A Arma Perdida

In "The Missing Gun", a small town cop in China loses track of his sidearm when he gets drunk at a party. The first hour this film is dedicated to the cop running around town asking everyone if they have seen his gun to which all reply...."Nope!". It's not until later in the film we begin to see a plot develop and realize what has appeared to be a comedy is really a drama when our hero/protag/cop finds out his ex-girl friend has been murdered...apparently with his missing gun. The balance of the flick is about finding the gun and the killer. Pretty ordinary stuff by Western film standards, this flick is uneven and less than engaging with marginal English language subtitle translations. Story aside, however, it is a moderately enjoyable blend of contemporary Western filmmaking with the traditional Chinese feel and a small step forward in Chinese action/drama filmmaking from behind the bamboo curtain. A subtitled watch recommended only for those with a taste for traditional Chinese cinema. (C)

The Missing Gun is the first of Lu Chuan's amazing films...Mountain Patrol is the second... There is almost no way to describe this film except to say it is amazing... Lu Chuan has a way of befriending the viewing with his characters...making them into actual friends in your life much in the way Dickens did so in another place and time... Only there is nothing out of time or old-fashioned about these films...any more than there is anything particularly Chinese...these are transparent jaunts through real life with the exception that they vault over principals of honesty, honor, and loyalty... As I have told my own friends, these may be some of the best Westerns ever made, but they are, of course, not Westerns! See this film. It will become one of your regular faves as it has become mine.

Ma Shan wakes up to find he has lost his police issue gun. This is going to be bad. With 3 bullets in it, it could mean the death of 3 or even 6 people if a professional got ahold of it. Or so his angry captain points out. Shan can't remember what happened last night as he got fall-down drunk at his sister's wedding. He races frantically about town, investigating those who were also at the wedding and accusing several of stealing his gun.

He has been married for 8 years to a fairly grumpy women when his ex-girlfriend moves back to town. The next day, she is killed with Shan's gun. This movie was non-suspenseful thriller. Fairly well done, quirky and interesting character, decent acting and a moderately intriguing story, I found myself watching with more of bemused expression than one of suspense. I was curious to find out who had the gun, not worried, not nervous, not involved. Although the movie was decent, nothing stood out, nothing will stick with me from this film.

I love good Chinese food, and for the most part, I've found that little local places are the best places to find good Chinese. In Provo, UT, there is a restaurant called Shoots that is amazing. Since I love Chinese food, I've been to P.F. Chang's twice. Everyone I know raves about it, but when I went I wasn't impressed. I can hardly remember what I had (orange peel chicken and great wall of Chocolate and spring rolls, I think). Nothing was bad, but nothing stood out as being great. "Oh, you have to try the lettuce wraps!" No, I wasn't impressed when I went, and I wouldn't miss it if I never went again. There is much better Chinese throughout the world. 5/10.

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It is not another Hong Kong excellent-made movie, but this is coming from the rural China with no martial arts or frenetic chase but the one with two old bicycles. The story is by itself strong and humanly ethical. A great man makes a mistake and he has to fix it up, above all the dilemmas or even his integrity moral o physical. The village where it was shot is a fascinating one, the photography is mesmerizing and some camera tricks give the magical touch to the visual without recurring to effects that surely they (the movie producers from China) can't afford. Somehow it reminds me the Brazilian City of God but with a more paced rhythm and a life philosophy that can only come from the rising East. Definitely a movie without the boring tastes of hollywoodean clichés, with this, who cares about reading the subtitles?

Don't look for HK type action, this is a close look at a different culture through one man's eyes.

The man in question is a Chinese police officer who has, through drunken carelessness, lost his gun, an unpardonable offense.

A carefully structured and paced film, not without some amusing moments, but for the most part a whodunnit more than anything else.

The camera work is brilliant, some of the sequences are fantastic, in fact I wonder if anyone can tell me if they have ever seen the opening technique use anywhere else, (I think what was done was, to mount the camera and drive forward while the camera films from the POV looking out the back and then the film was played backwards, GREAT effect!), it is similar to effects seen before, I.E. the opening sequence in Killing Zoe, but more dizzying.

Really nice movie and with a terrific ending, someone should remake this film. I watched it alone one night and rented again a week later to watch again with my wife.

Now you go watch it!