Lost In Beijing (2007)
AVI | Mandarin | Subtitle: English | XviD - 23fps - 640x480 | AC3 192kbps | 700 MB
Genre: Drama

Notorious on the film-fest circuit for incurring the wrath of Chinese censors prior to release, Lost in Beijing gets off to a claustrophobic, alienating start. This Beijing-set tale of adultery, chicanery, and assorted human crappiness is told free of comfy cinema technique, like establishing shots, static camera, or emotion created through calculated montage. Basically, the stuff designed to elicit a programmed audience response is largely missing, replaced here by a surprisingly funny, dark semblance of reality. Director Li Yu uses mostly moving camera to tell her story, taking us directly into her characters' lives in all their dirty, ugly glory. The result is a film that can really turn an audience off, as it carries no positive payoff or uplifting reward. At the same time, the film manages to be darkly entertaining and even powerful thanks to a cynical wit and glimpses into recognizable human ugliness.