Kissing The Ground You Walked On Movie Review: Queer Macau Chamber Drama An Artful And Classically Tragic Tale Of Passion
- Adapted from The Death of Luchino Visconti in Venice, award-winning director Hong Hengfei tells the story of a man obsessed with a young artist who rents a room in his house.
- Although the film takes place in only a few locations, it conveys a strong sense of place and explores in detail the contrasting personalities of the two main characters.
3/5 stars
Echoes of Luchino Visconti's death in Venice can be heard in Macau-born writer-director Hong Hengfai's debut film Kiss of the Ground You Walked , in which a disillusioned and once-successful writer falls in love with a young actor who owns a room in his house rents . Apartment.
Last month, Hong received the Firebird Award for Best New Director at the 47th Hong Kong International Film Festival.
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Set in Macau at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Hong's sluggish and muggy drama begins when Chow (Won Pak How), a middle-aged real estate agent, is offered a job by an old friend in the housing industry.
A few years earlier, Chow had achieved critical and commercial success with his first novel, but quickly retired to a more conventional but safer career. He reluctantly agreed to begin work on a second novel, although his inspiration proved weak.
Until Zhou decides to rent a vacant room in the spacious and bright apartment where he writes. Responding to her ad is Chan (Lam Shin), a young aspiring actor rehearsing the glorious avant-garde reinterpretation of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov 's The Seagull .
© Courtesy of South China Morning Post Lam Sheung pictured byChow welcomes the energetic young man into his home, but they keep a safe distance. However, Chow soon feels an inexplicable attraction to the young man.
She overheard Chang's conversation with her boyfriend, also the show's director, and monitored him from a hidden security camera in the corner of the room.
Hong presents a glaring dichotomy between the two characters, downplaying their interactions throughout much of the film while exploring their opposing personalities.
Chow is humble and emotionally reserved, while Chang is flamboyant, vulnerable, and passionate. Chow is a talented artist who is still unsure of his craft. Chang, on the other hand, craved success on stage but lacked the maturity and talent to make it big.
© Provided by the South China Morning Post.Although the production was limited to a few key locations, namely Zhou's home, theater and office, Hong managed to capture a clear sense of place. The city's delightful old architecture adds a touch of timelessness to this film's classic tragic story.
While Chang missed Chow and his more adventurous and open-minded approach to life, one can't help but think that it was he, rather than the up-and-coming young artist, who most faithfully captured the feelings of this new young director.
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