Yi’nan Diao, China, 2019
There’s nothing new in this gangsters v gangsters v cops noir, but it’s stylish and enjoyable, with moments of humour and extreme violence (in that cartoonish way you get in Asian films, and that Tarantino copied).
Who’s to be trusted? Our antihero is sacrificing everything for his wife and son – can he really be that bad? What’s the most saleable part of a stolen motorbike? (The battery)
I liked the neon lights and the way it rained all the time (a bit like Blade Runner). The rough, warren-like backstreets, markets and apartment buildings, where the restaurants are bare and the residents are used to people covered in blood running around with guns.
I don’t think this will last long in the memory, but I liked it nonetheless. It was bold and confident, a well-constructed story.
