“An Invisible Guest” - a must-see

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The movie “An Invisible Guest” is one of the best I’ve seen. The name may hint at its being a detective story. It is indeed a suspense movie about a murder case (actually a case within a case). But instead of describing the police’s attempts to solve the case, the movie is, for the main part, about a defense lawyer questioning the murder suspect on the details of the incident that had led him to be trapped in the scene. 

As often as not, my reflections on a movie include some of its content. But I know I must be careful this time as any details disclosed may reduce the viewing pleasure. The exchange of questions and answers between the lawyer and the suspect keeps us audience mentally engaged throughout the movie, trying to figure out the hidden truths behind the case. Questions flash through our minds: How much truth is there in the suspect’s story? Why does the lawyer sound so impatient and agitated? Is she really trying to help her client? In fact, what makes the movie entertaining is the feeling of anxiety and tension developed from the unexpected circumstances as the mystery slowly begins to unfold. I think I am somehow aware of a plot twist, a strange direction of the story, when the lawyer suddenly presents her own interpretation of the case, trying to make the suspect accept it. And, the surprise ending greatly enhances the movie’s splendor and impressiveness.

I have always enjoyed movies about smart people trying to outwit one another. This is the first movie since “the Thomas Crown Affair” (a 1999 film) that has given me the satisfaction of racking my brain trying to solve the mysteries together with the characters in the story. It being a Spanish movie, however, dependence on the subtitles somehow affects the understanding of some details. This is felt especially towards the end when the dialogue exchange, accompanied by the playbacks of related incidents with swift scene switching, becomes increasingly heated. This is perhaps an added delight to the movie viewing experience.

I enjoy the movie for one more personal reason. Unlike most of the other European movies with realistic depictions of sex and violence, “The Invisible Guest” presents the murders without terrifying bloody scenes. Even for fatal assaults, nothing more than sound effects is used. I would see this as an important feature of a highly refined cultural production.

“The Invisible Guest” is a movie too good to miss. I may consider watching it again for a better understanding of some neglected details.

Heartache --- Reflections on the movie “Loveless”

I bought a ticket online for the very first screening of the movie “Loveless”, much attracted by the movie title, the picture of a sad-looking boy, and the remark “screening with heart-ache (心痛放映)” that accompanied the screening schedule. I was thus prepared for a tear-jerker when I went to the cinema. 

The movie is a realistic portrayal of human nature. As the name suggests, it is an accusation against an aching void of love between people, resulting in their selfishness, pretentiousness, jealousy and greed. The discontented wife has endless complaint about her unhappy marriage, which she claims to have resorted to as an escape from her nagging mother. Her mother has, in fact, brought her up with strict disciplines and stringent religious rules. Even years later, when mother and daughter meet, the exchange of words serve only to hurt each other rather than mending a withered relationship. She is thus thirsty for love outside her marriage. The husband, though less verbally aggressive, is also obsessed with an extramarital affair. 

What and whom is the heartache about then? It is their twelve-year-old boy who has been thrown into the abyss of despair, loneliness and misery. He is undoubtedly the victim of his parents’ “lovelessness”. For, instead of feeling sorry for having neglected him, they have seen him as a hindrance to their pursuit of what they call genuine love. The mother even mentions more than once that his birth has ruined her life. Therefore, his sudden disappearance one day does not come as a surprise. 

The details of the search procedure are depicted vividly and profoundly, keeping us audience emotionally engaged. The scene of a forlorn, desolate underground structure beneath a forest region suspected to be the boy’s hideout is distressing. Imagine the boy hiding himself in a place so shabby and dilapidated in his eagerness to avoid witnessing the constant quarrels between his parents. The agony he suffered must have been traumatizing! 

The director succeeds in drawing attention to the evil consequences of parental divorces. The movie is indeed a wake-up call to parents at this time when broken families have become a common social phenomenon.

I did not shed a tear but I felt a heartache that lingered long after I had left the cinema.

A piece of advice for the would-be viewers :Be prepared for certain scenes unsuitable for children and teenagers.