It's been a long time since I've had a Chinese film that allows me to enjoy still lifes and portraits so comfortably.
Although many people call it a companion piece to "Daytime Fireworks", I don't think so.
"Daytime Fireworks" is a kind of repression, while "The Party at South Station" is a kind of ironic release.
From about ten minutes, half of my attention shifted from the plot or characters or subject matter of the film to the photography, composition, props, lighting and even color grading.
There are many good films that reflect the themes of the bottom of society, such as "Blessed with Ears", and the picture is easy to appear dirty, because it is too "grounded" but full of dust on the screen (last year's "Bursting Silence" also had a similar situation).
But "The Party at South Station" is not.
For example, the abandoned house where Hu Ge was hiding. The walls, the old newspapers, the bottles and cans on the table... Every prop can be seen with heart. Composition, light, color.
I am a lover of Western painting and photography. It is natural to enter the mode of art appreciation. And this is actually a pure domestic dialect film.
Sometimes I think of the American photographer Robert POLIDORI (1951-):
Compared with "Daytime Fireworks", Gui Lunmeng's role is finally enough. So it became Hu Ge and Gui Lun's acting skills, and they also met their opponents.
The director has an idea. Under the existing taboos, it is rare to be able to have some ironic hints, revealing the desolation and even animal nature of human nature. (For example, the scene in the zoo). After all, words can't be said thoroughly.
Some substitution and contrast techniques are effective. For example, the scene in the thief's den dividing the sphere of influence according to the map and the scene in the police station dividing the scope of the case, such as Hu Ge riding a motorcycle to steal a car and Liao Fan riding a motorcycle to handle a case, and so on.
Some small details are also appropriate. For example, the broken glass of Liao Fan's front, such as the mouthwash on Guilun Magnesium Lake...
If you want to be picky, one, the ending is slightly weaker. Of course, it can be understood that the compromise that must be made for the release of domestic films, you can't be harsh on the conception of the Korean film "New World". Second, the explanation of different timelines is slightly traditional. At that time, I thought that if there was a narrative of "Two Big Smoking Guns", it would be even better.
Overall, had a lovely two hours. recommend.