A Rewarding Examination Of Family Bonds In Extraordinary Circumstances
A most unexpected pleasure, the complex "Luxury Car" manages to gracefully link crime drama to a tale of familial obligations. Quiet when needed, brutal at times--the film's most stunning success is in establishing a truly realistic portrait of a man and his adult daughter. A schoolteacher, filled with regret and sadness, arrives in the city to locate his estranged son. Instead, he reconnects with his daughter who is working for an escort service. These two give lovely performances highlighted as much by what is left unsaid as by unnecessary dramatics.
Covering life's compromises and sacrifices, this is a gentle, but tough, picture. As more and more truths are revealed, it will either tear the family apart or bring them closer. The daughter is involved with some unsavory characters and the answers she finds aren't always easy ones. Heartfelt and moving, I really liked the multi-layered successes in this picture. KGHarris, 5/11.
Social drama with style
Wang Chao's film, Luxury Car, is an assured realisation of a compelling story of contemporary China. The story takes on a modern cinema noir tone, with interesting interweaving characters. Just to what extent and how those character's lives are entwined leads us to the story's climax. The film is carried by the beautiful Tian Yuan, a prostitute (Yanhong) working in a karaoke bar in Wuhan. Yanhong is visited by her father who, at the request of his dying wife, is trying to find out what happened to their son (Yanhong's brother). The really surprising character is the old policeman, who offers to help the father find his son. Here is a film from a masterful film director which shines a dark light, not only into contemporary Chinese society, but more generally into the lives of the disconnected and fragmented people that make up all consumer-oriented societies. Luxury Car is not a Hollywood film; instead it is a humble but perfectly made story, rich in character and offering real...
Really Well-Made Movie About Relationships
I sat down to watch this movie, thinking that all I was going to see was communist propaganda or just be difficult to follow. Was I wrong...
A aging schoolteacher goes to the city of Wuhan to search for his son - his wife is dying of cancer and it is her last wish to have her son visit her before death. He stays with his daughter, who is (and I'm sort of unsure) either a call-girl, escort, or a prostitute at a nightclub. While he searches for his son with a local policeman, the daughter is (secretly) doing her "job." She is also the mistress of the club's boss (who owns the item of the movie's title), who is nothing but a thug. I will stop there, because it becomes better and more complex. The conclusions to the narrative and sub-stories make the movie excellent!
How these stories intertwine, characters develop, and narratives unfold is really, really good. I have seen many Chinese-made movies; this one has a truly Western feel to it. Of course, it is a...
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