Have a Nice Day

A very strange animated movie ... one that you may think you might have seen as an live action movie. But this thriller about greed (for money as you can guess or just the will to survive, as some may call it), is really well made. While it may take a second (or two) to get yourself into the mood of this movie and its many characters and figure out who is who and what their ultimate goal is (although very similar if boiled down), you will be more than entertained with this, no matter if you watch it alone or with a crowd.

I watched it at a film festival, but since it was the midnight screening there weren't that many people. And it doesn't really contain that many "omg" moments, although it does have quite a few outrageous things in it. So be prepared for this, because this was not made for kids (I do hope you don't show it to little children before you check the rating or the reviews) ...

Everyone and everything in this movie is a "used to be". The gangster boss who finds out that his money was stolen, used to be involved in more important deals. The hit-man who is supposed to get the money back now works at a butcher's shop. His best days are behind him. The hotel where the main character tries to hide for sure has seen brighter days.

The story is set on the edge of any large Chinese city. The drawing style focuses attention on the fact that decay is everywhere. Even though building sites are part of the cityscape at all times.

Brilliantly ironic, even cynical, with a great soundtrack by the Shanghai Restoration Project this animated movie is a definite recommendation.

This is an experimental piece of animation, so that pacing and feeling is different from a mainstream movie. But at the same time, the art is surprisingly compelling and beautiful to look at. The commentary on Chinese society is also biting.

It might well be the soundtrack from the Shanghai Restoration Project that is most notable about this gangster feature. Otherwise, it's all a rather poorly put together animation that follows the story of a suitcase with ¥1 million in it that's been pinched from a boss who is maybe just a bit past his sell buy date. Just to reiterate that point, he puts it's retrieval into the hands of an hit man who has gone a bit from ninja to nanny as he tries to track down the bloke whom we know, pretty much all along, has the cash and hopes to make to to his struggling girlfriend. What are the chances of him getting out alive? Well actually that's not really much of a question - the whole drama sort of meanders along with a degree of inevitability to it that rather draws (unwelcome) attention to the very linear style of the animation. Many of the characters remind me of those rub-on transfers I used to get as a kid. Very two dimensional and rarely in proportion to their contemporaries or their surroundings - especially if there's movement or changes in pace, light/shade going on. It relies on the dismal surroundings of their dilapidated environment and the weather to create much of it's sense of menace and the dialogue does little to put any meat on the bones of their characterisations. Perhaps it's meant to be an allegorical indictment of communist China - a cityscape that, like everything else here, has seen better days? Possibly, but as a crime thriller it's quite literally as flat as a pancake.

Was lucky enough to catch this in a theatrical screening. Brilliantly captures the feeling of ennui that one can feel in a run-down urban area... cannot emphasize that enough. The art direction in this area more than makes up for the limited animation in other areas. As far as tone goes: its a great dark comedy, very dry sense of humor... I laughed out loud several times. Definitely would recommend trying to seek this out if it plays an arthouse theater near you, or keep an eye out for if/when it arrives on VOD.