Waste of time

Truly Dreadful Film

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

A Disappointing Continuation

The closing of any cinema is for me a sad moment in time. It means that yet, another picture house is closing it's doors,due to one reason or another. This is the subject of this rather sad,but up lifting film by a director from Taiwan. A cinema in Taipai,Taiwan is screening the last film it will ever run, as it's closing the very next day. The series of events makes for the film's plot. The rather sparse,ragtag staff is the last vestiges of the cinema's life blood, as are the patrons (mainly old people,homosexuals looking for a pick-up,film buffs,etc). What gives this film it's irony is the fact that it's screening the 1961 film 'Dragon Inn',as it's final offering. We soon find out that a few of the film's original cast are in the audience,softly crying at the images,knowing that after this night,no one will probably ever screen this film in it's original glory. This film also makes good use of it's minimal pacing,muted photography,and lack of dialog (the first line doesn't appear until well into the first 45 minutes of the film). This is NOT a film for those who insist that a film must have tons of explosions,car chases,bleach blonde busty bimbos,heads being blown off by shotguns & wall to wall f-bombs being hurled every other line of spoken text. It is,however,a fine film for those who choose to rise above the mindless bombast of the Hollywood sausage factory of movie making. No MPAA rating here, but apart from a (potential)gay pick up, not much to offend here.

I can certainly understand others comments about this film being dull and uninteresting. However, I find it refreshing that a director has taken the risk in creating a film as neutral as this. At a glance, the plot is extremely simple. But I find each of the characters to be intriguing as they each have so many tells. I also enjoyed the parallels between the film in progress and the interaction between viewers in the theater. All sense of emotion has been left at the door in the creation of this film, and the soundtrack is barely existent. The photography was phenomenal, and the transitions between scenes were fantastic. I suggest you not think of this as a movie at all, but rather a work of art.

I am compelled to write a review of this movie that doesn't berate it, since most people seem to expect an action-packed and commercially viable film, not the artful and well done piece that it is. Liang's point is quite clear, and whether "nothing happens" or not is left up to the viewer's interpretation I guess. It's a short feature though, and anyone who is seriously interested in film should check this out. "Nobody goes to the movies anymore." With this line, we are told exactly what Liang is saying to us. The film is an ode to going to the movies. If you don't like going to the movies, then you shouldn't watch this film. If you do, then it should fill you up with the fuel that you need to get you through this piece.

Subtle and minimalistic. The film simply speaks without words. There are probably less than 8 lines of script in the entire film, some lines being one or two words, and that's part of what makes this film so special. Tsai has a knack for setting the camera down in all the right places in this dingy, dark theater of a setting. The night of emptiness among a handful of characters somehow kept me engaged until the very end. Not to say that I was patient throughout the whole thing. There are several sequences where literally nothing happens. When I was watching the DVD, my girlfriend came into the room and asked, "why are you staring at a paused screen?" That gives you an idea of some stretches in the film. But overall, this is a cinematic work of art. Definitely a film I'd consider re-watchable.