Vancouver International Film Festival 2008

China

The Love of Mr. An

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

China

The Longwang Chronicles

Review by Chris Walts

The Longwang Chronicles are director Li Yifan’s year in the life of the poor Chinese farming village Longwang. Structured according to the traditional Chinese almanac, Li captures the events his film with surprising fly on the wall freedom and detail. Although there is absolutely nothing flashy about this film my interest was held the entire time by the honesty of the events portrayed on screen. Some of the highlights of the film include the uncensored castration of a pig, attempts to extinguish cult religious groups, a fraudulent civic election, and various displays of Communist Party rhetoric. As a Westerner with very little direct knowledge about what is happening in rural China, The Longwang Chronicles provides a thoughtful and compassionate insight into the daily lives of a large group of people I would otherwise have no knowledge about.

The Longwang Chronicles
Li Yifan | China | 2007 | 90min

Mon. Oct. 6 | 12:00pm | Empire Granville Theatre 5

China

24 City

Review by Chris Walts

24 City is the story of Factory 420, an aeronautical plant utilized during the Korean War that is being turned into a luxury housing complex, and the people connected to it. In its heyday Factory 420 was a top-secret factory that manufactured planes for the war effort while providing a good living for everyone involved. After the war, its usefulness faded, taking with it the good lives of the many people connected to it.

While this documentary feels like it is trying to point out that progress comes at a cost, its point is never fully realized. The film in structured in such a way that you never really connect with the people telling it. The opposite message actual comes through clearer as you realize that the only reason people had a good life was because of war. Regardless of the actual intent of director Jia Zhangke, the entire film feels like pure information that would be better suited for a 20-minute news special than a documentary film. Apparently Zhangke even created some of the interviews as a sort of meta-comment but this to also falls far short as there is no real evidence of this in the film. It’s not that the film is horrible or hard to watch; its message has simply been done better many times before.

24 City
Jia Zhangke | China | 2008 | 107min

China

Good Cats

Review by Chris Walts

Good Cats is a difficult film to watch. It is not a film I particularly enjoyed watching while it was playing, and, had I not been reviewing it, I probably would have left the theatre before it was over. Oddly enough however, every time I think back on the film, I begin to like it more to the point where it now feels like a fond memory.

Luo Liang is a soon-to-be-30-year-old, middle school-educated chauffeur trying to make a name for himself in the semi-corrupt Chinese economy. Shot entirely in long master shots, the film refuses to let the audience close to Luo Liang as the action plays out on screen much as if you were watching a stage play. This forced removal is fitting however, as it reflects society’s view of Luo Liang’s status in the world: a purposeful distance/blind eye turned to the plight of the under-educated working class. Director Ying Liang pushes this idea even further by having sudden breaks in action where a rock band appears, similar to a Greek chorus. While all of this purposeful destruction of the audience’s suspension of disbelief makes the film hard to enjoy on an emotional level, it does invite the viewer to look deeper into the film and view it as a social commentary on contemporary Chinese society.

Good Cats
Ying Liang | China | 2008 | 103min

Fri. Sept. 26 | 12:15pm | Empire Granville Theatre 1
Wed. Oct. 1 | 6:00pm | Empire Granville Theatre 5
Mon. Oct. 6 | 4:30pm | Pacific Cinematheque