Movie Review: Lost in the Stars (Xiao shi de ta)

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

A very fun and engaging thriller from China. 

This film is one of those movies that will constantly keep you guessing, just where it is heading from start to finish. It grabs your attention very quickly because the premise itself is very intriguing and clever. A man whose wife has been missing, one day finds a woman waking up beside him claiming to be his wife. When the police come, this woman seems to have all the evidence that says this woman is his wife. It would be a shame to give away anything more about this story, because from there comes so many twists and turns that leave you constantly wondering just what is in fact real and who is telling the truth. Each of these twists made me get even more engaged in the film and curious about just where it was going to go next. As a fan of these types of thrillers, I found myself simply having a wonderful time, always trying to guess where this movie would go next and never having it go in the I excepted it to. Adding to my enjoyment was the pure stylish direction of this movie. There is such a wonderful look to this film that is not only wonderful to look at but also helps us get into the characters' psyche. Much of this is probably due to the two directors of the film. Rui Cui has worked on visual effects for a few big budget Hollywood films (including Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Terminator Genisys (2015)). Xiang Liu has worked as a cinematographer on such Chinese films as Erdos Rider (2015) and Shadows and Echoes (2019). With directors like these it is no wonder this is such a good-looking film. This movie also benefits from some great acting from Yilong Zhu, Ni Ni, Janice Man and Kay Huang. All of whom make these characters fascinating and enjoyable to watch even when their motivations are hidden from us.

There are times however when some of the twists can get so over the top that they feel kind of out of place with the rest of the film. There are also quite a few questions that simply go unanswered. However none of this can take away from how much fun this movie is to watch. 

This may not be a perfect film, but it is so much fun to watch that you may not care.