dominic_brant

Echoes of Wong Kar Wai resonate beautifully throughout this very moving and understated, and yet very funny film. It can be viewed as a study in grief and cross-cultural misunderstanding or even prejudice. Two people try to comes to terms with the death of the person they each love the most. They are on conflicting sides of desperate love triangle. Each seeks recognition, and each needs to place their love in, an unexpected, context. Each needs to be understood.

In many Wong Kar Wai films the actors speak to each other in different languages with seeming full understanding. It suggests a disjuncture between time, place and culture, where language, usually the unifying factor within the narrative, becomes the source of each character's isolation. Lilting is self-conscious in its language play and it works powerfully to both comic and emotional effect. This has the magic effect of bending time. Locations are practically sparse, but the film gives the feeling of having moved us quite literally around the world.

The film demonstrates that with translation, there is always something essential that is lost. This might be cultural sensitivity, the feeling that we understand when, actually, we do not. Thus, it questions the assumptions we all make. It might also be the feeling that we know something or someone when actually we do not.

This may sound a heady, difficult mix. Far from it.

The film is beautifully shot, and again we experience something of the camera work of Christopher Doyle (Wong Kar Wai's leading cinematographer) in the delicate and soft palate of colours, and subtlety of framing which are as evocative as the language play in evoking mood and location. Nothing is wasted in this film. Even landmark pieces of music (another Wong motif) sit perfectly within the cross cultural narrative.

This is a film I will watch again and not simply for the references to Wong Kar Wai, It's a seamless depiction of loss in a world of seeming falling borders.

I hope you enjoy the film as much as I have.

Sometimes when a film is recommended to me, I'm disappointed. Not this time.

This beautiful shot film is very powerful. The acting is natural and believable. In terms of the action, for the most part, it might appear that not a lot happens. The characters are moody, devious, misguided and lovable. Yet, the longer it plays, the 'more' appears to be going on. Like the best short stories, it's not until later that things begin to fall into place. And when they do, I'll challenge you not to be moved.

There are subtleties of plot that are hard to explain. Sometimes the action doesn't seem to make sense. There appear to be references that don't have a hook. Don't worry, this film is like life: when you're in the moment, you don't see the bigger picture.

At the risk of heightening your expectations, I too am going to recommend this film.

If you're in any way a fan of Asian/Japanese indie cinema, I really don't think you'll be disappointed.