Saturday Fiction (China 2019) - Movie Review

One day Lou Ye might be able to make a movie that completely delivers his true feelings and visions without any interference. One day, but that day is not quite here with this 2019 political spy thriller.

Hi I’m the Arty Dans welcome to this review of Saturday Fiction, starring Gong Li and Mark Chao.

* WARNING: This review contains a mild spoiler *

What’s this movie about?

Set in the French Concessions of Shanghai in 1941, an actress returns to the city on the eve of the release of her ex-husband by Japanese officials to reprise her role in a theatre production directed by her lover.

But there is another motive for her return. She is a spy for the French intelligence Allies on a dangerous mission to recover critical information in the lead-up to the beginning of World War 2.

My Thoughts on this Movie

Lou Ye continues to add to his impressive back catalogue of interesting arthouse thrillers, following up from his 2018’s sleeper hit The Shadow Play. Ditching the fragmented storytelling of that film, he has returned to crafting a linear story that builds up its tension slowly, drip feeding vital clues to the viewer one scene at a time.

What Lou Ye has kept from his previous movies is his energetic camera work. Presented in black and white, the camera is constantly moving, following the cast around and even switching which characters it focuses on mid-scene. I am not usually a fan of excessive hand-held camera work as it can tend to waiver between distracting and the cameraman looking like they’re having a heart-attack, but it suits this movie. Being a spy thriller, the handheld camera work fits the need to constantly follow the progress of the characters.

Something I didn’t like about this movie is the last third as it shifts its tone from being a political spy thriller, to Rambo. Or in this movie’s case, since it’s Chinese, more like Wolf Warrior. Up until the point in this movie when this occurs, there was never indication throughout the first two thirds that Gong Li’s character was such an accomplished assassin.

I also have some questions about the ending and deliberate ruse to her handlers. I never got an indication that there was any disenfranchisement, and considering the consequences this has, or alludes to, I am wondering whose true ending that is: Lou Ye or the Censorship board?

Speaking of them, they rear their ugly head in this movie, as is to be expected with Lou Ye’s works. I don’t think he’s ever gotten a clean pass mark since Suzhou River and Summer Palace, and not even the fact this movie is a French co-production makes it immune to any buggery.

Overall

It’s a competent spy thriller cum accidental action movie that’s easier to follow than The Shadow Play, but nowhere near as intriguing.

Still, considering its chequered history, and the fact it has Gong Li delivering a decent but not award-winning performance, certainly better than the more recent endeavours like Leap and Mulan, it’s worth checking out.

I give this one a thumbs up, but only just.

If you’ve seen it, what did you think?