In
the early 1990s, they still wrote letters in this provincial Chinese town, but
when they might be delivered was anybody’s guess. This was especially true of Papa
Namiya’s mail chute. One fateful night and one night only, it will serve as a
time portal, connecting correspondents three decades apart. Perhaps it is made
of the same stuff as the mail box in Il
Mare. Regardless, people seem to receive their letters exactly when they
need them in Han Jie’s Namiya (trailer here), which opens tomorrow in New York.
Kindly
old Papa Namiya was so full of helpful advice, he institutionalized his
position as the local “Agony Uncle.” Advice seekers dropped off their notes and
letters through the mail slot at the front of his corner store and he left his replies
for the more private cases in the milk delivery box in back. Seeking his
counsel became a local ritual until old age and a crisis of confidence forced
him to retire. However, several years later, he had his faithful nephew
announce his special one-night return, but even Papa Namiya does not know how
special it will be.
Back
in the present day, Ah Jie, Tong Tong, and Xiabo, three grossly disadvantaged orphans
take refuge in the mothballed Namiya store, after a bit of mischief crosses the
line into criminality. Much to their surprise, time nearly stands still for
them in the store, but that allows them to start responding to letters meant
for Papa Namiya. In flashbacks, we see how life unfolds for the musician they
sort of encourage to follow his dreams. We also watch the results of the advice
Papa N. offered to a young Michel Jackson fan disillusioned by the King of Pop’s
molestation accusations and his own father’s mounting debt and chaos, as well
as the fate of a desperate bar hostess, who starts to follow Jie’s prescient investment
strategies. Eventually, all four strands will mostly come together, thanks to Old
Papa’s subtle guidance.
Namiya is based on a novel
of magical realism written by Japanese mystery master Keigo Hagashino that was
also recently adapted for film in his native land. It very definitely stands
comparison to the Korean film Il Mare (ill-advisedly
remade as the Sandra Bullock vehicle, The
Lake House), but it is exponentially more hopeful. Frankly, the basic
premise never makes much sense and it is easy to get confused by all the
flashbacks and call-backs, but viewers will still leave Namiya feeling strangely great about life in general.
Namiya also holds the
distinction of being the first strictly dramatic, no fighting and no martial
arts performance from Jackie Chan (with the possible exception of a few jokey
cameos) as old Papa Namiya. He is heavily made-up, but still instantly
recognizable. Basically, he acts like what his body should feel like after all
the beatings he took—and he is terrific. It is some of his best work, up there
with The Foreigner, but that old charisma
from his glory years still twinkles through.
