CinemaSerf

When a fleecing scam goes wrong, the deaf-mute “Mao Ah” (Lan Xiya) finds herself sharing a prison cell with petty thief “Gai Yeuxiang” (Liying Zhao) who knows enough sign-language to be appointed her guardian by firm but kindly police officer “Deng Hong” (Ni Chuai). The former lass is initially very defensive, but quickly the pair begin to bond as they are co-opted onto an artistic group called the “Sunflowers” who are to perform for the visitors at a festival. A couple of years pass uneventfully and they are released. “Mao Ah” has no-one but her old contacts and she manages to convince the one who comes to collect her to leave her be. “Gai Yeixiang” is seeking her daughter who was abandoned to an orphanage by her wastrel father, but is soon faced with a few stark realities. Neither of them can get much of a break and so try to work together, still pulling the occasional scam, before settling on a more profitable - and legal - way to make the cash needed to find a decent place to live and get the child out of care. It’s that success though that comes back to bite the couple as we experience the brutality of those associates determined to reclaim the young “Mao Ah” and to keep her in their community. With her friend and the police officer trying to help, is there any opportunity for happiness and fulfilment for these two women? The three lead performances here are quite solid, especially from Lan Xiya, but the story - apparently based on true events - rather runs out of steam after about an hour. There are too many plot holes, contrived disputes and despite their complete inter-reliance by the end, the problems we can see them facing aren’t very convincingly addressed or played out. What I did think interesting is that even the authorities emphasise the need for them both to get jobs to earn money, not for some more philosophical purpose, and also of the way it characterises the police in a far less authoritarian fashion than we are used to. It’s a very dry film with precious little by way of joy to it and it isn’t always easy to engage with either woman as we are rushed into a caption-driven closing sequence that skirts over some fairly gruesome tail-end activity and it’s consequences. Essentially, it’s a competently produced film about people from all walks of life learning to trust and look out for each other after years of neglect, abuse and indifference but it’s all just too bitty to be very effective. It needs less of a beginning and more of an end.