Review by Cameron Maitland

Though much can be made of the artistry and writing involved in creating a good documentary, there is still an x-factor involved which cannot be quantified. In the simple act of following a life Yang Lina's film The Love of Mr. An manages to capture something few other films manage.

Her documentary follows Lo An, a 90-year-old man living in Beijing and enjoying his golden years. The film focuses on his relationship with Xiao Wei, a younger married woman who is both his dance partner and sometime caretaker. Their relationship highlights issues the Chinese face in aging, love and, most importantly, marriage and friendship amongst the sexes. Most people, including Lo An, think that he's in love with Xiao Wei and almost everyone think he's being taken advantage of in the relationship.

Lo An and Xiao Wei's relationship takes a shocking turn halfway through the film and Yang manages to capture more emotion and tension than most dramas could ever dream of. The film really captures lightning in a bottle both emotionally and in how this turn of events effects everything it was trying to say before.

In the end the film succeeds due to Yang's ability to take an unexpected turn of events and use it to her advantage. The Love of Mr. An is a heartbreaking work exploring unique ground both culturally and emotionally.

The Love of Mr. An
Yang Lina | China | 2007 | 84min

Thur. Sept. 25 | 7:15pm | Empire Granville Theatre 1
Mon. Sept. 29 | 12:00pm | Empire Granville Theatre 5
Wed. Oct. 8 | 12:00pm | Empire Granville Theatre 5