andrz2

I am not familiar with Jaing Wen's work and went in with no expectations. A Taiwanese friend passed me her ticket telling me that it's Chinese with Japanese historical and cultural references, and while that is not untrue, it's not what I would describe it. An indulgent description would call it a parody or self-parody, but I don't have the background and familiarity with his work to justify it.

I felt the first jolt to run out about 10 minutes in, and it's been a struggle to watch until the end. The story is convoluted and hard to follow, dialogue is fast and furious, and while I get it that the director may be going for parody, the net effect is cringe.

The hero is nonetheless played by an actor who is supposedly some kind of sex symbol, and he appears bare chested, which may be redemptive for some audiences; it might also spark a parkour renaissance in China (or at least boost the sales of Assassin's Creed).

The author follows with his quiescent camera his grandparents over a year. Whatever was judged film-worthy is shown to us, in a beautifully woven montage, much like Elena's colorful tapestries.

The way this perennially happy couple interacts is peacefully engaging. We get to listen to their church songs, watch them perform their daily chores, talk about the lies on TV and enjoy a can of pop for the first time.

Though intimate and revealing, we get the feeling that some important events were left out. I found out in the Q&A at the end of the North American premiere that the death of their youngest son took place while the film was being shot. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why death features prominently in their conversation.

A Romanian poet has said that "Eternity was born in the Village". Time certainly passes more slowly in that part of the world, but it's still too fast when the movie is over.

Just like the main character's circumstances are a mixture of contrasts, so is the movie: it has unmistakable indy roots & feel, yet the way it's made is very professional. It could easily pass as a Hollywood production to someone watching it on FastForward. It also has a rather large range of moods, ranging from funny, to violent, to delicate, and even to depressing. But although the main character is a shrink (or a shrink wannabe), and you'll get to learn more about post-traumatic stress disorder than you would in a full-year psych course, the director manages to stir it into entertaining territory with ease.

I watched it in a late night sneak preview at University of Toronto, and I was lucky to have a Q&A with the director, who answered most of my questions even before I asked them (he's a psychic more than he is a psycho). Apparently, he found inspiration in his very own Yoko Ono, who's also a psych major :)