Those cigarettes. So dreamy and drowned in melancholia, yet very cozy at the same time. The way Jia lingers on those shots after they’re done talking… terrific. The first half is kind of perfect - the two plotlines are both equally engaging and fantastic. There’s the one about the old friend who’s getting marries and doesn’t invite the titular pickpocket to his wedding. It really drives home the feeling of getting left behind and the sheer loneliness Xiao Wu is feeling. The scene where it’s just the two of them talking is phenomenal. And then there’s the Miumiu stuff and it’s very dreamy, just soaked in those red lights. I find their slow romance very convincing and emotional, and it’s incredible these at-the-time non-actors managed to pull this off. After that, it falls off. It’s a shame but unfortunately true. The part about Xiao’s family lacked the aesthetics of the film’s better moments. It also is missing the emotional weight of the first two plotlines. Anyways, despite these disappointing 30 minutes it picks itself back up for a spectacular final shot, when, after Xiao is finally arrested, the crowd just stares at him handcuffed. It lasts for around 4-5 minutes, and it makes you think back and realise that those long shots Jia does are what makes the film. It is a very ambiented movie in this particular time and space, which apparently is a Jia trademark, and that’s another aspect I loved about it. I really do think it has some amazing vibes. Very excited for the rest of Jia’s filmography, in particular Platform.
Those cigarettes. So dreamy and drowned in melancholia, yet very cozy at the same time. The way Jia lingers on those shots after they’re done talking… terrific. The first half is kind of perfect - the two plotlines are both equally engaging and fantastic. There’s the one about the old friend who’s getting marries and doesn’t invite the titular pickpocket to his wedding. It really drives home the feeling of getting left behind and the sheer loneliness Xiao Wu is feeling. The scene where it’s just the two of them talking is phenomenal. And then there’s the Miumiu stuff and it’s very dreamy, just soaked in those red lights. I find their slow romance very convincing and emotional, and it’s incredible these at-the-time non-actors managed to pull this off. After that, it falls off. It’s a shame but unfortunately true. The part about Xiao’s family lacked the aesthetics of the film’s better moments. It also is missing the emotional weight of the first two plotlines. Anyways, despite these disappointing 30 minutes it picks itself back up for a spectacular final shot, when, after Xiao is finally arrested, the crowd just stares at him handcuffed. It lasts for around 4-5 minutes, and it makes you think back and realise that those long shots Jia does are what makes the film. It is a very ambiented movie in this particular time and space, which apparently is a Jia trademark, and that’s another aspect I loved about it. I really do think it has some amazing vibes. Very excited for the rest of Jia’s filmography, in particular Platform.
