Zhangke Jia directs Hongwei Wang, Hongjian Hao and Baitao Zuo in this Chinese drama where a small time provincial thief realises all his friends have become “respectable” and toys with the idea of a normal life.

Solid slice of life drama with unprofessional actors who look authentic because they are. Meanders pleasantly, giving you a better idea of what life in a Chinese town is like away from the glamour of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. Some street scenes have an incongruous soundtrack of “other” media including, amusingly, John Woo’s The Killer.

6

Perfect Double Bill: Pickup on South Street (1953)

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