Opening Day: 29 November 2007

Synopsis:

THE TATTOOIST is a supernatural thriller in which American tattoo artist Jake Sawyer is a global wanderer who explores ethnic themes in his designs. He discovers the ancient tradition of Samoan tatau and is taken on a devastating journey into Pacific mysticism.

Movie Review:

The mention of blood is enough to make some people queasy, and this New Zealand-Singapore production’s tagline is “Bad Blood, Black Blood”? If you think about it, the image of black blood (probably it’s evil blood too) oozing from someone’s wound is really creepy. We are sure that viewers with weak stomachs will be steering clear of this horror thriller.

Being the brave souls we are, we decided to give it a chance anyway. But alas, not only did the movie not provide too many shocks; it was unfortunately rather dull to sit through.

The 92-minute movie tells the story of an American tattooist who unintentionally releases an evil spirit while experiencing the exotic art of traditional Samoan tattoo (“Tatua”). People who have been tattooed by him start dying one by one in the ugliest ways possible – all with black blood oozing from the tattoo wounds.

Yes, the nausea is coming to you now, with pictures of black ink trickling from a dead body forming in your mind. Watch out for Singapore’s very own Caroline Cheong, who plays an unlucky victim who kicks the bucket in a really revolting manner. There is this other Asian boy who gets engulfed in his own black blood in the pool. Regrettably, these are the best bloodcurdling parts of the movie.

The rest of this messy picture attempts to create a mythical mysticism around New Zealand’s traditional culture of tattooing, build up a love relationship between the American and a New Zealander girl, promote “Uniquely” Singapore’s sights and sounds (cue shots of the Singapore skyline, Orchard Road, and in an admirable effort to create nostalgia, Capitol Theatre as the venue for an international tattoo expo), as well as introducing audiences to the indigenous art of “tatau”.

Director Peter Burger does not succeed in everything he tries to do with this film. What turned out best would be the eye-opening local practices which the New Zealander is probably most familiar with.

The other thing Burger tries to infuse into a potentially creepy movie did not turn out that well. The spiritual aspect of the story isn’t spine-chilling enough, the relationship between the two leads (a disengaged Jason Behr and a trying-hard-to-emote Mia Blake) isn’t convincing and worst of all - the scares feel half-baked (It’s the kind of frights you get on those late night television movies).

Which is a pity, because a tattooist plagued by an evil spirit which makes people spurt black blood is really a petrifying concept for a movie.

Movie Rating:



(Other than introducing the uninitiated to New Zealand’s traditional art form, this movie does not leave a lasting impression in other aspects,)

Review by John Li