Showing @ Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 28 Jun & Cineworld, Edinburgh, Sun 30 Jun

João Pedro Rodrigues, João Rui Guerra da Mata / Portugal/France / 2012 / 85 mins

As Glasgow gears up for next year’s Commonwealth Games, we are reminded of the previously accepted practice of claiming rule over pre-existing countries. João Pedro Rodrigues and João Rui Guerra da Mata’s contemplative drama see’s a mysterious, unnamed Portuguese man return to the principality of Macao, where he has not been since it was handed back to the Chinese, to help a friend in danger.

There’s a noir-ish feel to the proceedings; not only is the protagonist’s name never revealed but we also never see his (or other characters) face, instead shots depict shadows, hand movements or point-of-view sights. What is shown is almost a video-tour of Macao, lingering stills or drawn-out sweeps of the city and it’s inhabitants, pleasingly contemplative to begin with but over-used and unexplained by the end. The Portuguese narration layered with Chinese images creates a nice fusion of cultures, emphasising how quickly nearly all signs of the colonial empire have been swallowed by the Asian super-power. The elements of traditional Chinese myth, ancient deities and reincarnation, support the almost ethereal atmosphere that come from limited dialogue twinned with exotic landscapes and seem to taunt the remaining Portuguese influences. While the film has a beguiling splendour, there’s not enough substance, both in narrative and imagery, to support its length resulting in an eye-catching but repetitive monotony.

Showing as part of Edinburgh International Film Festival 2013

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