Qiao Mai Feng Zhang
2020 / 112m - China
Drama, Romance
3.5*/5.0*
Wild Grass poster

Watches

October 14, 2020

3.5*/5.0*

Some films need nothing more than a couple of screencaps. I knew nothing about Wild Grass going in, except that the cinematography was not going to disappoint. And it didn't, sadly the rest of the film wasn't quite on the same level. Still, I was happy to see China is still making these types of films, it's been a while since I watched one of these.

The plot is split between different characters, each one introducing its own unique genre influences. There's a story about a dancer that's rather tragic, some puppy love that adds a little romance and the story of a young kid that introduces slight crime elements. These stories stand on their own, apart from the points where they intersect.

It's a rather messy setup that sometimes works against the film, I think more tonal consistency would've been better here. The use of color and lighting is absolutely stunning though, camera work and editing aren't quite as good, the soundtrack too could've been a bit more distinctive. But those are minor critiques that are mostly there because the cinematography sets such a high bar. Not bad at all.