Watches
September 26, 2021
It's quite surprising to see Yonfan go the animation route. China is slowly exploring the possibilities of the medium, but so far it has stayed away from the more mature options. Yonfan is someone who likes to break no ground of course, but it's not easy for a live-action director to simply jump in and direct an animated film. That said, Yonfan did pretty well here.
Ziming is an undergrad in English literature, who is hired by Mrs Yu to tutor her daughter. He is a handsome man and both women develop romantic feelings for him. Ziming certainly doesn't mind, taking them on separate dates to go and see movies that bring out their innermost feelings.
Yonfan is ambitious here. The film reflects on Hong Kong during the 60s, works in a love triangle and tackles a bunch of classic cinema in the process (not unlike Millennium Actress). The animation is a bit limited, but the art style is pleasant and the music very stylish. The film is a bit too meandering at times, but Yonfan never loses grip and delivers a beautiful and complex film.