Lost in Beijing 苹果 英语影评

      Controversial tragicomedy exposing rape, adultery,and assorted human ugliness in urban Beijing. Li Yu's film is not forthe average filmgoer, who may find its opaque excesses to be eitherboring or reprehensible. However, this is an affecting and even darklyentertaining work that's well worth its fest rep. 

          
Notoriouson the film-fest circuit for incurring the wrath of Chinese censorsprior to release, Lost in Beijing gets off to a claustrophobic,alienating start. This Beijing-set tale of adultery, chicanery, andassorted human crappiness is told free of comfy cinema technique, likeestablishing shots, static camera, or emotion created throughcalculated montage. Basically, the stuff designed to elicit aprogrammed audience response is largely missing, replaced here by asurprisingly funny, dark semblance of reality. Director Li Yu usesmostly moving camera to tell her story, taking us directly into hercharacters' lives in all their dirty, ugly glory. The result is a filmthat can really turn an audience off, as it carries no positive payoffor uplifting reward. At the same time, the film manages to be darklyentertaining and even powerful thanks to a cynical wit and glimpsesinto recognizable human ugliness.
     
FanBing-Bing stars as Pingguo, who works at a massage parlor for Lin (TonyLeung Ka-Fai), her whoring but otherwise professional boss. Pingguo ismarried to window washer Kun (Tong Dawei), a fact that she keeps secretfrom her employer, and the two share a meager existence not unexpectedfor recent country-to-city transplants in Beijing. But things changewhen Lin rapes Pinguo; he finds her drunk in the massage parlor officesand proceeds to act on his poorly tamed libido. Kun, who's washing thewindows outside, witnesses the crime, and is at first incensed. ButKun's anger gives way to greed; he attempts to blackmail Lin,threatening to tell the cops if he doesn't give up some cash. Lin won'tbow to Kun's blackmail, but Pingguo's threats - using her semen-stainedclothes as proof - keep her employed. Once Kun tells Lin's wife (ElaineKam) of the situation, she has her own solution: rape Lin's wife inretaliation for Lin raping his wife. He obliges - with her consent,naturally - and everyone is now guilty, save perhaps Pingguo.
     
Thingsget even more screwed when Pingguo discovers that she's pregnant. Thebaby could be either Kun's or Lin's, and Pingguo is loath to keep itgiven the circumstances. However, Kun uses the pregnancy as anotheropportunity for blackmail. This time it works, because Lin and his wifehave never been able to conceive, and Lin desperately wants a child.The two men strike a cynical, damning bargain, with Lin getting theunborn child and Kun getting the money. But that's just the beginningfor this ménage-a-quatre, as each jockeys for what they want, usuallydisregarding morality or common decency along the way. Lin wants thechild, but with the comely Pingguo around, he may want something else.Mrs. Lin also wants the child, but she absolutely does not want Lin tospend more time with the younger and more attractive Pingguo. Kun wantsthe money, but if the child does turn out to be his, his ego won'tallow him to simply let go. The lone holdout for moral murkiness isPingguo, who's pulled in multiple directions. Now out of control, thesituation spins in a sometimes darkly humorous and ultimatelyinescapable direction.
   
The title Lost in Beijingimplies a sort of socio-cultural significance, though it's arguable ifthe film truly achieves that. Besides the characters' obvious economicand social differences, Li Yu sometimes resorts to shaky montages seton the streets of Beijing, highlighting the varying class strata inpassing. Still, what goes on with the main characters is more abouttheir familiar and flawed personalities than some sort of grandthematic tale of class difference. This is a story that couldconceivably take place anywhere, as the human ugliness on display seemsvery universal. The characters are given many chances to do honorablethings, but they frequently deny those chances, opting forself-gratification or material wealth over common decency. What'ssurprising is how each character manages to shift sympathy as the filmprogresses. Lin is a seeming rat bastard when it comes to women, buthis attitudes towards family and money are surprisingly decent.Conversely, Kun's pragmatism gives way to a despicable greed, though hemanages to show a heart when not blinded by ego or jealousy. Lost inBeijing's characters are so pathetic that they end up feeling veryreal, earning empathy while also repelling us.
     
LiYu's handheld camera adds to the immediacy and seeming reality of thefilm, frequently finding humor that's both funny and quite sad. TonyLeung Ka-Fai overacts admirably as Lin, managing to be both likable anddespicable, while Tong Dawei and Elaine Kam portray theirreprehensible, yet sometimes pathetic and pitiable characters withadmirable abandon. The film belongs to Fan Bing-Bing, however, whoditches her usual flower vase image with a gutsy performance as thevulnerable, yet resolute Pingguo. The situations in Lost in Beijing aresometimes exaggerated, but the storytelling, cinematography andperformances keep the film grounded, such that it feels like it couldactually happen. Li Yu convinces us of the reality of the situation,giving the film its status as both a well-observed drama and a darklyentertaining comedy of human crappiness. The circumstances may not beso extreme, but you can probably see people behaving like this in reallife. These characters could be lost almost anywhere, and not just inBeijing.