Mad World - Hong Kong's entry for the foreign language Oscar (Wong Chun, 2016)

Wong Chun's debut feature film is not really part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, but one I did see during my stay here at Mongkok's Broadway Circuit outlet as a regular screening on a sunday morning.

It's a quiet and atmospheric film that is quite beautifully shot and extremely well acted by Eric Tsang (kudos!) and Shawn Yue, his son suffering from bipolar disease. It's a film about fatherhood and responsibilities, about getting old in financially difficult times. They both live in a shared flat with three other parties. No one seems to be able to pay rent anymore in Hong Kong. It's really depressing.

Mad World is definitely worth watching, as it has been screened in Busan and in Toronto. It got mixed reviews overall, but I really don't understand why. There are no loose ends, the plot is fragmented with flashbacks to family history, but that always makes sense and adds to the depth of the characters. I really liked it and recommend it highly. It's a great film with a strong message and fantastic actors.

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Michael Schleeh

This is a copy & paste blurb from my letterboxd page.

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