Movies
A pleasant but rather basic arthouse drama. Taipei Suicide Story is a mid-length feature that hinges on a single conceptual idea. The film is nicely executed and effective, it's also very predictable, and it doesn't really take its premise to exciting places. The result is certainly nice enough, especially for people who like subdued drama, but the potential was there to do more. Zhi-hao works as a receptionist in the world's only suicide hotel. Guests can check in, they get all the tools they require, and the bodies are properly taken care of in the morning. The only rule is that they can only stay one night. Jun-Ring is a young woman who has managed to dodge the hotel's rule, when Zhi-hao finds out and goes to talk to her, something clicks between the two. The cinematography is nice but not too remarkable, the same goes for the score. The premise is interesting but somewhat poorly developed, it's really the superb performances that make this film work. The finale is a little tough, not in the least because it is very predictable, but overall a nice and short film. I think it's time for the director to try a full-length feature next. Read all