added bonus. Keeping that in mind, I decided to venture into Marry My Dead Body without having any idea on what it had to offer, other than being a comedy. So then does Marry My Dead Body manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Marry My Dead Body follows the story of a homophobic cop who, in a weird turn of events gets married to the ghost of a queer man while investigating a case. What happens next? The story here is quirky and funny while also serving bouts of emotions and sensitivity that hits home more often than not. My only concern about the film was whether the Oscars have an appetite for such comedies which are quite quirky and in your face. The screenplay standing at about 130 minutes is most definitely enjoyable and entertaining although 10 minutes too long, given its subject.
The drama opens with the introduction of the protagonist who is shown to be homophobic, a trait that is established in the very first sequence. Now there were traces of caricature towards the LGBTQIA community prevalent that acted as a foundation of the drama as well as a part of the character building. And because the latter was used as a tool for a potential character arc, I did not quite have a problem with it. The tone of the drama is quirky that initially seemed like a collection of scenes. On one hand, there is a plot involving the drug mafia, and how the cops try and bust them, the other plot is a quirky and rather unusual love story. And both are laced with bouts of comedy!
The proceedings are engrossing and entertaining particularly with respect to the moments which are created along the way. The writing divides the plot into two sections, yet seamlessly ties the two worlds together without losing out on the humour quotient. I did like how the screenplay ties all the events together where one thing leads to another. Yet, there is an underlying thread of a strong emotional baggage that plays out as an undercurrent while popping up to the surface every now and then. But at times, things do get slightly repetitive as well.
The drama kicks off its thrill quotient in the second hour particularly when the investigation is on around the drug mafia. There is a sense of excitement that the writers cash on around the investigation with a few twists along the way. However, I did feel that the final twist leading up to the mayhem in the penultimate act seemed forced with a thread simply left hanging, without tying it up. Yet, the emotional core in the final act just hits home while deftly tugging the strings of your heart with a strong recall value of an earlier event in the film. Overall, the writing is enjoyable but may not be suited for the Academy Awards.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are quirky and succeed in what they were set out to achieve. The music and BGM go perfectly in line with the drama. The cinematography is excellent with a strong production design that adds a layer of authencity with respect to the tone of the drama. The editing is good but could have been crisper in the middle. But the good news is that the technical department does aide the tone of the drama. Director Cheng Wei-Hao does a pretty good job of maintaining the tone of the drama while also adding traces of sensitivity and emotions to the proceedings. Yet, the humour quotient is not compromised and therein lies the victory of the director for his balanced style.
Performances
The performances are pretty good here. Tsai Cheng-Nan as Lin has his moments to shine but I wished he had a little more screen time to explore his menacing trait(which was whispered throughout the narrative). Ma Nien-Hsien as Chang is first rate as well. Gingle Wang as Lin Tzu looks pretty and does a fabulous job by playing around with her amazing screen presence. Austin Lin as Mao is terrific and delivers a heartfelt performance while balancing it with his impeccable comic timing. Greg Hsu as Wu Ming is brilliant and he excels in his character that required levels of physicality. And his comic timing was quite good too.
Conclusion
Taiwan’s Official Entry To The 96th Academy Awards this year, Marry My Dead Body is a quirky little queer comedy with a strong emotional undercurrent that makes for an enjoyable watch. But is it Oscar worthy? Not exactly in my opinion. Available on Netflix.