Perdido no Tempo

My online rental queue is filled with hundreds of East Asian films, some of which I add without knowing all that much about them. When Lost In Time came in the mail, I was expecting a generic romance film. I am now very happy to confess that I was very, very wrong.

The storyline itself is not particularly novel or original, but the character development here is outstanding. The filmmakers successfully used actions over words to build the foundations of the main characters. Cecilia Cheung is thrown into a very difficult situation early on. The introduction of her struggles, one after the other, adds significantly to her likability, and the viewer develops a deep concern for her wellbeing. No explicit conversations of her difficulties are even necessary because I experienced them with her. Ching Wan Lau comes off as an authentic gentleman who's good deeds are motivated by a rather complex history. The young boy did admirably and was extremely likable.

There is one scene in particular, that takes place during the second half of the film, which I consider to be one of the greatest in the history of cinema. I rarely cry while watching films. Joint Security Area forced a few tears down my cheek, but "The Scene" in Lost In Time made me cry so profusely that I had to stop the film and take a break to regain my composure. It's that damn good! To be honest, Lost In Time hit me like a ton of bricks in a very positive and happy way. It has earned it's place as one of my favorite Romance films, and comes with my highest of recommendations.