Odin

> ***"You can't just give watches to people. A watch is a symbol of eternity. And it's broken."*** > *"You can't just give fireworks to people. They're a symbol of the transitory."* Holy shit, man. Allow me to start off with saying that few films I have seen in recent memory have stuck with me in a way as profound as this one has; it has enveloped my mind entirely. Bi Gan’s reality-warping, labyrinthian and dreamlike romantic noir is a triumph, in every regard. It exudes such profound melancholia through its entirety that seeps through each and every scene, as we follow Luo Hongwu who returns to his hometown after decades of absence where memories of his lost love begin to flood back into the excesses of his mind and he is consumed with the idea of finding her. In his pursuit and amateur investigation the film begins to take form into something else entirely than we could ever expect. The ever-recurring motif of falling rain that fills every frame feels as if we’re being overflowed with tears of immense grief and regret, as the themes of lost time and longing inexorably become more prevalent and spread their over-looming black wings over us as we are plunged into the unknown we are yet to witness in this strange journey. Bi Gan proves himself to be a true maestro as he miraculously manages to create something that quite literally and inexplicably *feels* like a dream. Most notably during his elegantly crafted one hour long unbroken take, which in itself is utterly insane to have been achieved. It’s purposely filmed and structured in a way that is the most impressive and effective use of a one shot take I have had the pleasure of witnessing and the entire sequence evokes the feeling that what’s happening to Luo as we follow him in the second half of the film is both real and unreal, simultaneously — and it incontrovertibly and incontestably stunning. It is truly like poetry unfurling through every frame like a flower blossoming over the course of the ethereal story. I will also add that this is an instance where I believe the films original international title suits this surreal film more. In its native Chinese, the original title is ***Diqiu zuihou de yewan (地球最后的夜晚)***, which translates literally to **Earth's Last Night **or** Last Evenings on Earth. **& If you want to watch something that is visually and thematically evocative of *Wong Kar Wai’s* *In The Mood For Love (2000) *that is irrecoverably plunged in the darkness and mysterious nature akin to a Lynchian dreamy world: Watch this movie and you will not be disappointed. • **100 (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) **

> ***“The flesh is weak, Johnny. Only the soul is immortal. And yours belongs to me."*** Based on William Hjorrsberg’s novel ***‘Falling Angel’*** which the film adaptation follows closely *Angel Heart* is a phenomenal southern gothic occult noir thriller that takes place in New Orleans. It perfectly builds its eerie ambience and keeps you engaged as the blood-soaked story unravels. That ending chills to the fucking bones. Loved it. Odin Tip: double feature this mind-fuck with *Jacob’s Ladder (1990) *if you want an enjoyably weird night. • **80** **(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) **