Lost in the stars

Lost in the Stars is a mystery thriller about a man (He Fei) who is looking for his missing wife while on an anniversary trip to a fictional Southeast Asian country. Even more confusing is that a woman whom he doesn't recognize turns up claiming to be his missing wife. What follows is a succession of new clues and past stories that add more to the mystery, culminating in an explosive finale.

Although there are twists and turns, please also note that this is adapted from a 1960 French play which was also adapted before in an Alfred Hitchcock movie and a 1990 Russian movie. The Chinese adaptation is also done very well in its own right.

The pacing and acting are done well. Viewers are left at the edge of their seats amidst the conspiracy and paranoia. The story seems far-fetched at times but comes together at the end as to why the characters themselves behave the way they do. The vivid colors of the setting lend visual eye candy to this imaginary Southeast Asian country as well.

The twists propel the mystery to n a fascinating way, especially the multiple reveals toward the end. You really feel part of this intense ride from start to finish.

Pretty well, I didn't ever know this movie could be brilliant like this before I watched it.

The adapter was so rare in the Chinese movie field. The plots were up & downs, the plot twists were well designed, the actors' moods were also in place.

Somebody said the light effect was messy and old-fashioned, the actors' styles did not fit each other well. I agree with these. There were also some bugs in the plots, but the defects didn't obscure the virtues.

Anyway, it's worth watching. Plus: Please focus on now and don't predict the plots in the future. You'll find a better way to watch it.

Hope it works for you.

It has been a very long while since last time I 'wowed' a suspense movie, and I am so glad the wait is over. Lost in the Stars takes suspense to the extreme, and even beyond. No matter if you guess it right or not, you will enjoy the process of finding the answer - isn't that suspense all about? With that said, Lost in the Stars has many a twists that lead to a surprise for closure.

The movie started with a missing person case, the wife of the lead character, He Fei (Zhu Yilong), vanished into thin air, during their trip to southeast Asia. He Fei desperately tried to find his wife, and suffered dearly, only to face a stranger (Janice Man) who insisted being his wife. He Fei found himself entangled in a web of plots and conspiracies, or did he really? Of course, there was a second as beautiful woman, Chen Mai (Ni Ni), who was capable of everything, came to rescue, or did she really? So, fasten your seatbelt and you will need it. There will be ups and downs, twists and turns.

Director/producer Chen Sicheng, known for his suspense crime movies, such as Sheep Without a Shepherd, brought forth another classic. For a story following a main character, we have a 50-50 chance of getting it right, for he is most likely either 'innocent' or 'bad'. However, this suspense dug into something deeper than that, taking a serious look at human nature and relationships.

We are often under the impression that suspense movies are mostly 'commercially oriented', acting may not be their 'big thing'. Well, not necessarily. Looking back there were plenty of award-worthy/winning performances in history, just to name a few, Edward Norton in Primal Fear, Kevin Spacey in the Usual Suspect, Nicole Kidman in the Others... - I know, it has been a good while. Again, I am glad the wait is over. For people who know a little bit about Zhu Yilong, you may remember his leading role in Un Certain Regard selected Only the River Flows at Canne Film Festival that just wrapped. It is safe to say he only chooses 'acting-worthy' or 'acting-challenging' characters. He Fei is no exception, if not an 'extreme'. There are many faces of the character, where he was a loving husband, an abused tourist, a doubtful client, a person with a neural disorder, and more, or was he really any of the above? Zhu Yilong gave a convincing performance, not only fully developed, but also multiple layered, for each face this guy had. There was a very difficult facial twitch that likely will be symbolic (you can try to see how difficult it is), however that's only the surface. Human nature's complexity was portrayed with depth and power, that leaves the audience to ponder and reflect.

No matter you are just in for a good thrill, or you look for inspiration and thought provoking complexities, you will enjoy this ride.

At the start, this is quite an intriguing drama. "He Fei" (Yilong Zhu) and his wife "Li Muzi" seem to be getting along nicely until she disappears. He is in despair until a woman appears asserting that she is the missing woman - and he is certain that she is not his wife. This lady (Janice Man) is adamant, and when he seeks police assistance she is able to prove her identity with videos, photos and friends who corroborate her story. Is he just losing the plot, or might something more sinister be afoot? Fortunately for our increasingly hapless hero, a local lawyer/investigator "Chen Mai" (Ni Ni) decides that she is going to help him out and the more they dig, the more confusion they discover. To be fair, the plot is anything but simple - it has plenty of twists and turns, but I rather lost interest in him as a character and the plot gradually became a bit too convoluted. There just aren't enough clues for us to follow, we learn at the same rate as them and that left me in limbo for too much of this two hour drama. The ending has a quirkiness to it, but the characterisations are too weak and the story too thin to make it worth the wait. It's a sort of grudge/retribution story - but for way too long I didn't know why or whom by. It is watchable, and the acting is OK, but I doubt I will recall much about this next week.

No pun intended - and not really connected with Gone Girl (if you've seen the movie or read the book - there is a book, right? There has to be). This quite twisty movie has you guessing what is right and what is wrong. Who and where characters are trying to lead us. There may be some traps along the way (again no pun intended) and I am not sure what you may think of the ending ... but the movie dares to go places that ... well you may not expect.

That said, it doesn't mean you won't be able to guess where the movie wants you to go. Interestingly enough, the movie seems to hit a spot - at least in London. About 10 screenings - all sold out! So they must be doing something right ... well told and all that ... if you are into that sort of stuff.