Long Day's Journey Into Night (Bi Gan, 2018): Barbican Cinema, 2.30pm
This beautiful film, with a must-see and experience 3-D section, is part of the Barbican 'Return to the City' season. You can find the full details of the programme here.
Chicago Reader review:
Gorgeously designed and formally audacious, Bi Gan’s second feature (after Kaili Blues) is constructed around an hour-long tracking shot originally filmed in 3-D. This sequence, which occurs in the second half of the movie, takes viewers on quite a ride, both literally and metaphorically, as Bi moves the camera freely through space and presents clever ways to translate the language of dreams into cinema. (As dream-narrative films go, it’s as distinctive an achievement as The Blood of a Poet, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, or Eyes Wide Shut.) Before that, though, this is basically a mood piece; the scant plot concerns a detective (Huang Jue) searching for a missing woman whom he hasn’t seen in years. Bi creates a strong atmosphere out of familiar detective-movie and melodramatic elements, thanks largely to the inventive camerawork and charismatic performances (the cast also features Tang Wei and Sylvia Chang). My colleague Scout Tafoya has likened this to a Disney theme park attraction based on the films of Wong Kar-wai, and I’m inclined to agree.
Ben Sachs
Here (and above) is the trailer.
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