Oxhide

Liu Jiayin's debut "Niu Pi" aka "Oxhide" is an impressive exercise in minimum and low budget film-making. The young girl made this docu-drama completely on her own, writing, directing and starring in the film. Liu's real life parents and pet cat plays themselves in the film. Set in a tiny cramped apartment in Beijing. And the film is composed of 23 static interior shots. No, it's not a typo, it really only has 23 shots (the longest shot lasting nearly 20 minutes), and the camera never moves. Master filmmaker Tsai Ming-Liang being the clear influence here. Anyone familiar with Tsai's films would know that patience and an open-mind are vital to truly appreciate his films. The same applies to "Oxhide". I'm sorry to say, half the audience I saw this film with, did not have those things. The theatre became half full/empty before the half way point was even reached. What were they expecting? Did they not read the festival guide? It clearly states: "only 23 shots… 110 minutes…tiny apartment", doesn't take a genius to work out this is not "The Fast and The Furious". Anyway, oh boy, did they miss out.

The film is a rich blend of life and fiction about the importance of family bond, it's a moving social commentary on the economic hardship faced by the lower-class Beijing families to get through each day. It's also a film that has been executed in exquisite style, whether it's the use of awkward framing creating a sense of claustrophobia in the tiny apartment or the magical use of natural lighting. Not to mention the fantastic acting by these non-professionals and the hilarious dialogue (unfortunately some of the humour will be lost in translation for the non-Mandarin speakers). Definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but for those open to something completely differently, this is a must watch. I was lucky enough to see at the local film festival, and I can only hope that this unknown little gem will get a DVD release in the near future.

You know when you've been looking for something for so long cause it's supposed to be great and when you finally get it and watch it and it's not matching your expectations? Well this was one of those for me. Even more painful than West of the Tracks. Because the framing and the composition are very unimaginative and the lighting is so bad that it's excruciating at times. It became a little more interesting half through, with some of the conversations and interactions, the family dynamics and the economic hardships expressed more directly, but those scenes in the beginning were not giving me any hope.

I was sure Beibei was a boy from what I could make out in the shots and the voice, despite the subs saying daughter, but I've seen so many bad subs mixing genders that I was sticking to my own beliefs till I saw the distribution. I knew her parents were in there, but not that she was playing the actual child.

I would file this under documentary to be honest, and its direct relative for me would clearly be West of the Tracks. It is valuable and I really liked some of the scenes, but it could easily let go of 30 minutes without any loss.

The father's pride and stubbornness with his cheap customers and the wife's nagging and the concern over the child's growth (apparently she is shrinking - is there even such a thing at that age?) and the computer formatting of the discount ad that makes the dad even more angry at his customers' ungratefulness, the whole lesson/debate over sesame oil and how to prepare noodles, the quarrel over milk drinking (interesting theory by the way, pretty sure that's false but...), the lesson in leather treatment and how the poor cow came to have scars on its hide.

Better lighting and wider shots would have improved this immensely. But well, if these were Liu Jiayin's living conditions at the time there's not much I can ask of her can I? It's a shame she didn't do more as a director. I really liked All Ears. The talent is there.