Lost in the stars

As a lover of thrillers, suspense, and mind puzzles in general, I usually see the surprises coming. It was an extreme pleasure and delight to find that this film kept me guessing, kept me rapt with attention, and made the experience thrilling from start to finish.

A note regarding the casting, which was stellar: Zhu Yilong is an actor with tremendous range who I would watch do anything, anytime, under any condition, and his development as He Fei is mesmerizing, and Ni Ni as lawyer Chen Mai, who had not been on my radar previously, subtly guiles you as she gets pulled into her client's case.

This is absolutely the definition of summer blockbuster and I'll be seeing it again.

Lost in the Stars is a mystery thriller about a man (He Fei) who is looking for his missing wife while on an anniversary trip to a fictional Southeast Asian country. Even more confusing is that a woman whom he doesn't recognize turns up claiming to be his missing wife. What follows is a succession of new clues and past stories that add more to the mystery, culminating in an explosive finale.

Although there are twists and turns, please also note that this is adapted from a 1960 French play which was also adapted before in an Alfred Hitchcock movie and a 1990 Russian movie. The Chinese adaptation is also done very well in its own right.

The pacing and acting are done well. Viewers are left at the edge of their seats amidst the conspiracy and paranoia. The story seems far-fetched at times but comes together at the end as to why the characters themselves behave the way they do. The vivid colors of the setting lend visual eye candy to this imaginary Southeast Asian country as well.

The twists propel the mystery to n a fascinating way, especially the multiple reveals toward the end. You really feel part of this intense ride from start to finish.

This movie surprised me in so many ways.

The plot was initially reminiscent of Gone Girl but boy was I fooled.

The more you watch, the more it draws you in and I would highly recommend a second viewing. Everything was so thought out and no plot hole overlooked. Even the seemingly minor things can be explained by this or that.

It was visually stunning and the acting was superb across all members of the cast. Seriously, major kudos to the leads. I wasn't familiar with any of them going into this but I will definitely keep an eye out now for their future work.

Overall, a wonderful, intense film that, I'm not kidding, had me on the edge of my seat a vast majority of the time.

No pun intended - and not really connected with Gone Girl (if you've seen the movie or read the book - there is a book, right? There has to be). This quite twisty movie has you guessing what is right and what is wrong. Who and where characters are trying to lead us. There may be some traps along the way (again no pun intended) and I am not sure what you may think of the ending ... but the movie dares to go places that ... well you may not expect.

That said, it doesn't mean you won't be able to guess where the movie wants you to go. Interestingly enough, the movie seems to hit a spot - at least in London. About 10 screenings - all sold out! So they must be doing something right ... well told and all that ... if you are into that sort of stuff.

Distinctively Chen Sicheng, Lost in the Stars are in many ways imprinted with the director imprints, full of quick successive scenes filled with popping movements and colors, and quickwittedness but lacking in logic or any sort of explanation and I absolutely hate it. Zhu's, whom I believe is one the best Chinese actor right now delivers a performance that feels like an echo in an empty room. What makes the film better than the Chinatown series is that at least at the center there is a giant intrigue that you want to get to the end of it, but towards the end even that feels predictable and uncreative. The progression of the film feels driven by a series of plot holes. Again, the supporting cast is also a huge question mark, featuring awkward dialogues and motives.