Lost in Beijing
March 16th 2008 23:00
It stars Fan Bingbing, who is a young, popular actress, as a woman that works a menial job in a massage clinic, rubbing feet. Her husband is a window washer and, between them, they make just enough to live in a tiny, dingy apartment and eat simple food.
Fan gets drunk with a friend one afternoon and passes out on one of the couches at her workplace - the owner, played by a terrific Tony Leung K.F., rapes her in a split second, coincidentally getting caught by Fan's husband, washing windows outside.
You'd probably predict where the movie goes from here, imagining it to be a emotional confrontation between the wife and the husband, but director Li Yu stretches it out even further... Fan gets pregnant, and we don't know who the father is.
For a movie that hinges on the aspect of rape, there's surprisingly little involvement of the police or any authorities... this is Li's examination of the wealth disparity in China. The owner is filthy rich and is, basically, untouchable by the authorities, who he's probably in good with. For a poor couple to get any justice, they have to take the owner down with other means.
It's hard for a Western audience to understand, perhaps. We're used to the justice system having some measure of efficacy, but this is outrageous. I was almost livid, but my girlfriend just shrugged and said 'They can do nothing - it's happening all the time.'
"Lost in Beijing" certainly raised some eyebrows, going through 5 edits to pass the censor board. The version I saw had a few sexual scenes and one instance of nudity, but it was nothing outrageous; however, Chinese audiences will be either outraged or delighted to see Fan Bingbing having sex in the shower.
Provocative and entertaining, "Lost in Beijing" is a nasty look at Beijing - one that the Chinese government might not like you to see before the Olympics... Li paints a dismal picture of the capital city, one that is grey and bleak, with the rich living high above everyone else.
I say: An interesting movie to rent, with a rare look at a dirtier China. Li misses the weight of some of her contemporaries, but she's still produced a good movie.
See it for: There's a prank in the movie, and it makes you hope that the entire film will be filled with pranks.
*this image is from this fan page gallery
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Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Tracy
Comment by Cibbuano
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You might really enjoy this, though I found the direction a little aimless and the script bordering on ludicrous...
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
That's good to know, thanks. That can be the negative thing about subtitles can't it? It can be hard to read without missing some of a film’s subtleties..
If I watch it, I'll pop back and tell you what I think.
Tracy
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Though I have no doubt our system is identical when it comes to covering up indiscretions of the capitalist elite.
Comment by Cibbuano
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Comment by Holly Go Lightly
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