Goodbye South, Goodbye (1996)

Goodbye South, Goodbye (1996). 1h 56m

“Hou does not disguise his gratitude to Ozu, Cafe Lumiere having been conceived as a tribute to the minimalist master. Houu0026#39;s Ozu-influenced visual aesthetic is hypnotic and seductive – if you are into that kind of thing. Static camera, long takes, the eschewing of close-ups: these elements can combine powerfully in some films, such as Ming-liang Tsaiu0026#39;s What Time is it There? or Koredau0026#39;s Wonderful Life. However, when the poetry is absent, you have mind-numbing tedium, such as Aoyamau0026#39;s Eureka.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eUnfortunately, Goodbye South, Goodbye falls into Eureka territory. The fifty -second shots of tarmac rolling by reminds me of what happens when the kids get hold of the video camera on the family outing. I kind of felt what Hou was after when the three protagonists ride their scooters and joke that Big Brotheru0026#39;s might explode, there was a moment when their rootlessness and ill-discipline was encapsulated in the frame. But it was fleeting, glimpsed and then gone. Everything around it was tedium, and difficult to follow tedium to boot.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe composition of the frames is flat and uninspiring. The acting may be profound, but who can tell when the actors are relegated to a small corner of the frame, often shrouded in darkness, and/or mumbling their lines with their backs to camera. When Flatly gets rushed, beaten and handcuffed by his cousin, I want to see the expression on his face. When the negotiations to release the hostages are happening, I want to see if the look in their eyes matches the words coming out of their mouths.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI get that it is about nihilistic existence, ennui and all that. But I didnu0026#39;t feel it. I watch movies to feel something. There are a million ways to be bored in life, I prefer film watching to be an exception. I can concede that this film might work on the big screen, but the DVD was a turn-off.”