Are You Lonesome Tonight?

After discovering Shipei Wen's Land of Broken Hearts last year, I figured it would be good to look into his previous work, a little quest that unearthed Are You Lonesome Tonight? [Re Dai Wang Shi]. It's one of those films where I'm not sure how it slipped through the cracks, as it comes with an impressive list of credentials, and whatever screenshot or still I found looked damn inviting. It wasn't a very big surprise then that this film turned out to be an excellent genre flick, the kind that should easily please those with a hunger for neo-noirs.

I'm not sure what Wen did before making this film, but looking at the people involved it appears plausible that he already had a foot in the door. You don't just land lead actors like Eddie Peng and Sylvia Chang for your first feature film without some kind of clout. That said, looking at the outcome, that trust was earned as this in no way looks and/or feels like the work of a first-time director. There's a level of polish here that you usually find in films of directors far more skilled and seasoned. Hopefully, Wen doesn't feel too tempted to chase more commercial projects in the future, a path all too familiar to executive producer Hao Ning.

Are You Lonesome Tonight? is core genre cinema. The plot is pretty straightforward, the genre elements are in full effect and add familiarity, and the runtime is limited. Wen plays around with plot structure to add a little intrigue and the cinematography is well above average, but other than that there aren't too many unique angles to differentiate the film from its peers. That's not necessarily a bad thing in my book, I can appreciate a tightly executed genre flick, but it does help if you come in with the right expectations, especially if f you've seen Land of Broken Hearts before this film.

Forced to take a detour, Xueming hits a stranger with his car. It's nighttime on a deserted backroad and nobody else is around, so Xueming decides to dump the body and pretend nothing happened. Guilt gets the better of him, especially when he comes into contact with the widow of the man he ran over. He befriends the woman and tries to help her, but the more he learns about her husband's past, the more it dawns on him that the events of that night don't quite align with his memories. Xueming may not be to blame, but finding the answers may put his life at risk.

The cinematography is one of the clear highlights of the film. I quite liked the framing and the somewhat unusual camera angles, but it's the use of lighting and color that really takes things to a higher level. Wen didn't just settle for the popular blue/purple neon look, but really went the extra mile to create a dark and gritty atmosphere. It helps that a large portion of the film is set during nighttime (though that's hardly accidental), which further emphasizes the stunning use of lighting. It's a great example of how you can add extra polish to an otherwise basic genre film.

The fact that a Chinese film is able to deliver beautiful cinematography is hardly surprising, but Are You Lonesome Tonight? also sports a strong, evocative score, and that's not half as common. It's not that the music is exceptionally unique or differentiating, but the execution is close to perfection, building up tension where needed, and switching to more dramatic build-ups in between. The sound design is also top-notch, combine this with the gorgeous visuals and you have a stylistically powerful film that had no trouble whatsoever pulling me in.

It's fun to see someone like Eddie Peng branch out. For years he took on good guy roles (which no doubt helps at the start of someone's career), but in the end, you're probably more likely to be remembered for taking on the morally ambiguous characters, and that's what he is going for here. With success, I might add. Sylvia Chang is also captivating, offering the perfect counterbalance to Peng's character. The secondary cast is solid too, though the focus lies on Peng and Chang, with the other characters being featured primarily to progress the story.

The film starts with the main event, though purposely leaves out core information so it becomes impossible to fully grasp what went on in those fateful moments. Throughout its runtime those gaps are filled one by one, adding twists and slowly revealing a different story than originally presented. It's a familiar setup and the plot twists aren't too outlandish, it's just a more fun way to present a simple plot, making things a bit more engaging. It worked for me, and while it does make the plot a tad harder to follow, it's nothing too extreme for people who are film-literate.

Shipei Wen's Are You Lonesome Tonight? is an impressive accomplishment for a first-time director. It's a confident film, expertly stylized, smartly plotted, and sporting a fine cast. This provides the perfect cover for its simple and familiar genre roots. Wen would go on to make an even more impressive film, but if you're interested in this director this film is probably the more accessible of the two. Regardless, fans of crime thrillers should seek this one out as there's plenty to love, the only (predictable) problem might be availability, but what else is new?