SBIFF ’16: She Walks

You would think French immigration has more dangerous illegals to worry about than Chinese street walkers—and perhaps they do. Still, any extra attention is dangerous for Lin Aiyu. Keenly aware of her precarious position, Lin will try to work the only angle left to her when she is pulled into some dodgy underworld dealings in Naël Marandin’s She Walks (trailer here), which screens during the 2016 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Lin once worked as a maid for a snobby, established French-Chinese family, but like many of her street walking colleagues, she tired of the rigid control and meager pay. She now sends home a small remittance each month, scrimped from her work as an off-the-books home care-giver and the tricks she turns during the day. While she prefers the current arrangement (despite the obvious hazards), she no longer has legal standing to remain in France. Nonetheless, old Monsieur Kieffer is quite fond of Lin and her daughter Cherise, but it is his son who controls the purse-strings.

One fateful morning, Daniel Alvès, the sleazy neighbor across the street, forces his way into Kieffer’s flat behind the startled Lin. Initially, he promises to only stay one day, but he soon settles into the storeroom. As they can clearly see, groups of thugs are constantly giving his place a good turning over. Eventually, Lin gives him an ultimatum. He can continue to stay, but he must agree to marry her, thereby granting her legal status. However, Lin is determined to keep their bargain a secret from Cherise, just as she does with her prostitution sideline.

Without question, Marandin conceived She Walks with the best of intentions, but he needed someone to edit out the awkwardness (and unintentional irony) of his press bio, which states the film was “inspired by his reaching out to Chinese women working as prostitutes in Paris.” Reaching out, was he? Be that as it may, She Walks never exploits its female cast members. Inevitably, there are several graphic sex scenes, but they are the sort that will turn off reasonably healthy viewers, rather than heating them up.

Clearly, Marandin also forged a high degree of trust with his lead, Lan Qui. She carries the film with an extraordinarily brave and revealing performance. Physically and emotionally, she opens herself up to the audience, holding back nothing. It is quiet, deeply grounded work, yet raw as anything you’ve seen. In fact, the entire ensemble of Chinese street walkers is quite exceptional. They are funny and earthy, still attractive but convincingly weathered by life. Listening to them banter and gossip is really the only respite Marandin offers us, because She Walks is otherwise unremittingly downbeat and pessimistic.

Of course, a depressing film is still well worth seeing, if it is well made and there is a point to all the misery it rubs our nose in. That is definitely true for She Walks. We do sympathize wholeheartedly with the exploited Chinese women, who collectively do not represent a fraction of the threat posed by a lone Islamist Isis sympathizer. It is also significant as a French film allowing an Asian women a starring role. Lan Qui fully capitalizes on the moment, making an indelible impression. Cate Blanchett’s embarrassing Joan Crawford shtick in Carol looks like amateur hour compared to her. Recommended for mature audiences, She Walks screens this Wednesday (2/10) and Friday (2/12), as part of this year’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

SBIFF ’16: Dream Land

It still stings to be rejected by a lover, even if your country has a painful history of genocide. These are the “First World” problems faced by Lida, a successful up-market real estate agent, whose territory encompasses Phnom Penh. Life does not just carry on for her and her friends. It careens at light speed. A different sort of Cambodian experience comes to light in American-born-and-based Steve Chen’s Dream Land (trailer here), which screens during the 2016 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Lida (Da) is good at her job, but maybe she doesn’t even have to be all that competent. Phenom Penh is booming. To show a luxury condo is to sell it. It does not hurt that she has a good look either. She would turn most men’s heads, but since her current lover Kun is a fashion photographer, his constant contact with beautiful women has apparently made him fickle. He has rarely been around in recent weeks, but when Lida has seen him, his passive aggressive frostiness has left her hurt and confused.

Lida will deal with her frustrations in a variety of ways. Some could come straight out of Sex and the City, but eventually she tries to recharge with a trip to the ancient Imperial coastal retreat of Kep. Yet, even there she finds signs of burgeoning development and commercialization.

Cambodian super model Lida Duch and her previous co-star Sokun Nhem are apparently quite popular from the blockbuster Khmer fantasy Sbek Kong, but local audiences will probably be a tad confused by Chen’s slow cinema-ish approach. Strictly speaking, it is true not a lot happens, but that is greatly reflective of real life. Indeed, Chen is very much interested in the pop songs, romance comic books, and karaoke bars that help the harried modern Cambodian get through the day. Frankly, that probably makes Dream Land considerably more interesting for international viewers on the outside looking in, rather than domestic patrons who are already immersed in this environment.

However, what really distinguishes the film is Duch’s remarkable performance. It is quietly reserved work, but powerfully vulnerable and emotionally brittle. She can say a lot with very little, so the camera just adores her. Frankly, it is hard to fairly judge Nhem as his near namesake, because what few scenes he has are so thoroughly stacked against him. Basically, he comes in and acts like a jerkheel, while Chen keeps him relegated to the far, out-of-focus corner of the frame. In contrast, Hak Kim is painfully empathic as the mutual friend so obviously carrying a torch for Lida.

Dream Land is not exactly a milestone of global cinema, but it is still exciting to see Cambodian film industry continue to rebuild itself following the almost complete destruction the country’s cinema heritage under the Communist insanity of the Khmer Rouge. Chen has already been a part of that effort, working as part of the camera crew on Davy Chou’s masterful Golden Slumbers. (Chou in turn served as an associate producer on Dream Land.) At this point, each Cambodian film is still important as another building block in that effort, but Chen’s film is also significant for bringing Duch international recognition. Despite the art house pacing, Dream Land has considerable merits. Recommended for sophisticated patrons, it screens tomorrow (2/8) and Tuesday (2/9), as part of this year’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival.