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Guan's direction is remarkably visual, creating thrilling rhythms with the expansive setting. Fascinating locations abound, from the deserted housing estates to the derelict zoo, as trains continually roll through town without stopping. Set in the run-up to the 2008 Olympics, the film features a steady stream of bone-dry humour as the nation is putting on the best face for the visiting world. And the colourful side characters feel like they might have wandered in from a Fellini movie.

Many story elements are heightened, from the rival mobster's ideas about revenge to a surreal sequence during a solar eclipse as the zoo animals are set free. Cinematographer Gao Weizhe captures these elements with a lyrical sensibility that adds a deadpan sense of humour beyond the deliberate slapstick moments. This also gives the relationship between Lang and his dog an epic sensibility that makes the film's final shot powerfully moving.

themes, language, violence

2.Jul.24

Doukhi plays Fahad in a nuanced way that makes it easy to understand why everyone likes him, even as he absent-mindedly causes problems. Funny and warm, he has terrific relationships with his friends and family. He's not particularly good at any of his jobs, but doesn't let that stop him. He also never seems remotely in control of anything, while the people around him have no clue about the depths of his troubles.

The film's low-key charm allows it to touch on some enormous issues without feeling controversial. This includes knowing comments on cultural sexism, organised criminality and a colourful underground party scene. In the final act, there are a series of increasingly unsettling events that push Fahad further into a perilous corner. And the point is that this could be almost anyone's story.

themes, violence, violence

25.Aug.24

Even within this floridly sensuous style, performances are internalised, often only darkly insinuating what these people are feeling. Daure and Charron find sympathy in Alter's struggle, although we never find out much about her, even with a late explanatory revelation. Other characters exist through her eyes, so each of them shifts and changes depending on her mood, which offers the gifted actors a chance to play with a range of nuances.

Much of this is symbolic, and perplexingly so, as scenes spiral into fantasies that overflow with outrageous elements. While it's often difficult to work out what is actually happening, the images and emotions are gripping. More than a story about mental illness, this is a portrait of a woman who has lost her sense of self, and the road to healing is painful. The film is perhaps too ambitious, although viewers who click into its excessive groove will find it powerful.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

18.Aug.24